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Nicolas Bay, of the Front National, launched a seething attack on Brussels for destroying Europe during a fiery debate on Brexit in the European Parliament on Wednesday. The MEP said: “Dear colleagues, first of all, I would like to salute once again the courage of the British people. “They managed to vote against the prophets of doom who said that Brexit would bring chaos. Yes, British democracy one of the oldest democracies in the world has managed to overcome all of the forecasts of the globalised technocrats who are dominating in Brussels and Paris. “There is no point in threatening the British, it’s in all of our interest this should a soft exit with respect and calm.”

GETTY • EU PARLIAMENT Nicolas Bay hailed Brexit in a seething rant against the EU

Mr Bay dismissed claims the UK was abandoning Europe as he said Britons chose to leave the bloc, not their European neighbours. He said: “The UK is not leaving Europe, it’s leaving the European Union. A supranational body that has been built without the support of its people and even against them, making our nations powerless at the expense of the multinationals. “For too long now people have called for an end to bureaucracy, the attacks on democracy, the ideologies which damage our interests. “Europe, our Europe, as excited for thousands of years, and it’s you who are destroying it. We need to rebuild it through useful cooperation between sovereign nations, giving back people their freedom.”

I would like to salute once again the courage of the British people Nicolas Bay

The declaration of support came after a Danish MEP also took the EU to task for its hard-line position ahead of Brexit negotiations. Anders Vistisen, of the Danish People's Party, shredded Brussels’ as he took to Facebook to say the UK has the support of his party. The MEP said: “Great Britain should not be punished!!! The EU Parliament has now adopted its position on Brexit… and it has become clear the EU Parliament wants a hard line against Britain. “They do not want to negotiate a future trade deal with Britain before they have agreed to pay the [Brexit bill], the EU has demanded. [They] have given Spain a veto right in relation to the issue of Gibraltar in the new agreement.” Mr Vistisen said the European Union was at risk of causing “irreparable damage” to itself and is members, as well as the UK, if it insisted on punishing the British people for Brexit.

Brexit debate in pictures Mon, April 17, 2017 The debate in the European Parliament in Strasbourg will focus on key issues of the Brexit talks including reciprocal rights for EU citizens, the peace process in Northern Ireland and trade Play slideshow AFP/Getty Images 1 of 23 Former leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) Nigel Farage (L) gestures as he speaks with EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker (R) prior to a debate on the conclusions of the last European Council, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg