The European Union has been warned member states could seek their independence should they see Britain “triumph” as an independent state after Brexit. Finnish MEP Laura Huhtasaari claimed Brussels is aware the EU27 would be more prosperous outside of the union as she suggested the bloc is rushing to make it “more difficult” to leave like the UK. Speaking to Express.co.uk, Ms Huhtasaari said: “Weber, who leads the European People’s Party, said that if the UK’s exit was to be successful and you would prosper and triumph…the EU is afraid of competition.
“It knows that the member states would do better without the federal state, they would do better as independent states in a free trade area.
“If Brexit is a success, it will be the beginning of the end of the EU.
“That’s why they are in a hurry, they really want to make it harder and harder to leave the EU, that’s why the corona package is being pushed very, very hard.”
The European Union has been struggling to bring all member states together in supporting a proposed rescue package to help member states facing economic risks because of the coronavirus pandemic before the summer break.
Ms Huhtasaari, a long-time proponent of Finland’s withdrawal from the EU, insisted Helsinki “must say no” to the proposed recovery plans as she slammed as “illegal.”
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She continued: “Of course, there is hope. I want my country to say no, Finland should definitely just say no.
“This is against the treaties, this is illegal, we are not participating but our Government at the moment just supports the federal plan.”
The Finnish MEP has claimed the proposed rescue fund would violate Article 125 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
Article 125 of the TFEU, the EU and its member states have no obligation to assume the commitment of either national government or central banks of other member states if they incur in financial trouble.
The European Union has been facing an increased amount of criticism from member states since Brexit because of the resurgence of eurosceptic feelings across the union.
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Mr Bootle said: “It is Italy that all along I thought it is likely to cause the biggest problems because, of course, it is under enormous economic strain.
“But also, it’s a big and significant country.
“And interestingly, Italians were originally among the most enthusiastic supporters of the European Union and one can understand why.
“They came to it with a feeling that they wanted to escape from their own misgovernment, which has been the history of Italy for I don’t know how many years. So they saw the EU as some sort of saviour from themselves.
“And then gradually, of course, it’s become clear that it’s not that at all. So against that backdrop, the opinion poll that was published recently in Italy, showing two-thirds of Italians are now thinking that the EU was a burden to Italy and Italy would be better off outside the EU.
“That’s quite a revelation.”