German MEP: Immigration was key to Brexit vote
Controversy has never been far away from the political career of Beatrix von Storch.
The anti-immigrant German MEP hit the headlines in her home country the day after the EU referendum after she wept with tears of joy over Britain's vote to leave the EU - a decision she describes as 'surprising and impressive'.
This week she prompted widespread fury by calling for migrant’s crossing the Mediterranean on boats to be turned around and returned to their own country.
A member of the royal House of Oldenburg and deputy leader of the Eurosceptic party Alternative for Deutschland (AfD), Mrs von Storch believes that concerns over immigration were key to Brexit.
And she is adamant that 'Britain can make a big success' of Brexit. "It probably won't be easy, but I think Britain will be better off without all the rubbish we are doing here," she said.
"They can make free trade deals with other countries around the world.
"The European market is already imploding, so it may be better for the UK to have good trade deals with the US and China rather than selling cars to countries like Greece that can't afford to pay for them."
She added that Britain had 'opened a window of opportunity' that showed other member states that it was possible to leave the EU 'without disaster striking'.
"For the UK there has been no war since the Brexit vote," she said.
"It showed that anything is possible in politics if you really believe.
"It was opening a window from a house that was shut down. Now there is fresh air coming into that house and one bird has decided to fly away.
"I rather think that some more will leave the EU and I would be very happy to see that happen.
"I believe that small unions work better than big ones. For Germany the UK is one of our biggest markets in the EU and we want to sell our cars to them.
"This can't happen if the UK is not doing well, so it is very much in Germany's interests for Brexit to work and for Britain to succeed economically.
"It is in everyone's interests to keep an open market in the EU, even after the UK has left."
According to Mrs von Storch immigration is 'easily the biggest problem' in the EU, and 'certainly' contributed to the UK's decision to leave.
"Europe's biggest problem is not the euro, or Greece or Italy...those problems can be solved," she said.
"The problem we are not solving is immigration. We are facing millions of migrants coming to the EU and that should be our focus."
