The staunch pro-Brexit politician blasted Eurocrats and EU parliamentarians for completely changing the original European project.

Mr Farage said: "What might have started out as a very good idea, post-war reconciliation you know, they are the roots of the project. And nobody in their right minds could think that wasn’t a good idea. But now you’ve got Brussels.

"You’ve got an organisation full of thousands of people earning far too much money with the best pensions in the world."

The Ukip MEP also claimed members of the EU institutions had begun to ignore the needs of everyday EU citizen to focus on their personal well-being.

Speaking to German Freier Welt TV, Mr Farage added: "The EU has become about them.

"It’s no longer about reconciliation between countries and it certainly isn’t about the well-being of ordinary people."

Mr Farage's comments come ahead of his meeting with the EU's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier ahead of the January European Parliament plenary.

Mr Farage said he wanted to use the meeting to see if the EU diplomat had fully grasped the reason why the British people voted to leave in the 2016 EU Referendum.

He said: "My concern is the 17.4 million have not had their voice heard – I will endeavour to start a process of doing so. Once I've been there, there'll be others from the Leave side who go there as well and that's a good thing."

The Ukip MEP previously lamented Mr Barnier's decision to meet with several pro-Remain figures during the first phase of the Brexit talks – including former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg and MP Ken Clarke.

In his letter requesting the meeting, Mr Farage said he wanted to be given the same opportunity to present the case of the majority of the British population as it was given to people "who want to stop or delay Brexit".

He said: "I will come to speak for the 17.4 million who did not vote for a transition deal or any further delays and whose resolve is getting stronger."