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The failed Democratic candidate had devised a strategy which included dispatching officials on a tour of the continent to drum up support and publicly denouncing critics of the project in White House statements.

She wanted to develop a closer relationship with Brussels during her tenure, building on the foundations laid by Barack Obama, and felt that the European Union needed more support from Washington.

The strategy was revealed by Julianne Smith, who was the head of Mrs Clintons Europe team during last years presidential election campaign, in an interview with EurActivs Jorge Valero.

She suggested that if elected President the Democratic nominee would have been prepared to wade full on into domestic European politics in a way even her predecessor generally eschewed.

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Mr Obama was heavily criticised when he took a clear stance on Brexit, telling British voters that the UK would be back of the queue for a trade deal if they voted to leave the EU.

The ill-advised intervention was broadly seen as being of huge help to the Leave campaign, which made huge capital out of the perception that a US President was trying to boss Britain around.

It appears Ms Clinton would have carried on in that vein, however, with her top advisor suggesting she would have condemned the eurosceptic stance currently being taken by countries like Hungary.

Hungarian PM Viktor Orban is currently embroiled in a series of rows with Brussels over his policies on migration, an attempt to shut down a university owned by George Soros and a Stop Brussels consultation on repatriating certain powers.

Asked what the Democrats strategy would have been, Ms Smith replied: We could work with the European partners to call out countries that are rolling back democratic reforms.

There could be political statements that are made in tandem between Washington and Brussels to call out, for example, what Orban did to the Central European University.

She added: There could be visits by US officials to European capitals to show resolve and unity in the face of Russian aggression.

There was a broad feeling among the team and Clinton herself that Washington would need to extend a hand and build on the partnership between Barack Obama and Angela Merkel, and have a closer relationship to many of the leaders in Europe and Brussels, and work with our European allies to strengthen our cooperation.

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In her interview she also laid into Donald Trump, who shocked the world by beating Mrs Clinton in last Novembers election, saying the Republican had no plan for US relations with the EU.

Brussels has been alarmed by Mr Trumps eurosceptic stance, with the US President having been a vocal backers of the campaign for Britain to leave the EU.

Relations plunged into the deep freeze following the Republicans election in November, with Germany and its leader Angela Merkel becoming a particular focus of his criticism.

He has since softened his tone somewhat, although he has still made clear his preference for dealing with individual countries rather than supranational organisations.

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Clinton plan to save EU: Democrat plotted to meddle in European politics to shore up bloc - Express.co.uk