Speaking in Strasbourg on Tuesday, EPP group Chair Manfred Weber criticised Johnson over his recent visit to Turkey, where the former London Mayor said the Turkish people could rely on British support in its efforts to join the EU.
Weber said this contrasted sharply with Johnson’s tough stance on immigration in the run up to the EU referendum.
Accusing Johnson of hypocrisy, the German MEP said, “This is unbelievable arrogance and very, very provocative. It is one reason why I have lost all respect for Boris Johnson.”
Weber’s comments at a news conference came after a whirlwind visit to Strasbourg on Monday and Tuesday by Brexit secretary David Davis.
In a round of talks on Brexit, Davis met ALDE group leader Guy Verhofstadt, who will lead Parliament’s Brexit talks, and Weber but pointedly cancelled a meeting with S&D leader Gianni Pittella.
Pittella expressed surprise at this, telling a separate news conference that he had “no idea” why the meeting had been called off.
However, his party colleague, UK Socialist MEP Richard Corbett, was particularly critical of Davis, saying, “His visit to the European Parliament did not result in any meaningful progress and risks further antagonising our European partners, with whom Britain will have to negotiate any EU exit deal.”
Corbett, Labour’s deputy leader in Parliament, said, “Having belatedly realised that the European Parliament will have a final say on any Brexit deal, David Davis needed to build alliances today and show MEPs that the government has a plan - yet he only stayed in Strasbourg for a few hours, failed to meet the Parliament's President, the Chair of the relevant committee or the leader of the key Socialist & Democrat group, and didn’t say anything about the government’s plan for Brexit, even in private.
“Just like the British people, MEPs have been asking if the British government has a plan. Whether it be the single Mmrket, research funding, or law enforcement cooperation, we still have no answers.
“And we should be in no doubt that our negotiating partners in Europe can see through the bluster.”