5 Aug. 2021 22:14 clock
The EU would outperform China and the US if European athletes acted together at the Olympics. This is what MEP Guy Verhofstadt said. Now his statement sparked disapproving reactions on Twitter.
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Belgian Member of the European Parliament Guy Verhofstadt has been bombarded with disapproving tweets after suspecting the EU could win the Olympics if European athletes stand together for the bloc and pool their medals.
The former Brexit head of the European Parliament had thought on Thursday that the EU would dominate the international games if Olympians from across the European bloc shared their success with Brussels. Verhofstadt had on Twitter communicated:
“Funny fact: the EU together has more gold medals than the USA or China. I would like to see the EU flag next to the national flag on the athletes’ clothing. Our identity is complex – we are proud Italians, Latvians, Germans, Slovenes ..” . and Europeans. That should reflect our sport! “
There were no shortage of reactions. Many quickly pointed out that Verhofstadt would like to try both: By competing the EU states individually, but also as a block, the Union would have a huge pool of athletes with whom it could increase its medal numbers. A Twitter user wrote:
“Great idea, you can tell thousands of athletes that they didn’t qualify because there is only one EU Olympic team, not 27 national teams (the real reason the cumulative totals are so high).”
Another Twitter user mocked Verhofstadts Tweet:
“So 27 rich nations have more gold medals than one rich nation? I would have thought that would be a given, honestly.”
At least one user of the social network bragged that the UK had outperformed all of the top EU member states after Brexit.
Others claimed, Verhofstadt advocate a European superstate. The interpretation became Rejected by those who found that the MEP recognized both national and European identities. One user jokedthat maybe NATO should count its gold medals. Despite the criticism, there were still some who fully embraced the Belgian politician’s idea supported.
Verhofstadt is known for his ardent advocacy of EU federalism. His often provocative comments on Britain’s successful referendum to leave the bloc in 2016 made headlines. He recently targeted Hungary over the country’s stance on LGBTQ issues and warned that a dictatorship was growing in the EU.
more on the subject – Brussels faces even more trouble: Poland categorically rejects “United States of Europe”
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