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Mr Farage made the coruscating speech to the European Parliament chamber in October 2015, as he railed against the "rotten" Brussels-based union. He spoke shortly after Angela Merkel and Francios Hollande staged a desperate appeal to MEPs to prevent "the end of Europe" amid the multiple crises afflicting the 28-country bloc. But Mr Farage, then Ukip leader, took to the stage to mock France's voice as "little more than a pipsqueak" in its relationship with Germany.

NC Nigel Farage delivered the historic speech to Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande

The eurosceptic told Mrs Merkel and Mr Hollande they were now presiding over a "corrupted" and "rotten" EU. The clip went viral in the run-up to the election as a commentary on how the EU failed. With Theresa May on the brink of triggering Article 50 in the next two weeks, it serves as a reminder of why the exit should not be delayed. In the speech in Brussels he told Mrs Merkel: "Germany has a currency that is undervalued by 20 per cent, a growing and massive trade surplus and most growth in the German economy since the collapse of 2008 has indeed been in exports to other eurozone countries such as your very big arms sales to countries like Greece.

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When that failure is met by objections from countries like Hungary their opinions are crushed Nigel Farage

"And when we have a general election that says a country like Greece wants to change direction, well I'm sorry but that must now be brushed aside because the Germans don't want it." The Ukip leader also turned his fire on Mrs Merkel's offer to accept an unlimited number of Syrian refugees into Germany. He told the German chancellor it "must count as perhaps the worst piece of public policy seen in modern Europe for half a century when you compounded the already failing and flawed EU common asylum policy by saying to the whole world 'please come to Europe'". He added: "We saw virtually a stampede and we learn that 80 per cent of those that are coming are not Syrian refugees. "In fact what you've done is open the door to young, male economic migrants, many of whom behave in a rather aggressive manner quite the opposite you would ever expect to see from any refugee. "When that failure is met by objections from countries like Hungary their opinions are crushed."

NC Farage called France's voice little more than a 'pipsqueak'

Hailing the "bright star on the horizon" of Britain's upcoming referendum on EU membership, Mr Farage added that he hoped a vote for 'Brexit' would "be the beginning of the end of a project that, however noble its original intentions, has gone rotten". Earlier, Mrs Merkel warned MEPs that Europe faces a "test of historic dimensions" while Mr Hollande claimed political union between the EU's member states could fall apart in the face of its current troubles - including the eurozone debt timebomb, migration crisis and the threat of Britain quitting. He said: "The debate is not about less Europe or more Europe. It is about the affirmation of Europe or the end of Europe. Yes, the end of Europe." Mrs Merkel added: "It is precisely now that we need more Europe.”

NC Angela Merkel was forced to listen to the speech

NC EU leaders were left stoney faced in the speech