Bonde hangs his EP boots

Danish Eurosceptic MEP Jens-Peter Bonde has announced his retirement from the European Parliament saying he will now dedicate his time to "build a better EU".

Known in Malta for his visits to the country before the EU accession referendum to campaign against Malta's membership, Mr Bonde is one of the longest-serving MEPs.

Mr Bonde said that on his 60th birthday, tomorrow, he will step down as an MEP. His parliamentary seat will be taken by Hanne Dahl, leader of the Danish June Movement.

Mr Bonde was first elected in 1979 and has been an MEP ever since. Formerly a champion of Danish independence from the EU, Mr Bonde says he has seen the EU change and has himself changed along with it.

As an MEP, Mr Bonde has spent more than half of the time as group leader or co-president. He co-chairs, together with Nigel Farage, of UKIP, the Independence and Democracy Group. He is also the interim President of a pan-European movement called EUDemocrats and aims to launch similar groups throughout Europe.

Mr Bond is still remembered in Malta for the help given to the Maltese Eurosceptics during the referendum campaign in 2003. He was against Malta joining the EU and openly supported the then anti-EU lobby headed by the No2EU group, founded by former MLP candidate Sharon Ellul Bonici and CNI led by former Prime Minister Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici.

Mr Bonde's group in Brussels currently employs Ms Ellul Bonici.