EU could collapse like the Soviet Union, warns financier George Soros

The EU will “go the way of the Soviet Union” unless pro-Europeans rise up and defend the project, billionaire financier George Soros has warned.

Reflecting on the implications of Brexit and other anti-EU movements rising on the continent, Soros claimed Europe is “sleepwalking into oblivion".

Soros has poured at least £500,000 into anti-Brexit group Best for Britain, while other pro-EU campaigning organisations have also received funds.

Writing for Project Syndicate, Soros compared EU leaders in Brussels with those in the “politburo when the Soviet Union collapsed”.

He added: “The first step to defending Europe from its enemies, both internal and external, is to recognise the magnitude of the threat they present.

“The second is to awaken the sleeping pro-European majority and mobilise it to defend the values on which the EU was founded. Otherwise, the dream of a united Europe could become the nightmare of the twenty-first century.”