Mateusz Morawiecki discusses Tusk's relationship with EU

       A former Brexit minister has warned that the EU's attempts to attack democracy in one of its member states is exactly what it tried with Britain when it voted to Leave in 2016. David Jones was Brexit minister responsible for many of the UK's negotiations before the 2017 election when Theresa May first became Prime Minister.

       Working under the then-Brexit Secretary David Davis, Jones toured many of the European capitals where he often found sympathy for Britain's decision but was constantly faced with the bullying tactics of the European Commission under the Presidency of the hardline Ursula von der Leyen.

       As Ms von der Leyen's Commission has now launched "an economic war" on Hungary to bring down Viktor Orban's democratically elected government, Mr Jones recalls that he remembers the same tactics being used against the UK.

       He told Express.co.uk: "The Commission is using the sort of bullying tactics on a small member state that it tried to apply to the UK, but fortunately we were too big to be intimidated. This is simply another demonstration of how right we were to leave and how much better off we are out."

       READ MORE: EU 'declares economic war' in assault on democracy and vindication of Brexit

       David Jones has warned that the EU tried the same tactics on the UK as it is now using on Hungary (Image: Getty)

       Mr Jones's intervention comes amid growing concerns about the assault on democracy by Brussels' elites.

       As Brexit minister, Mr Jones also had to deal with the then European Council President Donald Tusk who set out to publicly humiliate the UK government including posting a picture of an EU event with Theresa May eating cake with the words "you can't have your cake and eat it".

       Late last year Tusk led a pro-EU federalist coalition to a narrow election victory in Poland after von der Leyen's commission intervened by stopping billions going to the country which were owed it. She also publicly backed Tusk to win.

       Since beating the Law and Justice Party (PiS) government, Tusk has ordered the arrest of opposition MPs and closed down parts of the state media in a bid to shore up power. He has also agreed to hand over power on domestic law to Brussels in a power grab by the Commission.

       Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told Express.co.uk: "Now I understand Brexit."

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       Donald tusk has been accused of setting up an authoritarian regime in Poland (Image: Getty)

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       Hungary has also had billions of euros withheld from it for trying to defend its sovereignty and domestic laws against Brussels interference.

       The latest row came after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban vetoed an aid package to Ukraine arguing that they were using money due to Hungary.

       The EU is now planning an economic assault on his country through the bond markets which it also used to replace Silvio Berlusconi's government in 2011 with unelected bureaucrats.

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       Balazs Orban, the Hungarian Prime Minister's political director, described the actions as "blackmail" by von der Leyen's commission.

       The eurosceptic Bruge Group noted: "Last year, the EU withheld funds from Poland to force a change of government. Now, its officials are preparing an all-out economic war against Hungary. The countries of Central and Eastern Europe find themselves the victims in an increasingly abusive relationship with Brussels."

       Former Brexit Party MEP Ben Habib has accused the EU of performing "an assault on democracy".

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