Luxembourg PM Xavier Bettel says he didn't intend to 'humiliate' Boris Johnson next to empty podium

Sean Morrison @seanmorrison_18 September 2019
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Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel has said it was never his intention to “humiliate” Boris Johnson by holding a press conference without him.

Mr Bettel also denied that Monday’s conference, which he gave next to an empty podium meant for Mr Johnson, was an ambush or had in any way been planned.

The European country’s leader has been facing a backlash for going ahead with his address despite the UK Prime Minister failing to appear after complaining that a noisy anti-Brexit demonstration made it impossible to go ahead.

Addressing this in an interview with the BBC on Wednesday, Mr Bettel said that to “humiliate” Mr Johnson was “really not what we wanted.” He added: “I think the UK are our partners, our friends.”

Mr Bettel held the conference next to an empty podium, which was meant for the British PM
REUTERS

But, asked if he regretted his decision to go ahead with the conference, he said: “No, because the fact it was agreed to have this press statement together, and he decided to go to the UK embassy to do the statement, so there was nothing to do to humiliate.”

Mr Bettel explained how he suggested to his British counterpart that they start the press conference outside his office as planned because there was not enough room inside to accommodate all 140 accredited journalists scheduled to attend.

He told the broadcaster that he felt the media would have made too much of the sight of Luxembourg removing Mr Johnson’s podium and the union flag behind it, so he went ahead and made the statements about the Brexit process as planned.

Boris Johnson pictured before he cancelled a press meeting with Xavier Bettel on Monday 
Getty Images

Tory MPs rounded on Mr Bettel after he took aim at Mr Johnson during the briefing, in which he complained that the future of citizens across the EU was being held hostage for "party political gains".

Pro-Brexit Tory Daniel Kawczynski said the scenes only underlined the need for Britain to get out of the "artificial arrogant EU structure" as quickly as possible.

"Luxembourg PM representing a nation smaller than Birmingham admonishing and being disrespectful to a British PM for trying to fulfil will of British people. We need to pull out of EU on October 31 without doubt!" he tweeted.

"We fund the EU to the tune of billions every year not sure what Luxembourg's contribution has been."

Former Brexit minister David Jones said Mr Bettel had made a "big mistake" which would appal many of his own people. "I have no doubt that very many Luxembourgers are dismayed by their Prime Minister's extraordinary behaviour," he tweeted.

France's President Emmanuel Macron, right, welcomes Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, prior to a meeting, at the Elysee Palace 
AP

Even some pro-EU MPs supported Mr Johnson's decision to walk out.

Sir Nicholas Soames, one of 21 MPs to have the Conservative whip removed by Mr Johnson for rebelling over Brexit, accused Mr Bettel of "unhelpful grandstanding".

"Very poor behaviour by Luxembourg. Boris Johnson quite right not to be made a fool of," he tweeted.

Conservative former defence minister Tobias Ellwood agreed that Mr Johnson had been right to "duck out" of the press conference.

"You saw the atmosphere outside the meeting. It is a bit like trying to conduct a press conference outside the Red Lion in Parliament Square," he told BBC2's Newsnight.

"It is the not the appropriate place to do it and I am sorry the choreography wasn't better handled."

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