Boris Johnson has been condemned by the president of the European Council for comparing the EU to Hitler's desire to occupy Europe.
The former London mayor said European history had been dominated by doomed attempts to unify the continent under a single government to recreate the “golden age” of the Romans.
“Napoleon, Hitler, various people tried this out, and it ends tragically. The EU is an attempt to do this by different methods,” he told the Sunday Telegraph.
Donald Tusk today hit back at Boris an said the Conservative Brexit campaigner had "crossed the boundaries of a rational discourse".
Speaking at a press conference in Copenhagen, Tusk said: "When I hear the EU being compared to the plans and projects of Adolf Hitler I cannot remain silent.
"Such absurd arguments should be completely ignored if they hadn’t been formulated by one of the most influential politicians in the ruling party.
"Boris Johnson crossed the boundaries of a rational discourse, demonstrating political amnesia.
Tusk added: "In some sense, he illustrated a state of mind and emotions of many Europeans, not only from the UK. In no way, however, can this be an excuse for this dangerous blackout."
Boris has defended the comparison. "Over the last few thousand years there have all sorts of attempts in Europe to recreate the dream of the Roman Empire,” he said.
“Very often that has been done by force. The EU is different. It’s trying to do it in a more bureaucratic way.
“The problem is there isn’t a single charismatic authority that anybody feels any loyalty to. It’s completely anti-democratic.”
He added: "There is very good argument against the lack of democracy in the EU. Over the last 2,00 years people have made repeated attempts to unify Europe by force. The EU is a very different project but it is profoundly anti-democratic."