Watch: A verbal smackdown in the European Parliament

British Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Nigel Farage may be basking in all the attention, but for the next 10 days that will be all he’s paid. Farage, a member of the anti-EU United Kingdom Independence Party, a week ago unleashed a bitter tirade against EU president Herman van Rompuy filled with humiliating personal attacks (van Rompuy is the one wearing glasses and shaking his head):

"Who are you? I’d never heard of you!” Farage said to van Rompuy, who sat in stunned silence in front of the parliamentary session.

For a week, Farage said he would not apologize, except to bank clerks the world over — he'd compared van Rompuy's appearance to that of "a low-grade bank clerk."

“If I've offended them then I'm very sorry indeed,” Farage said.

But now he’s seemingly had a change of heart and he apologized to van Rompuy too. His punishment will forfeit 10 days of his MEP per diem. It’s the maximum amount of fine possible.

 

http://www.globalpost.com/notebook/european-union/100302/nigel-farage-herman-van-rompuy