The veteran radio and television presenter said the German Chancellor’s actions and policies were at the centre of many British voters’ desire to rid themselves of the EU. Mr Vine, 52, reached his conclusion after taking calls from concerned listeners in the run up to the June 2016 vote. In an interview with Die Welt, a German daily national newspaper, he described how the mood of Britons soured in the years before they were offered the choice to break ties with the bloc.
He said: “Many called before the EU referendum and said: Merkel is the reason why we want to get out of the EU.
“Because of the refugees and because of Greece. How the Germans dealt with the Greeks in the euro crisis left a nasty taste in the mouths of many Britons.
“Greece had simply passed into German ownership. This has triggered reflexes in this country.”
He went on to recall how former Tory minister Nicholas Ridley claimed the Germans wanted to exert power over the whole of Europe and would use the EU as a vehicle to drive their ambitions.
The Eurosceptic Baron Ridley of Liddesdale who served as trade secretary under Margaret Thatcher was sacked in 1990 following his scathing comments on the EU.
Mr Vine said: “One of Margaret Thatcher’s ministers, a man named Nicholas Ridley, said the infamous phrase in an interview in 1990: ‘The EU is the gang of gangsters, thanks to which Germany will take over all of Europe.’
“Somehow that is still on people’s minds.
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Ms Merkel drew scorn for her open border policy which saw more than one million refugees arrive in Germany.
Her controversial decision was blasted at home and around Europe and led to a surge in support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Commentators wanted the decision would turn the country into a terror hub while the former director of Germany’s foreign intelligence service also issued a warning.
Dr August Hanning said Ms Merkel’s nodding through of unidentified migrants had created a “massive security risk” for Germany and wider Europe.
He said “criminals and terrorists” were allowed to flood into the country without any hurdles.
Last year Ms Merkel announced she would step down as chancellor in 2021.
