Brussels ordered AstraZeneca to hand over all vaccines made in the Netherlands despite the UK having a claim to the doses. Express.co.uk readers shot down the decision, with some likening to communism and even fascism. In comments, people unleashed their fury against the EU and some said Boris Johnson should resort to legal action.
One person said Mr Johnson’s Government “are letting the EU walk all over us when they owe us an enormous debt.”
A second reader said: “The EU are not happy the UK has done so well with the vaccination programme, and are trying to make themselves look like they are doing better by withholding the vaccines.
“The EU are showing their true colours and that is why Brexit should have happened years ago.”
And yet a third said while the EU may have scored some political points in Europe following months of criticism, their latest move nonetheless means “they have shown themselves to be contractually unreliable.”
The reader added: “Business is global and they could now be seen as unreliable.
“I sure would be looking at alternatives if was based there or thinking of moving there.”
Others branded the club of nations a “rogue communist state” and said it represented “fascism at its finest.”
READ MORE: Brussels humiliated after Germany and France ignore plea for EU unity
As the dispute escalated, heated talks were held between the EU and the UK to devise a way forward.
Downing Street sought to ease tensions by saying Britain would share production capacity at the plant with Brussels but the half-way offer was slapped down by the Europeans.
Mr Breton said AstraZeneca’s CEO Pascal Soriot had confirmed all but one batch of the jabs would be sent EU member states.
Some Britons likened the EU’s behaviour to that of a dictator.
One Express.co.uk readers said: “Holland is not a sovereign nation then and the EU is a dictatorship, well who would have guessed that apart from us leavers.”
Another wrote: “So pull the funding! Close the factory!
“Bring the factory back to UK and we will produce vaccines for the rest of the world.”
Another likened it to corruption and said the Government should consider taking the EU to court to settle the matter.
But another person countered their argument, saying: “That would be the European Court of Justice. Whose side do you think they would come down on?”
