And one poster contrasted the bloc’s sluggish response to the escalating crisis which is engulfing India with the UK’s swift intervention. The bloc is lagging well behind Britain in terms of the number of jabs administered.

According to the Our World In Data website, the EU’s rate is 29.82 doses per 100 people – well under half that of the UK, with 68.72.

Mr Verhofstadt tweeted: “Months ago I warned that the lack of vaccines is a result of weak contracts.

“Better draw lessons and make sure we do better going forward: a real EU health union is needed, with the power, size, money and expertise to take on any future health challenges!”

However, his post left plenty of uses unconvinced, to say the least.

David J Robinson replied: “Guy Verhofstadt What a more centralised EU to solve all the problems!!! You do surprise me.”

William Black added: “The whole approach of sourcing vaccine as one proves that the EU needs anything but a Health Union.”

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“For it, in itself, is part of that same dilemma.”

Others agreed, with one saying: “The EU’s vaccine programme has been a shambles.

“Hungary has taken matters into its own hands and is doing best of all EU countries.

“So what’s Guy’s solution? An EU Health Union. More centralisation, more bureaucracy, more rules. So glad we’re out!”

Another commented: “The more you speak, the more I realise that I absolutely made the right decision in voting to leave the EU.”

Similarly, another poster observed: “No matter the problem, the issue, the debacle the answer is always, ‘More EU’. Good luck with that.”

Chris Bunch used the ongoing COVID-19 surge in India to highlight his point.

He said: “You can’t even organise some help for India so how could you run a health union?

“Today the UK delivered a load of ventilators etc to India.

“The EU is waiting until May’s meeting to even consider helping. Meanwhile, 1,000s are dying. A very bad joke.”