Nigel Farage MEP, the leader of Ukip, accused Mr Barroso of creating a myth. "Those of us who believe in national democracy do not want to take us back to the Western Front or 1914. Those of us who believe in national democracy will say to you that it is a healthy assertion of identity. But it also shows a deeper misunderstanding of why the problems of Europe were caused in the past. It is democratic nation states in Europe that are stable and will not go to war with each other."