13/06/2014 Politics Europe

control. It is time now for Politics Europe.

Hello and welcome to Politics Europe. Your regular guide to the

top stories in Brussels. Today: David Cameron 's meet the German

Chancellor and other European leaders for a summit will stop jobs,

growth and Jean`Claude Juncker. Mr Cameron wants to stop this man from

becoming president of the European commission. We will discuss his

chances. We report on the dealing in Brussels as newly elect did MEPs

tried to form a new pan`European groupings. Did you know that as well

as its own flag, the EU has its own official anthem? It is very, very

simple. More simple you cannot. All that to come and more in the next

half`hour. It has been a busy week in Russells. Newly elected MEPs turn

up and strike deals to form new political deals. `` groups. First, a

guide to the latest political news from Europe in just 60 seconds. You

wait for a taxi and then they all turn up at once. European cities

were gridlocked as registered drivers are streets in a game of

Monopoly protesting over an apt. The European commission will look at

Apple and Starbucks to see if deals with the Irish and Dutch governments

mean they are not paying their fair share. It was three men and a

powerful woman on a boat in Sweden. David Cameron went there to what was

billed as a stock Jean`Claude Juncker summit. They seem to have

sunk after the discussions. We are here to discuss the policies and

approach of the commission should take over the next five years.

Meanwhile, Jean`Claude Juncker was in a media bunker. I do not give

interviews. And looking decidedly fed up with us Brits.

With us for the next 30 minutes I am joined by two newly elected MEPs.

Welcome to you. The Jean`Claude Juncker problem. The main political

groups, except the Conservatives, have said they would be an

institutional crisis if Jean`Claude Juncker is not nominated. What is

going to happen? It is quite clear there are a number of people

concerned about Jean`Claude Juncker. He is clearly yesterday 's man. Some

people look at him as it is as usual. The Sepp Blatter of Europe.

All the extreme groupings on the left and right, including Angela

Merkel, say there will be a crisis if he is not nominated. That is not

true. The groups will discuss it, they will try to push for

Jean`Claude Juncker. They will want this process based on a loose

interpretation of the Lisbon Treaty. But they said clearly David

Cameron... They want a candidate for reform will stop it is what most

people voted for. It is quite clear that Jean`Claude Juncker does not

represent reform. Can anything stop him? Who would you like? It is

irrelevant. They are all the same. Who would you like? One thing we are

clear about is we are waiting to see what the commission will propose in

terms of the new president, the Council of ministers... The Council

of ministers. We are not in support of Jean`Claude Juncker. It is

disappointing really that David Cameron has played this so badly in

terms of Britain's influence. So publicly. The way he initiated it.

The battle plan drawn. It just seems he has done everything to alienate

his allies across Europe. It did not want somebody, it helps to have an

alternative. There are plenty of other candidates. I have a number of

candidates. Actually, maybe it is about time we had a female

candidate. Actually... Who would that be? What is important is we do

not squabble about who it would be. So could would your candidate be? I

and David Cameron want to see which other alternatives... Who? ! The

Danish Prime Minister? It is a nice job... Not really... It does not

answer my question. Let's see what comes out of this process. You are

at the head of this European conformist reformist group, the

largest group, and will will come to some of your allies in a minute,

but, what are you advising your Prime Minister? You know more about

this and he does. It is an institutional stand`off. A

misreading of the list on. Heads of government should be the once

considering who it should be. Are you supporting Jean`Claude Juncker?

Speaking on the heart of the Labour Party... The group you are a part of

his supporting Jean`Claude Juncker. The Labour party for political

reasons is opposed to Jean`Claude Juncker. He has been an architect of

the austerity imposed across the European Union. His political

background... What part did he play in the austerity? His role in the

commission and that side of things. Therefore, we are absolutely wanted

to see somebody that is aimed to implement... Who will be that

person? I cannot give you names or cannabis because it is the Council

`` it will be the Council of ministers that decide that. You do

not have a view, you do not have a view and you do not care. They all

dance around the same table. We will move on. Both agreeing not to answer

the question. The European elections ` three weeks ago already. On the

political right, a consequence of the ongoing economic crisis. As a

result, Brussels will look and feel very different as many new and even

younger faces are trying to influence how Europe is run. We went

to meet some as they try to form new political alliance. It seems getting

elected is just the beginning. As the party struggle to form power

bases in the European Parliament. Building political alliance with

like`minded people is the key to winning votes. But it is a tricky

business, as this week 's negotiations in Brussels have shown.

Many of the winners in these elections were from new protest

parties challenging the status quo. One them, the German anti` Europe

alternative, opponents of Angela Merkel, were clear who they wanted

to sit with in Parliament. We are going to look for people who think

alike, lack the British Conservatives. In our party

programme for the European elections, we made references to

David Cameron's programme. There are a lot of similarities. Yesterday

there was good news for a FD. The deals are being done all the time

here in the European Parliament and in this meeting room, the European

Conservatives and reformist groups, of which David Cameron?

Conservatives are a, at admitted a new German political group. Making

new political acquaintances risks alienating more important friends.

The reason why David Cameron warned his own NEP is to vote against

admitting the German Chancellor's archrival because Angela Merkel

would be furious. It was not enough, the new chairman put on a brave

face. Does this put you in conflict with David Cameron? He has made his

views clear. He asked me as leader to pass that view on. Now it is not

the time to look back at forward. Why add their Conservatives sitting

with the Danish parties whose views on immigration and Islam are

unacceptable according to labour. , Nigel Farage was on a charm

offensive with the Italian media. He needs Pepper Grillo movement to form

a group. Without it, there will be no access to funding, committee

posts. He has been at the one floating with us, more than others.

How? Not with me personally but with my party. He has been talking to us.

He probably sees a different vision of Europe. Last night, Pepper Grillo

was celebrating with Nigel Farage. Federalism versus euroscepticism is

not the only fault line. Pro` and anti` austerity groups are also due

to do battle. One party wants an end to the austerity measures. Angela

Merkel's political line is a catastrophe for the whole of Europe.

It is an explosion of inequality and does not work. It creates a lot of

pain. Its other goal is to stop the rise of far right party, like the

French party which came first in the country. Sources say, they are still

one country short. We have the beginning of a group

with Beppe Grillo and UKIP. But as I understand it, we do not have enough

countries. You have enough MEPs, but not enough countries. We are working

at it but still negotiating. We are at it but still negotiating. We are

not going to the beach just yet. What other possible candidates would

you like to see? What are the targets? The negotiations are wide

open at the moment, so I cannot say... Not even one political party?

I cannot. Do you still roll out the French National front? Yes. They

have very far right views and we do not and will not sit with them. If

you get a grouping, what is the benefit with that? A secretariat?

More money? We will have the ability to have more staff, and that means

we will get more research, more publications and more airtime. You

can get the message out much more easily. Nigel Farage said the

Conservatives were ganging up to stop you from forming a group. Is

that right? Yes. It is what we expect. It happens. We are a fast

growing group. This is very exciting. One reason is that you

have admitted a rather moderate eurosceptic group from Germany into

your group. However, the Conservative leadership in London

told you not to. Why did you defy them. David Cameron set up the

group, the fastest`growing group, and it is the third`largest group in

Europe. But he did not want to include this party. But if you look

at it, because we are the fastest`growing group, we are 19 out

of 63 MEPs from 13 countries. We do not have the majority. Some of your

MEPs voted for them. We do not know that. It was just a majority of one.

Do you regret you have invited them to join your group? I am the leader

of the group. I have to look forward now to the future. They tell me that

they are committed to reform. We will be the only group committed to

meaningful reform of the European Parliament. The third largest group.

We will break the consensus that when the Socialists are PPP and the

Liberals. Let's have a look at this consensus. The Danish People's

Party! Are you happy with them? A spokesman once likened the Muslim

headscarf to the swastika! Are you happy with that? Only once. I asked

them about these allegations and they told me that they had moved on

and that they were moving towards the future of becoming a mainstream

party. And these very strange people you are throwing accusations at are

the very same people who voted for me, the first Muslim leader of any

political group in the European Parliament. How do you know they

which Tory MPs voted for the German which Tory MPs voted for the German

party, so how can you tell me which members of the Danish People's Party

voted for you? I know the results of the ballot and it was quite clear.

The leader of the party once drew a link, he was actually convicted for

publishing material of a link between a multi`ethnic society and

rape, violence and forced marriages. I have spoken with him in a

conversation. He says he was young and foolish and he has moved on and

wants to grow up in the mainstream. Are you happy to have these people

as friends? As a party committed to reform and building a Europe for

2015, not the 1950s, it is exciting that we can help people move into

the mainstream of politics. The Finnish National party leader was

elected in 2012. You met him? I met him. He has claimed that his mum

reveals paedophilia. He has not claimed that. The financial clients

is wrong? The Financial Times is often wrong on these issues. I read

his blog. It was a freedom of speech issue. They did not like the EPP

group because they thought it was Federalist. But you are in a

socialist group that is also Federalist. Why don't you come out

of that group and be honest? I think it's important to have influence in

the EU. We are now the only UK party that is part of the mainstream

politics. But you want integration in the United States of Europe. But

we are after getting reform, bringing around a Commissioner,

getting investment kick started properly. But your socialist group

is an explicitly Federalist group. Unless you believe in federalism as

well, which I don't think you do, because you probably won't be

allowed to buy Ed Miliband at the moment, you belong to a group that

you don't actually agree with. But there are more things that we do

agree with in this group than things we disagree with. This issue

federalism would be something that is determined at the Council of

ministers. It would be determined across 28 countries. And I do not

believe across those 28 countries there is an appetite to suddenly

federalise and roll add to that. That is the policy of Mr Schultz,

who is your leader. Yes, but we did not win the election. Would you have

backed him for president of the commission? We stayed neutral on

that in terms of that nomination. It is an awful beauty parade, isn't it?

We are talking about influence. We don't have influence. That is the

problem. You do. You don't. You and the French nationalists are in the

same pool. Please do not associate us with the National Front, not at

all! Unlike the true Finns and the Danish People's Party. They have

Somebody needs to be. It is quite Somebody needs to be. It is quite

hard to get me excited these days. You probably know what the flag of

the EU looks like. But did you know the European Union also has its own

official anthem? And there is a special EU day every year. The gift

shop at the European Parliament and prove you can put the EU flag on

just about anything. But for some, just about anything. But for some,

it is a serious business. Protocol means flags. We have two kinds of

flags. For the member states, we have a better quality of flags. They

are artificial silk. However, the usual common flag is in polyester.

It is a less noble material. The rules say that the European flag

should be flown in every meeting room and at every event and flowing

correctly. It has a sense in the way that the stars are always

looking... The hat is right up and the feet, two feet are open. But

imagine if it looked like this or this. These are some of the rejects

from the competition to design the flag held in the 1950s. It was

originally chosen by the Council of Europe, a separate body that

oversees the European Court of Human Rights. The signature stars

thoroughly adopted by the European Community in 1985 when a bit of

global branding was wired. In the present world, it is important

because as nation states, we are two small compared with large countries

like India or China or Brazil. It is instantly recognisable but you

cannot harm in... Beethoven's's Ode to Joy is the official anthem. It is

the scale. Just the notes going up. It is just very simple. You cannot

get anything more simple. Later there was a genius because of that.

A simplicity found in music of all cultures and all ages. It is

completely universal. More universal, more federal, more

European, more for anybody, you cannot find. But who knows the other

emblems? The motto, united in adversity. Europe's official day,

the 9th of May. And then there is the symbol for the euro, chosen

because it looks like the letter eat but also because it looks like the

Greek letter Epsilon, so showcases Europe as the cradle of

civilisation. The two lines in the middle are meant to represent

stability and reliability. How is that going? LAUGHTER.

That was our Adam. He then ate all the chocolates in the shop.

Does Europe need an anthem? Certainly not! The only answer my

recognise is God save the Queen! I don't imagine I need to ask you. I

carry my own union jack with me at all times full of as you walk around

the parliament? It is a beautiful piece of music. And where is it

from? Beethoven's's nine. And which movement? I cannot recall. What did

you do to celebrate EU day? As you can imagine, it was the run`up to

the European elections, so I was undoubtedly on the doorsteps. I was

knocking on doors, campaigning for knocking on doors, campaigning for

further European reform. You must have celebrated EU Day. You know

that I did not but I knocked on a lot of doors and people told me all

about the ills of the EU. I was delighted people voted for us. David

Cameron has talked about British values. Angela Merkel has talked

about the European spirit. What is the difference? We believe in an

outward looking Europe. More power back to nation states. I'm talking

about British values impaired to European spirit. Britain values the

individual enterprise and believes in freedom and tolerance. And the

Europeans do not? They are intolerant of anyone who is against

a one size fits all Europe. And that is interesting. We have to stop it

there. Thank you for joining us. Goodbye.

Dry for the most part and a bit settled. Cloud thinning through