UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has come under fire for his speech during a visit to Ljubljana, when he called Slovenia a "Soviet vassal state".
"A really remarkable transformation from a Soviet vassal state to a modern European democracy, a member of the EU, a member of NATO, a country with a flourishing economy", he said.
Another example of @Jeremy_Hunt being out of his depth, saying that Slovenia was a "Soviet vassal state", apparently unaware of the history of Yugoslavia. pic.twitter.com/ApWt5pli6x
— Property Spotter (@PropertySpot) February 22, 2019
Why do we have idiots for cabinet ministers. With TOWIE like grasp of geography Hunt mixes Slovenia and Slovakia up, while on the formers soil. Either that or he’s a complete moron. #demandbetter. #ExitFromBrexit https://t.co/BA80XrPLvU
— Ian Sharpe #FBPE #LibDem #DemandBetter🔶 (@iansharpe4lboro) February 23, 2019
READ MORE: Jeremy Hunt and the UK Government are the 'Malign' Actors, Not Russia
Although Hunt was trying to pay a compliment to the country's economy, his lack of knowledge about its history outraged former Speaker of Slovenia's National Assembly Milan Brglez, who slammed the UK foreign secretary for "arrogantly lecturing" the country, noting that the state had "never been ‘the vassal state of the Soviet Union'". Brglez also criticised Slovenian politicians, who had failed to correct Hunt on the spot and instead just let the "insult" go.
6/10 for racism. Congratulations @Jeremy_Hunt!! You just lost trade with Slovenia!! My you are worth the money we pay for you. How much does this fanny cost us per year? https://t.co/F1ketE7YzA
— TheBirdLeaf (@TheBirdLeaf1) February 23, 2019
Alleged Foreign Sec @Jeremy_Hunt calling Slovenia 'a Soviet vassal state' tops his previous most idiotic moment calling his Chinese wife Japanese obv trying to out-stupid Boris Johnson
— Sue Ravers #FBPE (@NanaRavers) February 23, 2019
During the Cold War, Slovenia was part of the former Yugoslavia, which was not a part of Soviet Union. The state was at the forefront of the creation of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961, which members refused to align with any of the global powers.
