0:00:03 > 0:00:05CHEERING
0:00:06 > 0:00:09On the 24th of June last year,
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Britain woke up to a political earthquake.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16The sun has risen on an independent United Kingdom.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19The shock waves spread across Europe.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21'It's incredible, it's unbelievable, it's impossible!'
0:00:21 > 0:00:24This was the first reaction - shock.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28In Britain, we're now consumed by what Brexit means for us,
0:00:28 > 0:00:32but for the European Union, Brexit is one crisis of many.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Following our historic vote,
0:00:38 > 0:00:40I set off across Europe
0:00:40 > 0:00:42to meet the populist Euro-sceptics
0:00:42 > 0:00:46taking this continent by storm...
0:00:50 > 0:00:52- Bonjour!- Katya Adler, BBC.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01..and I've been witnessing the continuing misery
0:01:01 > 0:01:04with the euro in the countries of the south.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08The Italians have very good cause to be very, very angry.
0:01:08 > 0:01:09Italy's not Greece.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13If the euro collapses, that is the beginning of the end of the EU.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Add the migrant crisis, and it's a perfect storm.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20Even those at the helm wonder if the EU can survive.
0:01:20 > 0:01:25The risk that we fall apart is a real risk, yes.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28For the first time in the history of European integration,
0:01:28 > 0:01:31we can fail.
0:01:31 > 0:01:32Failure is possible.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46This is new European politics, Italian style.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52In a nation obsessed with beauty,
0:01:52 > 0:01:56Alessandro Di Battista is possibly Italy's most glamorous politician.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03He's a leader of a movement called Five Star.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Everyone wants to touch him, everyone wants to kiss him.
0:02:07 > 0:02:08This is a bit of a rock star
0:02:08 > 0:02:10of the Five Star Movement.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13He's just been on a coast-to-coast tour of Italy,
0:02:13 > 0:02:17meeting people, live-blogging as he goes, posing for Instagram.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30OK. Grazie. Grazie.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16The Five Star Movement really is the
0:03:16 > 0:03:18party to watch in Italy right now.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20It's only a few years old,
0:03:20 > 0:03:24but it's threatening to bring down the Italian political establishment
0:03:24 > 0:03:26with its anti-Establishment,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29anti-capitalist, anti-EU, populist,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33nationalist message, that's taking Italy by storm.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35- OVER PA:- Alessandro Di Battista!
0:03:39 > 0:03:41HE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:03:45 > 0:03:48If Di Battista is the rock star of Five Star,
0:03:48 > 0:03:52the godfather of the movement is a very different kind of politician.
0:03:52 > 0:03:53There he is!
0:03:53 > 0:03:57Beppe Grillo is known for being, um...
0:03:57 > 0:04:00a little bit creative, a little bit idiosyncratic.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04Will he do the interview, will he not do the interview?
0:04:04 > 0:04:06You never know. It's part of the excitement.
0:05:10 > 0:05:11See you later.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16HE SINGS THE BLUES
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Grillo started out as a blogger and stand-up comic.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31He's now a cult figure,
0:05:31 > 0:05:35and one of the most influential politicians in his country.
0:05:35 > 0:05:36CROWD CHANTS
0:05:36 > 0:05:39No, no, no, no, no, no, no. No, no, no.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Polls show his party is Italy's most popular.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Five Star is a rather haphazard movement,
0:05:56 > 0:05:58but one thing is clear -
0:05:58 > 0:06:02they want a vote on whether Italy should leave the euro,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05a serious threat to the power brokers in Brussels.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09This movement of Mr Grillo has for everything a scapegoat,
0:06:09 > 0:06:11for nothing a solution.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Grillo is loud...
0:06:15 > 0:06:16funny from time to time,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20ugly from time to time with the words,
0:06:20 > 0:06:22nasty with his words.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26But I'm looking for a single solution for what to do.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28He proposed nothing.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33I think it's a wave of feelings
0:06:33 > 0:06:39against the Establishment, against, in some cases, the rules,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42against whatever can threaten what I know.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48I do not have one single example in mind
0:06:48 > 0:06:50of an anti-Establishment policy
0:06:50 > 0:06:53that has managed to solve one single problem.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33Five Star is part of a phenomenon taking Europe by storm.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37In over 20 years of living and working across Europe,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40I've never seen anything like it.
0:07:40 > 0:07:41SIRENS BLARE
0:07:47 > 0:07:51In almost every EU country, there's now an anti-Establishment,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54nationalist-minded movement on the rise.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58Dutch right-wing leader Geert Wilders is typically Euro-sceptic.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Euro-scepticism has spread
0:08:07 > 0:08:10as part of growing anger at traditional elites.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12And Brexit broke a taboo.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16Everyone knows now if you don't like the EU, you can leave.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Vive la France!
0:08:40 > 0:08:43People have lost trust in politicians
0:08:43 > 0:08:45and they are saying, "Let's try something different."
0:08:45 > 0:08:47In most cases, that is causing problems
0:08:47 > 0:08:51for mainstream political parties and domestic politics,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54but it isn't threatening the existence of the state.
0:08:54 > 0:08:55The difference for the EU is
0:08:55 > 0:08:58it's a fundamental challenge to its existence.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00They're shouting from the sidelines
0:09:00 > 0:09:02and they're effecting discourse
0:09:02 > 0:09:04amongst the mainstream political parties,
0:09:04 > 0:09:06and we have a populist party doing fairly well
0:09:06 > 0:09:09in almost every European country except for Cyprus.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13MUSIC: Mi Sei Scoppiato Dentro Al Cuore by Mina
0:09:27 > 0:09:30I live in Brussels, the heart of the EU.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34But Italy has always played a big part in my life.
0:09:34 > 0:09:35HORN BEEPS
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41If I'm going to drive a Cinquecento, I'm going to drive it...
0:09:41 > 0:09:43like an Italian.
0:09:46 > 0:09:47Here in the south,
0:09:47 > 0:09:52it feels a million miles from the calm, organised streets of Brussels.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54This is so Italian!
0:09:54 > 0:09:56The cars are allowed in here.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Sicily has always been amongst the poorest
0:10:10 > 0:10:12and most chaotic parts of Europe.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14One of the reasons for the EU
0:10:14 > 0:10:17was to make places like this richer and more mainstream.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21But downtown Palermo feels more left behind than ever.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24Old toys, bashed-up toys.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27I mean, more and more and more - it's like a sea.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35No surprise, then, that it's a Five Star stronghold.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37I've come to an industrial area
0:10:37 > 0:10:39to catch up with someone I met at the Five Star rally.
0:10:41 > 0:10:42Ciao!
0:10:42 > 0:10:44SHE GREETS IN ITALIAN
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Sebastiano used to work in a factory complex
0:10:59 > 0:11:01dominated by a Fiat plant.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04In 2011, Fiat closed its gates
0:11:04 > 0:11:07and moved production to Eastern Europe, where labour is cheaper,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10triggering a wave of factory closures here.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Thousands of workers here like Sebastiano
0:11:33 > 0:11:36see themselves as victims of globalisation
0:11:36 > 0:11:38and the European Union.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41It's a story repeated across southern Europe.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43In parts of Greece, Spain and Italy,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46half of all young people are out of work.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Italy was one of the EU's founding members.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Faced with corruption and weak governments at home,
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Italians have traditionally been EU enthusiasts.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04But not any more.
0:12:05 > 0:12:06It's September,
0:12:06 > 0:12:10and the current Italian government is facing a huge challenge.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13The Prime Minister here, Matteo Renzi,
0:12:13 > 0:12:18came to government promising to change Italy or change jobs.
0:12:18 > 0:12:24He is now holding a referendum on political reform, but if he loses,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Five Star, of course, are waiting in the wings.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Matteo Renzi is a centre-left politician
0:12:31 > 0:12:34and a passionate European.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37He thinks of himself as a radical reformer.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41He's called the referendum on a series of constitutional changes
0:12:41 > 0:12:43designed to unblock Italy's costly, corrupt
0:12:43 > 0:12:45and sluggish political system.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48- Hello.- Hello. Hi, Prime Minister. Thank you...
0:12:48 > 0:12:51- How are you?- I'm good. And you? - Very good, thanks.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57You've called a referendum for 4th December.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01Calling referendums, as we know, is a huge political gamble.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Doesn't that worry you?
0:13:03 > 0:13:07I know in 2016, you use the expression "referendum"
0:13:07 > 0:13:09in the EU, it's a risk.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11But jokes apart,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14I believe this is a great challenge for the Italian people,
0:13:14 > 0:13:15and so I'm not worried.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18We wind back a few months and David Cameron wasn't worried.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22Thank you so much for being... for being the bench marker!
0:13:22 > 0:13:26I hope... I hope the result will be different.
0:13:26 > 0:13:27Isn't there a risk, though, that...?
0:13:27 > 0:13:30You know, we've seen in so many European countries,
0:13:30 > 0:13:32we look over the Atlantic to the United States.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34There are more and more angry people,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36people who feel they've been left behind
0:13:36 > 0:13:38and who are angry at the Establishment.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41And even though you want to change Italy,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43the risk is, Italians may just vote against you
0:13:43 > 0:13:46as part of what they see as an elite.
0:13:46 > 0:13:47This is a risk.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49It's a clear risk.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51But I think...
0:13:51 > 0:13:56the message of the populist will be defeated in the next election.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00So I'm not worried for the growth of the Five Star Movement.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Five Star is campaigning for a no vote in the referendum
0:14:04 > 0:14:09against Matteo Renzi and the Italian Establishment as a whole.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13A no vote might mean early elections here, which Five Star could win,
0:14:13 > 0:14:18after Brexit - another potential body blow for the European Union.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30It's October, and there's another European referendum in the air,
0:14:30 > 0:14:31this time on migration.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39I've made my way to southern Hungary, the very edge of the EU,
0:14:39 > 0:14:43not long ago, the epicentre of a major European crisis.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56More than a million refugees and other migrants
0:14:56 > 0:14:59came flooding into Europe in 2015.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02In Hungary, the authorities were not exactly welcoming.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20Farmers living on Hungary's border found themselves on the front line.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32DRAMATIC MUSIC
0:15:38 > 0:15:42The EU seemed unable to take charge.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Extreme right-wing mayor Laszlo Toroczkai
0:15:45 > 0:15:47became an internet sensation
0:15:47 > 0:15:49after he launched anti-migrant patrols
0:15:49 > 0:15:52and posted his action movies on YouTube.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07- Nice to meet you. - Pleased to meet you.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10'Mayor Toroczkai says he's defending Christian Hungary
0:16:10 > 0:16:12'against a Muslim invasion.'
0:16:40 > 0:16:44Despite his extreme views, the mayor is influential here.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50And in autumn 2015, he got what he'd been demanding.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57In complete defiance of EU rules,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00Hungary unilaterally closed off its border
0:17:00 > 0:17:03with a 140-mile razor wire fence
0:17:03 > 0:17:06patrolled 24/7 by thousands of guards
0:17:06 > 0:17:09as well as the mayor's personal team.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Shouldn't Hungary have waited for a European Union solution
0:17:13 > 0:17:14before acting unilaterally?
0:17:28 > 0:17:30But it wasn't just Hungary.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Other EU countries soon followed suit.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35In the blink of an eye,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38the EU dream of open-border Europe was shattered.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47I've come to Hungary's capital, Budapest.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51In the wake of the migrant crisis,
0:17:51 > 0:17:53the EU has called on all its member states
0:17:53 > 0:17:56to give asylum to some of the refugees.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00Out of a million, Hungary has been asked to take just 1,300.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06The government here has called a referendum on the issue,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09and it's pretty obvious how they want people to vote.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11And there you see a government poster
0:18:11 > 0:18:14talking about safeguarding the future of Hungary.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18It has spent a fortune on this poster campaign,
0:18:18 > 0:18:20plastering them all over the country.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24Very anti-EU, very, very anti-migrant.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Basically, nationalist
0:18:26 > 0:18:30and emphasising the importance of Hungary and national sovereignty.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Because here in Hungary,
0:18:34 > 0:18:38the Euro-sceptic nationalists are already in power.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42Prime Minister Viktor Orban has made a career out of Brussels-bashing.
0:18:50 > 0:18:55Viktor Orban isn't the only thorn on the EU inside.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59Hungary has teamed up with Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic
0:18:59 > 0:19:02to form a controversial new voting bloc
0:19:02 > 0:19:04nicknamed the Visegrad Group.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Viktor Orban, man of the people,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11doesn't actually like speaking to the people very much.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15At least, not people who might disagree with him. So...
0:19:16 > 0:19:19We at the BBC, we've tried for years to get an audience,
0:19:19 > 0:19:21but we failed.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Instead, today we're going to be speaking to his right-hand man,
0:19:24 > 0:19:26the Foreign Minister of Hungary.
0:19:28 > 0:19:29Slovakia, Czech Republic and Poland,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32- those are your partners in the Visegrad Group.- Yeah, right.
0:19:32 > 0:19:33Are you kind of like a gang at the side?
0:19:33 > 0:19:35Do you sit together? Do people sort of...?
0:19:35 > 0:19:37You know, is that how it works?
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Yeah, usually we sit together before our meetings.
0:19:40 > 0:19:41We usually text each other...
0:19:41 > 0:19:43So you send each other texts during meetings?
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Yeah, that happens sometimes as well, yeah.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50Do you see yourselves a bit like the bad boys of the EU at the moment?
0:19:50 > 0:19:53I wouldn't say this. I mean, you know...
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Do you think Brussels would say it?
0:19:55 > 0:19:57No, no, I don't like this kind of classification.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00What I can understand is that it's not pretty much welcome,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03and it's not without a good reason
0:20:03 > 0:20:06that whenever the Prime Ministers of the Visegrad countries meet,
0:20:06 > 0:20:08usually before that,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11the other Prime Ministers of Western Europe are really angry.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13"What's going to happen?"
0:20:13 > 0:20:15- And this is now the tightest... - Are you happy about that?
0:20:15 > 0:20:18- You're smiling.- I would say... I would say it's a kind of...
0:20:18 > 0:20:19You know, it's a signal of respect,
0:20:19 > 0:20:23because if we were not important, then nobody would care.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27There have been so many decisions made about central Europe
0:20:27 > 0:20:28without asking central Europeans.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Now it's not possible any more. It's impossible.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Finally, there's a voice of central Europe.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46To truly understand Hungary's relationship with Europe,
0:20:46 > 0:20:48I'm taking a ride on the underground.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54Budapest's Line 1 is the oldest in continental Europe,
0:20:54 > 0:20:56built when Hungary was the co-ruler
0:20:56 > 0:20:59of one of Europe's most powerful empires.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05Have a look at the architecture here and take a wild guess.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Line 2 and 3 were built with Soviet help
0:21:07 > 0:21:10when Hungary was a communist state.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12It really is out of Soviet Central casting.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24Line 4, new and shiny, co-funded by...
0:21:24 > 0:21:25the EU.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Economically, Hungary depends on the European Union,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36but politically, this country couldn't be further away
0:21:36 > 0:21:39from the EU vision of ever-closer union.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44Europe unites two totally distinct cultures.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47There's the Western European culture,
0:21:47 > 0:21:52born from the post-war shock of what had happened
0:21:52 > 0:21:56and the feeling that it was nationalism that destroyed Europe.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58And there's the Eastern European culture.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01They were occupied by the Soviets.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03Nationalism was outlawed.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07They feel that, having shaken off the shackles of the Soviet empire,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10they don't want to be oppressed by the European empire.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16Viktor Orban seems to relish goading the EU.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19I've come to the small village where he was born.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22It's undergone something of a boom since he became Prime Minister,
0:22:22 > 0:22:24with a new football stadium
0:22:24 > 0:22:27and one of Europe's more unusual railways,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30one of Viktor's pet projects.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44So, I'm on a train
0:22:44 > 0:22:48that basically goes from one end to the other end
0:22:48 > 0:22:50of Viktor Orban's village,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53so it starts nowhere particularly interesting,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56goes nowhere particularly interesting
0:22:56 > 0:23:00and, really, it just defies any logic.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02It's basically one big ego trip.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05An EU-funded ego trip.
0:23:05 > 0:23:0980% of the funding for this 3½-mile train line,
0:23:09 > 0:23:12and its three stations, has come from the EU.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14A cool two million euros.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Viktor Orban is dogged by allegations of cronyism
0:23:20 > 0:23:21and corruption.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27But autocratic Mr Orban doesn't take kindly to criticism.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29In fact, he's pretty much banned it,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32by taking over large chunks of the media.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36He's a great admirer of Vladimir Putin
0:23:36 > 0:23:39and an increasing embarrassment for the European Union.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Take this little interaction
0:23:46 > 0:23:49with European commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01Jean-Claude Juncker famously said, "Hello, dictator."
0:24:01 > 0:24:04The media laughed. But there's a serious aspect to that.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06The EU have been critical
0:24:06 > 0:24:09of laws inside countries that don't respect human rights
0:24:09 > 0:24:11or the rule of law or freedom of speech.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13There you have Hungary on your doorstep.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16How do you deal with that inside your family?
0:24:16 > 0:24:20The consistency of our laws, of our systems,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23of our reality inside the European Union
0:24:23 > 0:24:26has to be 100% solid.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30Otherwise first, we lose our soul,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33and second, we lose our credibility.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36The European Commission is the guardian of European laws,
0:24:36 > 0:24:41and yet all there are are rebukes and studies but no action.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45No, there are... No, there are instruments that can be used.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48- But they're not used. - They can be used. They can be used.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50But they haven't been used.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54We have human rights issues not only in one country, but in many.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56The EU seems powerless to act
0:24:56 > 0:25:00when a country is not abiding by those fundamental principles
0:25:00 > 0:25:02that are in our EU treaties.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05They talk about it, but they don't know what to do about it.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Viktor Orban's latest two fingers to Brussels
0:25:16 > 0:25:19is the referendum on migration.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Saying no to immigration and challenging Brussels
0:25:22 > 0:25:24goes down well at home.
0:25:24 > 0:25:25Like the Brexit vote,
0:25:25 > 0:25:30this referendum highlights the gulf between ordinary voters and the EU.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39So, this is the moment that everyone's been waiting for.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43Viktor Orban on a stage, announcing the referendum result,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46and even though there was a low voter turnout,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49surprise, surprise, he says it was a huge success.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51APPLAUSE
0:26:12 > 0:26:14APPLAUSE
0:26:18 > 0:26:21And that's it. He's off. No questions allowed.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29We sent a clear message to Brussels
0:26:29 > 0:26:31that we want to control our own border,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34we want to have our authority entirely
0:26:34 > 0:26:37and we want to make the decision whom we let come in our country
0:26:37 > 0:26:38and whom we do not.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40What happens if Brussels does just ignore it?
0:26:40 > 0:26:43- What will you do? What will Hungary say?- They can't do it.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46It will be too much. They cannot do it.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48I mean, if you speak about democratic European Union,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51if you speak about bringing Europe closer to people,
0:26:51 > 0:26:55you must not deny the will of 3.2 million people in one country.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59It's a very hypocritical behaviour, I think so.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02The problem is, the member states play the game,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05there is that union, we have nothing to do with it,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08that union is playing against us.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11That blame game is...
0:27:11 > 0:27:13a virus
0:27:13 > 0:27:16which could lead to the end of the European Union.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20So, you have member states pointing the finger of blame here at Brussels.
0:27:20 > 0:27:21You're sitting here and saying,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23"It's their fault and their responsibility."
0:27:23 > 0:27:25Throwing mud, both sides, is one thing,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28but in the meantime, the European Union is falling apart.
0:27:28 > 0:27:29But not because of me.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31I tried to keep it together.
0:27:31 > 0:27:36It's the people like Mr Orban, who argue against the European Union.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40If the heads of state in the European Union
0:27:40 > 0:27:44do not stop pointing the finger of blame at Brussels,
0:27:44 > 0:27:46is the EU finished?
0:27:46 > 0:27:48If that would continue as today,
0:27:48 > 0:27:52the risk that we fall apart is a real risk, yes.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04And what is the solution to all this Euro-griping?
0:28:04 > 0:28:08I've got an appointment to meet a man who thinks he has the answer.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Guy Verhofstadt, former Belgian Prime Minister
0:28:11 > 0:28:15and chief negotiator for Brexit for the European Parliament.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18I just have to find him deep in the maze
0:28:18 > 0:28:21that is the parliament's headquarters here in Brussels.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29I'm looking for 5.5 C011.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31Um...
0:28:32 > 0:28:36I was told that in a way that I should know where that is.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Excuse me, please.
0:28:38 > 0:28:415 C011?
0:28:41 > 0:28:42Um...
0:28:42 > 0:28:46Are you sure you're looking for 5, and not 5.5?
0:28:46 > 0:28:49- What's 5.5?- Who are you looking for?
0:28:49 > 0:28:51Guy Verhofstadt.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53This is not a good floor.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57You have to go one floor up. You take the lift on that side.
0:28:57 > 0:28:58But that's floor 6, right?
0:28:58 > 0:29:00- No. This is floor 5.- Yeah.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03He will have button 5.5.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05- Five and a half?- Yeah.- Whoops.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07OK. All right. Floor five and a half.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11- OK! I'll, um... Thank you very much. - No problem.- Thank you.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13OK.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21If you want to get an idea of how Brussels works,
0:29:21 > 0:29:24try spending a few hours in here.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27I still can't quite get over it that...
0:29:27 > 0:29:28five and a half...
0:29:28 > 0:29:31'Floor 5.5.'
0:29:31 > 0:29:32Floor 5.5.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34Yes.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38Guy Verhofstadt believes the only answer to the EU's current woes
0:29:38 > 0:29:40is to complete European union
0:29:40 > 0:29:43and create a true European government.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45Bingo. Here it is.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47We have to reform this whole business.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49A more effective union, a more democratic union,
0:29:49 > 0:29:52with a real European government,
0:29:52 > 0:29:57with a real European defence capacity.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00- European army?- A European army? Yeah. What's wrong on this?
0:30:00 > 0:30:04Here in Europe, yeah, we don't act, we don't take the decision,
0:30:04 > 0:30:08because you need unanimity before you can do something,
0:30:08 > 0:30:11and it doesn't work in the world of today.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15But look at France, look at Italy, look at Denmark, Sweden...
0:30:15 > 0:30:17I mean, the list goes on, as you know.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19How much support do you think there is for an idea like that?
0:30:19 > 0:30:21- More and more.- Popular support? - Yeah. More and more.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25What we feel is that since Brexit, something had changed.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27I told after Brexit, "Oh, we're going to now have
0:30:27 > 0:30:30"a referendum in the Netherlands about Nexit,
0:30:30 > 0:30:32"a referendum in Denmark about Dexit."
0:30:32 > 0:30:36It didn't happen. What we see is exactly the opposite.
0:30:36 > 0:30:37Mr Verhofstadt, I have to tell you
0:30:37 > 0:30:41that you are pretty much the only optimistic voice left, you know.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44- No.- Yes. In my work, whether it's the news on Europe
0:30:44 > 0:30:46or whether it's in this documentary...
0:30:46 > 0:30:47In your world, yeah.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50But at the same time, don't underestimate that...
0:30:50 > 0:30:52How could I say?
0:30:52 > 0:30:55The counter-revolution is already under way.
0:30:55 > 0:31:00Ordinary citizens who don't want it to destroy Europe,
0:31:00 > 0:31:03who are asking for a reformed European Union.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06More effective. So since the Brexit, something had changed.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18In its essence,
0:31:18 > 0:31:21the EU has always been a political project,
0:31:21 > 0:31:23a massive post-war mission
0:31:23 > 0:31:26to guarantee continental peace and stability.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32We're in gorgeous northern Tuscany.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34My mum's best friend is Tuscan
0:31:34 > 0:31:37and I've been coming here ever since I was born.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41But many of the problems Europe now faces
0:31:41 > 0:31:45are caused by the EU's vast economic experiment - the euro.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57Love. We were in love.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01We thought that this was going to be the marriage
0:32:01 > 0:32:03of the next two centuries.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05If you look at the statistics on...
0:32:05 > 0:32:08the surveys on who liked most the euro,
0:32:08 > 0:32:10Italy was always the leader.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17The north is the richest part of Italy.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20It's the industrial heartland of the country
0:32:20 > 0:32:22as well as a tourist magnet.
0:32:26 > 0:32:27I'm paying a visit to Empoli.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30It's a town I've been coming to since I was little.
0:32:34 > 0:32:39Look how many "for rent" signs there are. All these closed-down shops.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41It's actually quite shocking.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44I mean, this is supposedly posh northern Tuscany.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48And...
0:32:48 > 0:32:52I remember lots of very elegant northern Tuscan shops.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54That's what made it so exciting to come here in the summer.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01In the nearby village of Vinci, I'm meeting up with an old friend.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03In fact, a childhood sweetheart.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08We used to play here as kids.
0:34:17 > 0:34:22Like many people around here, Fausto has fallen on hard times.
0:34:22 > 0:34:23His restaurant business collapsed
0:34:23 > 0:34:27and he now has three part-time jobs to try and make ends meet.
0:34:31 > 0:34:32Europe's middle classes
0:34:32 > 0:34:36have traditionally been big EU enthusiasts.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39But the euro crisis hit them hard.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44Fausto's backing the Euro-sceptic Five Star Movement.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46Without fundamental change,
0:34:46 > 0:34:48he can't see much future for his children.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22The problems of the euro have dragged on for years,
0:35:22 > 0:35:26since Greece first plunged the continent into crisis.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29A fundamental flaw of the euro is that it's made southern Europe,
0:35:29 > 0:35:34including big economies Italy and Spain, uncompetitive,
0:35:34 > 0:35:38while the north, especially Germany, has boomed.
0:35:38 > 0:35:42This creates deep and bitter European divisions.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45The Italians have very good cause to be very, very angry.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49Italy's not Greece. Italy's a successful country.
0:35:49 > 0:35:54And yet Italy is sliding deeper every year
0:35:54 > 0:35:57into a debt deflationary cycle,
0:35:57 > 0:35:59and that is because of the design of the euro.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06The signs of economic collapse are everywhere.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10The euro alone can't be blamed, but at one point in Italy,
0:36:10 > 0:36:131,000 companies were going bust every day.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15Across the eurozone,
0:36:15 > 0:36:19a dangerous explosion of debt followed the 2008 economic crash.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25It's December, and one of Italy's most famous national institutions
0:36:25 > 0:36:26is in freefall.
0:36:26 > 0:36:30# Na, na-na, na-na, na-na na-na na
0:36:30 > 0:36:33# Ma il cielo e sempre piu blu... #
0:36:33 > 0:36:36The oldest bank in the world is Tuscan.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39Monte Dei Paschi Di Siena is Italy's third biggest bank.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41- VOICE-OVER: - Monte Dei Paschi Di Siena...
0:36:45 > 0:36:50According to stress tests, this is the weakest bank in Europe.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53Monte Dei Paschi has a mountain of toxic debt.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57Here are some worrying numbers for you.
0:36:57 > 0:37:02This bank alone has more than £40 billion worth of bad debt.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05Look across the Italian banking sector,
0:37:05 > 0:37:10and there you see more than £300 billion worth of toxic debt.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13And then, there is the Italian government.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16With £2 trillion worth of debt,
0:37:16 > 0:37:19that is the highest debt to national income level
0:37:19 > 0:37:23in the whole of the EU - after Greece.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26How vulnerable does that make this country?
0:37:27 > 0:37:31Under pressure, the Italian government has agreed to a bailout,
0:37:31 > 0:37:36but the rot at the heart of the Italian economy remains.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40I think Italy is probably one of the biggest risks for Europe.
0:37:40 > 0:37:41It is such a large country,
0:37:41 > 0:37:44it is the third-largest economy in the eurozone,
0:37:44 > 0:37:48and so if we did have Italy go into crisis,
0:37:48 > 0:37:51there would likely be contagion elsewhere.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57Grazie.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03So, this...this is quite something.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07This is a very mainstream Italian newspaper,
0:38:07 > 0:38:10and yet it's got one article threatening that Italy
0:38:10 > 0:38:13is poised to walk out of the eurozone
0:38:13 > 0:38:18and another article saying why that...the majority of Italians
0:38:18 > 0:38:20think that Germany is doing extremely well
0:38:20 > 0:38:22out of the single currency,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25whereas it says that more than 90% of Italians
0:38:25 > 0:38:27think the euro has been a complete disaster.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33If a country like Italy, with an economy the size of Italy
0:38:33 > 0:38:36were to leave the euro, there are many people here who say
0:38:36 > 0:38:39that would be the beginning of the end of the euro,
0:38:39 > 0:38:41and many argue that if the euro collapses,
0:38:41 > 0:38:43that is the beginning of the end of the EU.
0:38:43 > 0:38:47Because that is the most central and important project, really,
0:38:47 > 0:38:48in the EU's 60-year history.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52That would end in a disaster, economic disaster.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55A reintroduction of the German mark in Europe
0:38:55 > 0:38:59in relation to Italian lira and French franc -
0:38:59 > 0:39:02it's not necessary to be a Nobel Prize in economy
0:39:02 > 0:39:06to understand that that would lead to a disaster in Europe.
0:39:06 > 0:39:11The eurozone crisis has turned Europeans against Europeans.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14It has sown division in Europe.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17And that will stigmatise Europe for a very long time to come.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19It's a bit like invading Russia -
0:39:19 > 0:39:23it starts off beautifully, is a very spirited advance.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26Remember Napoleon, Hitler, and so on.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28Until you get bogged down in the snow
0:39:28 > 0:39:31and you end up with blood on the snow.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33And this is what is happening now in the European Union.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44I am back in Rome as the Italian referendum approaches,
0:39:44 > 0:39:46catching up with the rock star politician
0:39:46 > 0:39:48of the Five Star Movement.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53MAN OVER LOUDSPEAKER:
0:39:55 > 0:39:59The referendum is meant to be about constitutional reform,
0:39:59 > 0:40:02but Five Star has turned it into a vote of no-confidence
0:40:02 > 0:40:04in Prime Minister Renzi's government.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12CROWD CHANTS:
0:40:41 > 0:40:45Anti-Renzi protests slip into violence.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47So confident just a few months before,
0:40:47 > 0:40:51it is now clear he is fighting for his political life.
0:41:07 > 0:41:12And true to the 2016 anti-Establishment script,
0:41:12 > 0:41:15Italians vote by a margin of 60 to 40
0:41:15 > 0:41:17against the government.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21It's a bitter, personal humiliation for Matteo Renzi.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49CHATTER
0:41:52 > 0:41:53SINGING:
0:41:53 > 0:41:59Another pro-European politician booted off stage.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01Another slap in the face for the EU.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06Amid typically Italian chaos and uncertainty,
0:42:06 > 0:42:09there are rumours of an early general election -
0:42:09 > 0:42:11all great news for Five Star.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20Five more years of lack of growth,
0:42:20 > 0:42:24five more years of rising unemployment among the youth.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27The more you stay in the recession, the more people grow angrier,
0:42:27 > 0:42:32the more the political parties are in power, we lost consensus.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34The more populistic parties will grow,
0:42:34 > 0:42:38and the quicker the constructure will fall apart.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40We don't have much time.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45HE SINGS THE BLUES
0:42:45 > 0:42:50CHANTING
0:42:50 > 0:42:51But if this uprising in Italy
0:42:51 > 0:42:55feels like another blow to the European project,
0:42:55 > 0:42:58it's in France where it might meet its Waterloo.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01BELL RINGS
0:43:01 > 0:43:03Henin-Beaumont in northern France -
0:43:03 > 0:43:06another of Europe's desperate outposts.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13France isn't Greece, or Italy.
0:43:13 > 0:43:17The French economy has always been relatively successful.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20But the national mood is deeply gloomy,
0:43:20 > 0:43:22especially in places like this.
0:43:26 > 0:43:30Jean-Claude was one of more than 800 workers
0:43:30 > 0:43:32at this metal works before it closed.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34Production moved to China.
0:44:13 > 0:44:15In 2014, this town elected a mayor
0:44:15 > 0:44:20from the anti-immigration, anti-globalisation Front National,
0:44:20 > 0:44:22known for its nostalgic nationalism.
0:45:08 > 0:45:12It's January, and I am in Paris to meet Marine Le Pen,
0:45:12 > 0:45:14leader of the Front National.
0:45:14 > 0:45:18The party was founded by her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen,
0:45:18 > 0:45:22who was widely condemned for his extreme right-wing views.
0:45:24 > 0:45:28- Bonjour.- Katya Adler de la BBC. - Ah, oui.- Merci.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33But Marine insists that the old divisions of right and left
0:45:33 > 0:45:38no longer apply to the current revolution in European politics.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14The Front National's views on migration and Islam
0:48:14 > 0:48:17make Marine Le Pen one of the most divisive figures
0:48:17 > 0:48:19in European politics.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22But she is a top contender in presidential elections
0:48:22 > 0:48:24here this spring.
0:48:24 > 0:48:28Accepted wisdom predicts French voters of the left and centre
0:48:28 > 0:48:32will come together to prevent a Front National president.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36But polls and political wisdom can't be trusted these days.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41Victory for Marine Le Pen in the French presidential election
0:48:41 > 0:48:43would be the end of the European Union.
0:48:43 > 0:48:45There is a serious risk that France,
0:48:45 > 0:48:48one of the biggest members of the European Union,
0:48:48 > 0:48:50a founding member of the European Union,
0:48:50 > 0:48:52part of that Franco-German axis.
0:48:52 > 0:48:56If France were to leave, that would be, probably, the deathblow.
0:48:56 > 0:48:58Brexit is hard for the EU to cope with,
0:48:58 > 0:49:02but we were always, the UK, a semi-detached nation.
0:49:02 > 0:49:03This would be a fundamental blow,
0:49:03 > 0:49:06and many people believe it would not recover.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09That woman wants to become president of France,
0:49:09 > 0:49:11but win an election, it's unthinkable.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13Unthinkable?
0:49:13 > 0:49:15Definitely not going to happen, in your opinion, Marine Le Pen?
0:49:15 > 0:49:18You are relaxed about the French presidential election?
0:49:18 > 0:49:21She will never win. I'm absolutely sure.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24- Would you bet on that, though? - Yes. Yes.
0:49:30 > 0:49:31Oui.
0:49:43 > 0:49:46MUSIC: Egmont by Ludwig van Beethoven
0:49:50 > 0:49:53With Britain on the way out,
0:49:53 > 0:49:55France flirting with Marine Le Pen
0:49:55 > 0:49:58and Italy in political and economic turmoil,
0:49:58 > 0:50:01the fate of the continent increasingly seems to lie
0:50:01 > 0:50:03here in Germany.
0:50:03 > 0:50:04And with one politician.
0:50:16 > 0:50:21For 12 years, Angela Merkel has been the real power behind the EU.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24EU membership has meant so much for her country -
0:50:24 > 0:50:27the chance for a new European beginning
0:50:27 > 0:50:30after the horrors of the Nazi past.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32Though dented by the migrant crisis,
0:50:32 > 0:50:35with the unfolding drama of Donald Trump's presidency,
0:50:35 > 0:50:39many see Merkel as the champion of moderation.
0:50:39 > 0:50:44And her government remains deeply committed to the EU.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46We are benefiting from Europe.
0:50:46 > 0:50:48We have seen the history, and in the present,
0:50:48 > 0:50:50we are benefiting from Europe.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53We are so well-off as never before.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56This is due to the euro, this is due to our unity.
0:50:56 > 0:51:00Europe is the best thing that can happen for our interests.
0:51:00 > 0:51:02So our main interest,
0:51:02 > 0:51:06the pivotal interest, is to make Europe work again.
0:51:07 > 0:51:11One of Angela Merkel's nicknames used to be "Queen of Europe",
0:51:11 > 0:51:13but her crown has now slipped.
0:51:13 > 0:51:17The migrant crisis has damaged her, not only here at home,
0:51:17 > 0:51:18but also abroad.
0:51:18 > 0:51:21And she used to be known for bullying, or charming,
0:51:21 > 0:51:25other EU countries into following one EU line.
0:51:25 > 0:51:29So she was the glue, if you like, that held things together.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31Now that glue is becoming unstuck.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33And for many ordinary Germans,
0:51:33 > 0:51:37Europe seems to have become a bit of a joke.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39And a bad one.
0:51:45 > 0:51:49Germans are tired of having to stump up for endless Greek bailouts.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56LAUGHTER
0:51:56 > 0:51:58And there are doubts about Germany's ability
0:51:58 > 0:52:02to integrate up to a million refugees and other migrants.
0:52:20 > 0:52:22And now Germany has its own
0:52:22 > 0:52:26populist, Eurosceptic nationalist party - the AFD.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30The themes are familiar -
0:52:30 > 0:52:33anti-migrant, anti-EU,
0:52:33 > 0:52:37and, especially in the wake of recent terror attacks, anti-Islam.
0:52:37 > 0:52:42In painfully politically correct Germany, this is hugely significant.
0:52:44 > 0:52:46I joined in January 2016
0:52:46 > 0:52:49because I was so shocked, you know, the borders had been opened.
0:52:49 > 0:52:53I thought this loss of serenity, this loss of home
0:52:53 > 0:52:56made many people rethink their political ideas.
0:52:56 > 0:53:01We need a strong voice of the right-wing in Parliament.
0:53:01 > 0:53:05Everything else is progressive, left-wing, bad. You know?
0:53:05 > 0:53:08There was a big problem in German policy,
0:53:08 > 0:53:11there was political correctness, and many people said,
0:53:11 > 0:53:14"I don't feel represented by the parties in Germany".
0:53:14 > 0:53:16And so the AFD was founded.
0:53:16 > 0:53:21Now we have much more diverse opinions in the German policy
0:53:21 > 0:53:24and that is fresh life for democracy.
0:53:27 > 0:53:31Polls predict AFD could win 15, even 20% of the vote
0:53:31 > 0:53:34in the general election here this autumn.
0:53:34 > 0:53:36Germans have a right to decide their own future,
0:53:36 > 0:53:39and it is time that the Germans take back the power
0:53:39 > 0:53:42from this bureaucracy in Brussels.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44For the first time in Germany,
0:53:44 > 0:53:47European integration is being seriously questioned.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53It's not possible for Germany to rescue all of the rest of Europe
0:53:53 > 0:53:56by paying off the debts of Greece and, next, Italy,
0:53:56 > 0:53:59and then Spain, and, in the end, France.
0:53:59 > 0:54:00This is... That is not possible.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03Look at Greece. You leave Greece on its own, it'll collapse.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05Greece should leave the euro.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07- Yes, the euro is too strong... - And Italy? And Spain?
0:54:07 > 0:54:09- And probably France as well. - Portugal?
0:54:09 > 0:54:11The euro is too strong for them, yes.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14So, this is the end of the euro, then, isn't it, really,
0:54:14 > 0:54:15that you are arguing for?
0:54:15 > 0:54:16If countries like Germany say,
0:54:16 > 0:54:19"We're not going to help countries with a weaker economy," that's it.
0:54:19 > 0:54:21It's over, isn't it?
0:54:21 > 0:54:23The euro is not good for the weaker countries,
0:54:23 > 0:54:25so it is not for the economy.
0:54:25 > 0:54:30The EU failed to deal, as a body, with the migrant crisis,
0:54:30 > 0:54:32it has failed in the eurozone project.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35"What is it good for?" you could be forgiven for asking.
0:54:35 > 0:54:37We have to do better.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40Europe remains indispensable.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43Perhaps it is even more indispensable than ever before
0:54:43 > 0:54:45in a globalised world.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48So the only consequence of your description is, we have,
0:54:48 > 0:54:50we really HAVE to do it better.
0:54:50 > 0:54:53Do you see yourself as part of a bigger movement
0:54:53 > 0:54:54in the rest of Europe?
0:54:54 > 0:54:57Surely, yes. The voices are different,
0:54:57 > 0:55:01but I think there is a basic line within all of those parties
0:55:01 > 0:55:04which are now growing in several states,
0:55:04 > 0:55:08stating that we don't want to give up our sovereignty.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10And this is why we want to ask the people.
0:55:10 > 0:55:12The danger of holding a referendum is,
0:55:12 > 0:55:15even though you are not calling to leave the EU,
0:55:15 > 0:55:18that is what the German people would vote for if you asked them.
0:55:18 > 0:55:21- Yes. And if people... - And the whole thing could crumble.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24Yes, but, you know, if the whole thing crumbles,
0:55:24 > 0:55:26because the people want it to crumble,
0:55:26 > 0:55:29then it should crumble.
0:55:29 > 0:55:34MUSIC: Lacrimosa (Requiem) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
0:55:34 > 0:55:39Over the next few months, the EU is bracing itself for a battering.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41Big election gains are predicted for
0:55:41 > 0:55:46Eurosceptic, anti-Islam Geert Wilders in the Netherlands.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49While in Italy, an early election could mean victory
0:55:49 > 0:55:51for anti-euro Five Star.
0:56:04 > 0:56:08We are going to lose one of the most magnificent constructions of peace
0:56:08 > 0:56:10that mankind has ever done.
0:56:10 > 0:56:12I don't care, I am old.
0:56:12 > 0:56:16But I look at my children and I'm really scared.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21In spring, France goes to the polls
0:56:21 > 0:56:25with Marine Le Pen and her Front National standing strong.
0:56:25 > 0:56:28Elections follow in Germany.
0:56:28 > 0:56:30And all the while,
0:56:30 > 0:56:35a potentially messy divorce with Brexit Britain is being negotiated.
0:56:35 > 0:56:39It is no exaggeration to say that people in this town
0:56:39 > 0:56:42who believe passionately in what they have built
0:56:42 > 0:56:44over these last 60 years
0:56:44 > 0:56:49really do believe that the whole project is under threat now.
0:56:49 > 0:56:54We have something that the entire world looks as a miracle.
0:56:54 > 0:56:58They look at the European Union as a miracle of history
0:56:58 > 0:57:00and of political determination.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03We have an enormous strength
0:57:03 > 0:57:07and we spend our time talking about our own crisis.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10We should be proud of what we achieved,
0:57:10 > 0:57:12that your country, the United Kingdom,
0:57:12 > 0:57:16and my country, Germany, were enemies in the war
0:57:16 > 0:57:18and became friends.
0:57:18 > 0:57:21It was a 2,000-year history of war.
0:57:21 > 0:57:24And since seven decades, we have had no war.
0:57:24 > 0:57:28In my eyes, this is a success story.
0:57:56 > 0:58:00The power brokers of Europe face an unprecedented challenge.
0:58:00 > 0:58:04For the EU, this is a battle to survive.
0:58:04 > 0:58:08Now, Brussels doesn't exactly have a reputation for moving fast,
0:58:08 > 0:58:11but something will have to give.
0:58:11 > 0:58:15It could be that our national debate in Britain about Brexit
0:58:15 > 0:58:18turns out to be an irrelevance.
0:58:18 > 0:58:21Sooner or later, the EU as we know it
0:58:21 > 0:58:24may no longer be there for us to leave.