Little Luxembourg doesn’t have a room big enough for Boris

EU’s second-tiniest ‘country’ has to use public restaurant, hold press conferences outside

The absurdity of the EU’s little towns masquerading as equal countries

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

Luxembourg, you asked for this

You can fit the citizens of little Luxembourg into the United Kingdom 191 times over
It has only 314,000 citizens, compared to 59,967,000 in the UK

All the media reports yesterday stated Luxembourg’s population as being 600,000. They failed to account for the fact that almost half the population are not in fact Luxembourgers at all.

Geography

In geographical size, little Luxembourg can be fitted into the United Kingdom 95 times over
It covers just 2,595 square kilometres, compared to the UK’s 247,763 square kilometres
In imperial measurements it is just 51 miles long by 35 miles wide
It is surrounded by Germany, France and Belgium

Economy

When it comes to economic power, Luxembourg is 1/40th of the size of the UK
It’s 2018 GDP was €58.9 billion, compared to the UK’s €2,393.7 billion
Luxembourg has been a tax haven for decades

General

Luxembourg has no navy and no air force
Bizarrely, Luxembourg City houses the European Court of Justice and is one of the EU’s four capitals
Its most famous product is one Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the EU Commission

Observations

Readers will have seen and read media coverage of the British Prime Minister’s visit to Luxembourg yesterday. He went there as a courtesy to Jean-Claude Juncker, and was treated with contempt.

Here is a ‘country’ which has the same status as the UK when unanimous votes are required in the EU Council, but which has to use a public restaurant for an important international meeting, and has to hold press conferences outside because it doesn't have a room big enough.

Quite why the British Prime Minister should choose to fly to meet an increasingly infirm and unelected bureaucrat, wedded to the creation of an EU superstate, is beyond us. We really have to wonder at the knowledge and experience of some of the PM's advisers.

If any serious and final Brexit arrangements are to be done with the EU, Juncker will not be making the decisions. That role falls to Angela Merkel of Germany, and to a lesser extent the French President Emmanuel Macron.

If it was done to show the PM was ‘engaging’ in the Brexit process, then it was always going to be a disaster. Boris Johnson was at the mercy of the EU machine and its loyal europhiliacs in the little Luxembourg state. On home turf they created the conditions to humiliate the British Prime Minister, using a few dozen disloyal ex-pats with loud-hailers and music sound systems to do their dirty work for them.

On a positive note...

Once again the British people have seen the contemptuous behaviour of the EU towards the United Kingdom. We think that more and more ordinary people – the ‘soft-middle’ who voted Remain in the EU Referendum because they believed the now-discredited threats and lies of Project Fear – are now seeing the EU for what it is.

We believe that the EU’s mockery of the people of the United Kingdom, and its Prime Minister, will come back to bite the EU.

In our Saturday edition we announced a major new Brexit initiative. We urge all readers to look at this and to give whatever support they can.

Over the weekend we continued to work with some important Brexit organisations who have agreed to our plan. Tomorrow, with your help, we hope to launch Phase One.

As ever, the lack of funding limits the resources we can put on this. We are inviting readers to help by becoming a Sponsor (£10 donation), a Gold Sponsor (£50 donation), or a VIP Sponsor (£100 and above). We will not publish your name unless you give express permission, naturally, and your contact details are never used.

Please just use the quick and secure donation methods below. Thank you.

[ Sources: All data above comes from Eurostat, the official EU statistics agency ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, 17 Sep 2019

Click here to go to our news headlines

And please scroll down to COMMENT on the above article.

Something to say about this? Scroll down for reader comments

Since before the EU Referendum, Brexit Facts4EU.Org
has been the most prolific researcher and publisher of Brexit facts in the world.

Supported by MPs, MEPs, & other groups, our work has impact.

We think facts matter. Please donate today, so that we can continue to ensure a clean Brexit is finally delivered.

Any credit card user

Quick One-off

From £5 - £1,000

Monthly

From £3 per month

Paypal Users Only - Choose amount first

Quick One-off

Monthly

PLEASE NOTE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT : You can write your comment under any existing comments below. After you have clicked to preview your comment, you MUST then click on the CAPTCHA system and send you comment, for it to be published. Thank you!

Reader Comments 17

11. Clive Higgins , Tuesday, September 17, 2019, 14:37:

Ah bless little Luxembourg and its Town Councilor. As others have observed its about the same size as Bristol (sorry Bristol just using you as a size comparison.
While I have to observe that it was a failing on the part of the No 10 team to put Boris in that position, perhaps the more important thing to learn and consider is
Why the hysterical hissy fit from Luxembourgs Xavier Bettel?
He has certainly lost face in front of his EU peers for not quite stitching Boris up totally?
I think the reason for his histrionics can be found in the fact that modern Luxembourg is built on and funded by tax evasion on an epic scale.
Deals, originally established by Junker, mean that when I buy something in the UK from Amazon - that is held in and delivered from a warehouse outside Milton Keynes - Amazon pretend the transaction took place in Luxembourg, so no tax payable in the UK
I imagine the high pitched hysterics come from the realisation that a post brexit UK will stop that nonsense

12. kzb , Tuesday, September 17, 2019, 16:32:

Clive: Apparently Luxembourg is merely an extension of "the City".

13. Jon , Tuesday, September 17, 2019, 19:38:

Comment 10.
Can you explain to me how the behaviour of a former Belgian minister has anything to do with Luxemburg, their PM and the comments made on this article?

14. Barbara Jell , Wednesday, September 18, 2019, 01:01:

Oh come on Jon! Boris was so clever not allowing himself to be ambushed by a baying mob and the utterly ridiculous Bettel. instead taking the wind out of their sails with dignity and aplomb. Why did Bettel consider it necessary to behave in such an un-statesmanlike, malicious and unedifying way? Really pathetic and he was the one who looked foolish and humiliated standing next to an empty podium. His behaviour was insulting and disrespectful in the extreme. The only redeeming factor? It confirms how right we are to want to escape from this viper's nest and not just head for the exit, but RUN FOR IT.!

15. Jon, Wales , Wednesday, September 18, 2019, 02:41:

Jon (comment 9) - I've reviewed the so-called 'press conference' several times, and in my considered opinion the attitude of the Luxembourg PM was wholly disrespectful and undiplomatic towards our Prime Minister, and by extension, disrespectful towards the British people.
Boris was entirely within his rights to speak elsewhere, and not before a disgraceful howling mob.
All discussions will have concluded inside, so Mr Bettel will perhaps reflect on his extraordinary attitude. I would go further to suggest Mr Bettel has shamed his small country and somewhat damaged relations.
It is noteworthy you fail to offer an alternative opinion upon the above article where you state, "This article is hardly about facts, but about opinions and feelings". Ordinary people are permitted to hold and express respectful opinions and feelings where necessary.
Should you believe the substance of the above article [or any Facts4EU article] is incorrect, you need only state your case - with facts?
To conclude, I will say my own observations in comments are 'made in good faith', in the same way as I voted to Leave - in good faith!
Barbara Jell (comment 14) - I entirely agree and align myself with your observation.

16. Adam Hiley , Wednesday, September 18, 2019, 20:39:

Boris was right to boycott this idiot of a man and those dopey Remoaner protestors I guess they are unemployed and vote Labour

17. Adam Hiley , Thursday, September 19, 2019, 12:31:

ignore the Luxembourg and Verhoftwat little Macron also Lenny Mac from Ireland

17 comments, page 2 of 2

Add comment:

Please note: Your email address is never published unless you choose to enter it.