Nigel Farage has urged Hungary and Poland to keep “rebelling” against and criticising the European Union (EU), as the bloc’s unelected leaders use authoritarian sanctions to suppress elected governments and their policies.

In an impassioned speech to the European Parliament, the MEP and Brexit leader accused the bloc of double standards by sanctioning nations with right-wing governments critical of the EU but ignoring “human rights” violation in pro-EU states.

“In Hungary, where [Prime Minister] Viktor Orbán, quite rightly, refuses to accept your ludicrous migrant quota programme – and he is now cast as the Devil,” he blasted, asking: “Perhaps, the real reason is he’s taking on [Hungarian-American billionaire funder George] Soros, perhaps the most dangerous man in Western democracy today?”

Polish standing up to Brussels. I hope the Polish people continue to rebel against the EU. The bully boys in Brussels want to take away their democratic rights within the Union. Posted by Nigel Farage on Tuesday, 6 March 2018

Prime Minister Orbán, a conservative, has promised to resist the EU’s migration policy and has sought to reduce the influence of Mr. Soros, who uses his wealth to campaign for open borders and has a cozy relationship with EU leaders.

“‘Keep going Viktor Orbán!’ is all that free democrats can say,” Mr. Farage added.

He also accused EU leaders of ignoring the persecution of journalists in Poland when Donald Tusk (now European Council President) was Prime Minister, adding:

“But when you get [the right wing] Law and Justice [Party] in power – who were critical of the European Union – just because they tried to clear out the Communist old guard and modernise their system, here you are, on the verge of invoking Article 7 and taking away their democratic rights within the union.”

The EU is currently threatening to fine Poland and remove its EU voting rights because of reforms made to its judicial system. The Polish people are also strongly against the EU’s migration policies, and its leader is resisting the quota system along with Hungary.

Mr. Farage contrasted the cases of Poland and Hungary with that of Spain, which recently crushed an independence referendum in Catalonia, and was accused of using violence.

EU Endorses Police Brutality in Catalonia as ‘Proportionate Use of Force’https://t.co/IOT9NxorBg — Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) October 5, 2017

“[Around] 950 people get beaten up by the police because they want to turn out on a Sunday morning and express an opinion,” Mr. Farage blasted.

“A totally clear violation… of people’s human rights. An absolute abuse of any sense of a democratic process, and yet [the EU says]: ‘In that case, it’s none of our business.’

“But of course, they [the Spanish] are a pro-EU government, so the iron fist of the European Union is reserved, purely, for your critics.

“You said today that you hoped the United Kingdom would change its mind and reverse Brexit – well, looking at the way you’re treating Poland, I would have thought the answer will be a very big ‘no!’” Mr. Farage concluded.