:00:37. > :00:39.Hello, and welcome to Politics Europe,
:00:40. > :00:42.your regular guide to the top stories in Brussels and Strasbourg.
:00:43. > :00:48.EU leaders meet in Brussels to discuss Syria,
:00:49. > :00:55.The race to replace this man heats up.
:00:56. > :00:58.We have the lowdown on the runners and riders to become
:00:59. > :01:02.the new President of the European Parliament.
:01:03. > :01:05.MEPs approve new rules to curb lobbying activities by members
:01:06. > :01:13.And we visit the snowy north of Sweden for the latest in our
:01:14. > :01:27.So all of that to come and more in the next half-hour.
:01:28. > :01:30.First, here is our guide to the latest from Europe
:01:31. > :01:37.European leaders met for a summit in Brussels this week,
:01:38. > :01:41.discussing the migration crisis and the conflict in Syria.
:01:42. > :01:45.They also talked Brexit over dinner, but Theresa May was left out -
:01:46. > :01:49.One new face at the talks was Italy's new Prime Minister,
:01:50. > :01:54.He took over from Matteo Renzi on Monday, who resigned after losing
:01:55. > :02:04.Greater European defence cooperation moved a step closer
:02:05. > :02:07.after the European Parliament passed a motion calling for a permanent
:02:08. > :02:14.The process for deciding who runs the railways is also set to change.
:02:15. > :02:17.MEPs approved new rules to make competitive tendering
:02:18. > :02:20.compulsory for public service contracts.
:02:21. > :02:23.It is set to come into effect in 2023.
:02:24. > :02:26.And MEPs will be banned from taking second jobs as lobbyists
:02:27. > :02:27.after voting through proposals authored
:02:28. > :02:42.And with us for the next 30 minutes, I'm joined
:02:43. > :02:49.Let's look at one of these stories in more detail.
:02:50. > :02:52.There is a move to ban MEPs from taking paid lobbying jobs.
:02:53. > :02:56.A lot of people watching this will say, how was this ever allowed
:02:57. > :03:02.It is all completely mysterious, but this is completely irrelevant
:03:03. > :03:06.because MEPs are still allowed to have outside jobs.
:03:07. > :03:09.So, for instance, the Brexit Parliament negotiator,
:03:10. > :03:15.Guy Verhofstad, has four outside jobs.
:03:16. > :03:18.One of them, according to the financial disclosures,
:03:19. > :03:27.But the significant thing about the Corbett report is this.
:03:28. > :03:30.It actually, there have been a series of procedural devices
:03:31. > :03:34.rammed through in order to suppress it
:03:35. > :03:43.in Parliament in order to have more of these laws.
:03:44. > :03:56.It has been my group's position that the job of an MP
:03:57. > :03:59.is your only job, so you can serve your constituents properly.
:04:00. > :04:03.But it is absolutely right it is now being made explicitly clear that
:04:04. > :04:13.We had to make it explicit they could not anymore,
:04:14. > :04:16.and also the former MEPs should not be able to come back
:04:17. > :04:27.What about these other outside jobs that William Dartmouth was saying?
:04:28. > :04:30.It is our position we wanted to have one job only,
:04:31. > :04:32.but because it is consensual, we could not quite get
:04:33. > :04:44.Being an MEP for the north-west is my full-time job.
:04:45. > :04:49.I'm looking for one because we are all going to be out
:04:50. > :04:53.What I find utterly mysterious is that Labour MEP Richard Corbett,
:04:54. > :04:57.who will be out in two years, has basically spent two years
:04:58. > :04:59.of his mandate pushing through this complicated procedural package,
:05:00. > :05:01.which is all about suppressing dissent.
:05:02. > :05:12.But I ask the questions and you are meant to answer them.
:05:13. > :05:17.I am having trouble with both of them today.
:05:18. > :05:21.It is not just Brexit preoccupying Europe at the moment.
:05:22. > :05:26.Members of the European Council covered the gamut of big issues
:05:27. > :05:29.in their end of year summit, cramming meaty subjects into just
:05:30. > :05:33.EU leaders strongly condemned the targeting of civilians
:05:34. > :05:36.and hospitals in Aleppo, as you would expect them to,
:05:37. > :05:41.criticising Russia and Iran for supporting the Syrian regime.
:05:42. > :05:44.The existing economic sanctions on Russia over the Crimean
:05:45. > :05:47.invasion were extended for six months, but a push for extra
:05:48. > :05:52.sanctions over support for the Syrian regime was rejected.
:05:53. > :05:56.Leaders endorsed plans for greater defence cooperation,
:05:57. > :05:59.including creating a new mini military HQ,
:06:00. > :06:02.battlegrounds of troops from member states and joint procurement
:06:03. > :06:05.Council members also discussed extending a deal to pay some
:06:06. > :06:10.countries to limit the number of migrants coming to Europe
:06:11. > :06:14.from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Egypt,
:06:15. > :06:17.though a decision was put back to a later date.
:06:18. > :06:24.Brexit only came up at the informal dinner after Theresa May had left,
:06:25. > :06:26.where the remaining 27 states discussed the negotiating position
:06:27. > :06:33.Following the summit, Council President Donald Tusk spoke
:06:34. > :06:36.about how the EU could not end the Syrian conflict by force.
:06:37. > :06:53.It is impossible to stop this conflict by force.
:06:54. > :07:00.The EU has no intentions and no capacity to use this kind
:07:01. > :07:11.But please stop blaming the EU, because for sure, the EU member
:07:12. > :07:14.states, the Europeans, are not the reason we witnessed
:07:15. > :07:19.today this tragedy in Aleppo and other parts of Syria.
:07:20. > :07:22.So we've got carnage in Syria, terrible things going on in Aleppo.
:07:23. > :07:25.We have the US president thinking the Kremlin tried to interfere
:07:26. > :07:39.We extended quite rightly the sanctions in terms
:07:40. > :07:48.I believe we should have toughened them, however,
:07:49. > :07:52.in terms of Syria, we should have imposed sanctions on Russia in terms
:07:53. > :07:57.We have seen intolerable suffering, with people being bombed out
:07:58. > :08:00.of their homes and their local communities.
:08:01. > :08:03.Those sanctions, by the way, it should not be against the Russian
:08:04. > :08:05.people, it should be against the oligarchs,
:08:06. > :08:08.the oil companies, the people actually taking the decisions
:08:09. > :08:21.There are always EU summits happening.
:08:22. > :08:23.In Syria, everybody shares the deep concern
:08:24. > :08:28.But the point I would like to share with you is that the EU is not
:08:29. > :08:31.the right structure to attempt to do anything about it.
:08:32. > :08:35.It should be between the United States and...
:08:36. > :08:38.How can the United Nations do that when Russia has a veto
:08:39. > :08:46.It is a forum in which they can talk.
:08:47. > :08:49.It does not invalidate the point that the EU is the wrong structure.
:08:50. > :08:53.Donald Tusk was right to say they do not have the capacity.
:08:54. > :08:56.He seemed to be putting it out to say don't blame the EU.
:08:57. > :09:05.If you are going to have sanctions against Russia,
:09:06. > :09:14.But to make sure everybody is in for these, do you need the EU?
:09:15. > :09:17.But that is our position at the moment.
:09:18. > :09:20.We have been witness to intolerable suffering.
:09:21. > :09:23.We have to have sanctions not against the Russian people
:09:24. > :09:32.But again the EU has done no more than what it has been doing already.
:09:33. > :09:43.By the UK remaining part of the EU, it is more likely that we will be
:09:44. > :09:46.taking more people with us to deliver sanctions against Russia.
:09:47. > :09:49.We need to be at the table not stuck outside.
:09:50. > :09:54.Do you think the summit's decision to look at creating a mini military
:09:55. > :09:57.headquarters and co-ordinate troops is going to cause concern
:09:58. > :10:03.I would like to make a related point, or share that
:10:04. > :10:07.We were always told we were scaremongering,
:10:08. > :10:12.suggesting there were plans for an EU army.
:10:13. > :10:17.It makes no sense at all, and would do nothing
:10:18. > :10:22.Our commitment should be to Nato and not to this EU fantasy army.
:10:23. > :10:23.Should we develop a military capability?
:10:24. > :10:30.I think the structures we have at the moment are adequate.
:10:31. > :10:33.We need political solutions to work with the people of Syria
:10:34. > :10:35.to reconstruct their society, education programmes,
:10:36. > :10:41.Let's be honest, that is meaningless.
:10:42. > :10:45.What I have been advocating strongly for the past few weeks,
:10:46. > :10:48.as have my social democrat colleagues, is having airdrops
:10:49. > :10:57.Really, over skies controlled by Russian jets?
:10:58. > :10:59.There are ways of doing it with drones.
:11:00. > :11:05.The whole of Europe does not have a single drone capable
:11:06. > :11:09.There are ways of working with partners where we could have
:11:10. > :11:20.We are not getting an answer so I will move on.
:11:21. > :11:29.It is exclusive, just for MEPs, like our two guests today.
:11:30. > :11:33.They get to decide who will be president of the European Union
:11:34. > :11:37.and as well as chairing the sittings and being responsible for the smooth
:11:38. > :11:39.running of the chamber, the lucky winner also gets
:11:40. > :11:42.to represent the parliament's view to European leaders,
:11:43. > :11:44.and acts as its representative to foreign dignitaries.
:11:45. > :11:50.We have been to Strasbourg, where in between the usual glasses
:11:51. > :11:53.of wine, we have found out that the campaign has made a lot
:11:54. > :12:01.The city of Strasbourg, viewed by many as the home
:12:02. > :12:08.But it is also known as the capital of Christmas,
:12:09. > :12:15.with its famous market festooned in light.
:12:16. > :12:18.A mile up the road, the atmosphere at the European Parliament
:12:19. > :12:21.This man, the socialist politician Martin Schultz,
:12:22. > :12:23.is stepping down as president in January.
:12:24. > :12:27.His decision has triggered a fierce leadership battle over who should
:12:28. > :12:33.of a gentleman's agreement between the two dominant players
:12:34. > :12:38.The Socialists and the centre-right European People's Party
:12:39. > :12:42.essentially divide up the five-year presidency post between them
:12:43. > :12:49.So by rights, it should be the turn of a candidate from the EPP
:12:50. > :12:55.No, says Italy's Gianni Patella, the current leader of the Socialists
:12:56. > :12:59.He wants to end the cosy arrangement of taking turns with EPP.
:13:00. > :13:04.He is putting himself forward for the presidency.
:13:05. > :13:14.You know, politics is politics, and suddenly because Martin Schultz has
:13:15. > :13:17.decided to go back to German politics, we would give up the
:13:18. > :13:22.fundamental political argument. It does not work.
:13:23. > :13:24.This has infuriated the EPP who hasn't assumed their
:13:25. > :13:26.candidate, another Italian Antonio Tajani,
:13:27. > :13:36.We swore the candidate to be president to be in Parliament
:13:37. > :13:44.We respected our commitments to them for 2.5 years and we are of course
:13:45. > :13:46.disappointed now that all of a sudden they say
:13:47. > :13:49.they want to go in another direction and want to
:13:50. > :13:51.present their own candidate and aren't going to support our
:13:52. > :13:55.candidate and has agreed on paper and signed by them 2.5 years ago.
:13:56. > :13:57.Others are also stepping into the frame.
:13:58. > :13:59.Helga Stevens from the European Conservatives and Reformists Group
:14:00. > :14:01.which includes British Conservative MEPs, says it's
:14:02. > :14:04.So, you are standing, representing the third
:14:05. > :14:07.biggest party in the European Parliament for the job
:14:08. > :14:16.People have been very happy I have been taken a stand.
:14:17. > :14:18.But I've been put forward in this way.
:14:19. > :14:21.They are excited to see a different face, a new face,
:14:22. > :14:24.somebody who can bring some fresh air to this building.
:14:25. > :14:27.A sentiment echoed by the smaller euroskeptic parties who want to end
:14:28. > :14:30.what they see as an establishment stitch up.
:14:31. > :14:32.People want something else, something different.
:14:33. > :14:35.We can see the numbers of those are growing.
:14:36. > :14:37.We see more and more referendums to come.
:14:38. > :14:40.People want to change the politics and the great
:14:41. > :14:43.coalition of the Social Democrats and the christians don't
:14:44. > :14:50.They want to stick to the idea they have.
:14:51. > :14:53.As MEPs leave for the Christmas break, there isn't so much
:14:54. > :14:55.of a whiff of compromise in the air but deals
:14:56. > :14:59.will have to be done as none of the parties in the Parliament has
:15:00. > :15:03.The winning candidate will need to get more than half of the votes
:15:04. > :15:09.to be elected as president on January 17.
:15:10. > :15:16.We are joined now by the Green MEP Jean Lambert.
:15:17. > :15:19.She is the European Greens candidate.
:15:20. > :15:24.What do you hope to achieve by running?
:15:25. > :15:27.What we hope to achieve by running as the Greens
:15:28. > :15:32.You heard there about the deals that always gets done.
:15:33. > :15:35.We think it should be possible that you look at people
:15:36. > :15:37.that you think are actually going to bring something
:15:38. > :15:41.to the presidency, that can maybe change the view of the public
:15:42. > :15:43.towards the European Parliament and have a greater
:15:44. > :15:48.In terms of the process, do each of the political groupings,
:15:49. > :15:56.They can put up a candidate, you don't have too.
:15:57. > :15:59.We were considering up until very early this week in not running
:16:00. > :16:03.a candidate at all but then we saw what was coming from the big groups
:16:04. > :16:10.Isn't it rather for your candidacies, rather a disadvantage
:16:11. > :16:22.My group actually see this as, you know, it's
:16:23. > :16:26.Theresa May keeps saying we are there and fully engaged
:16:27. > :16:32.Sorry, are you worried you might split what I
:16:33. > :16:36.might call the staunchly pro-EU vote and make way for a more Eurosceptic
:16:37. > :16:45.A think if you look at all the candidates that are there,
:16:46. > :16:49.even the ones, unless you are really talking about the representative
:16:50. > :16:55.of the from the Front National who hopefully will be out,
:16:56. > :17:02.That particular group, the NF, are running a candidate, yes.
:17:03. > :17:19.There is a reason I'm supporting him.
:17:20. > :17:22.It is because, as we said, we need a fresh approach.
:17:23. > :17:25.We need to communicate with citizens right across the EU
:17:26. > :17:27.is standing on a pro- jobs, pro- growth, anti-
:17:28. > :17:30.austerity and gender so it's the end of any coalition,
:17:31. > :17:33.it's about actually coming in with what we need for local
:17:34. > :17:35.communities right across the UK which is jobs
:17:36. > :17:38.Hasn't European candidate, not just for the Parliament
:17:39. > :17:41.but various others, been standing on that kind of platform
:17:42. > :17:48.And growth has been hard to see and the use of the EU
:17:49. > :17:50.or the eurozone are enjoying mass unemployment.
:17:51. > :17:53.Which is a fundamental problem and as you know,
:17:54. > :17:54.we have supported the youth jobs guarantee
:17:55. > :18:01.I gather that your party voted against it.
:18:02. > :18:03.Well you actually voted for that, which
:18:04. > :18:29.Who do you want to be your candidate?
:18:30. > :18:38.I will know when the candidates are presented.
:18:39. > :18:56.What about Jean Lambert? A bit of Europe UK solar -- UK solidarity
:18:57. > :19:01.here. What's happened is the Socialist
:19:02. > :19:06.group have doublecrossed We are watching it with
:19:07. > :19:09.great, great interest. I don't know what that means,
:19:10. > :19:11.can you explain it? I want to make a point
:19:12. > :19:18.about of the EPP candidate... Is that the mainstream conservative
:19:19. > :19:21.group or the nonmainstream? All of our group voted for Gianni
:19:22. > :19:33.Pittella. We cannot have an establishment
:19:34. > :19:36.figure who is close to bill us scone it being close to the
:19:37. > :19:39.European candidate, can Whoever wins will have a role
:19:40. > :19:52.to play in Brexit. Part of their job is making sure
:19:53. > :19:56.Parliament is fully represented, involved in the discussions and we
:19:57. > :20:02.have a vote at the end of the process.
:20:03. > :20:06.Will the Green group vote for you en masse,
:20:07. > :20:14.The Green group will certainly support the en masse.
:20:15. > :20:19.I think this is important to actually find a party
:20:20. > :20:21.that works for the parliament which isn't just marooned
:20:22. > :20:25.If you were to win, would you try to stop Brexit
:20:26. > :20:29.It's not our role to stop Brexit as the European Parliament.
:20:30. > :20:31.That's the decision of the British people.
:20:32. > :20:33.Our role, particularly as president of
:20:34. > :20:36.the Parliament, is to make sure the European Parliament is engaged
:20:37. > :20:38.in this, that our views, our knowledge,
:20:39. > :20:52.Now, with a Christmas addition of our meet the neighbour series, Adam
:20:53. > :21:07.Fleming reports from the smelly north of Sweden. -- snowy.
:21:08. > :21:18.I am in Lapland. They are enjoying a few hours of light before the sun
:21:19. > :21:21.goes down and doesn't come up again until next year. Of course, all a
:21:22. > :21:26.way out here, you meet an Italian. You either like it or you hate it.
:21:27. > :21:30.If you like it, is paradise. If you don't like it, you go crazy. Two
:21:31. > :21:39.weeks. If you love it and get used to it, it's hard to go back to any
:21:40. > :21:45.other lifestyle. It's not all dogsledding and Northern lights. It
:21:46. > :21:50.is the largest iron ore mine. It brings jobs and one big problem. As
:21:51. > :21:55.it expands, the town is sinking. The entire city centre is going to be
:21:56. > :22:02.torn down and moved two miles. 3000 flats will be demolished along with
:22:03. > :22:06.300,000 square metres of public property. Including the wooden
:22:07. > :22:12.church, once voted the country but like most historic building. They
:22:13. > :22:22.are going to need a bigger map. This will be the big city centre. If you
:22:23. > :22:27.imagine going out like this. As a politician, is this a blessing or a
:22:28. > :22:31.curse for your town? It is both. We are getting paid to do something new
:22:32. > :22:37.so we can focus on all the new technology that we have around in
:22:38. > :22:42.the world today and doing their proper environment thing to do when
:22:43. > :22:49.you are creating a city centre but the curse is that of course, other
:22:50. > :22:58.30% of the city's inhabitants are worried. The new City Hall is taking
:22:59. > :23:01.shape. The buildings have stopped when the temperatures Obst -38
:23:02. > :23:07.degrees. Infrastructure like roads and water will come next. In 20 13,
:23:08. > :23:11.residents will decide whether they want to move here or take the money
:23:12. > :23:15.in their old home. It is an undisclosed sum, mostly paid for by
:23:16. > :23:17.the mining company. But it comes to other things happening here,
:23:18. > :23:22.immigration is a big topic. Sweden was one of the top three destination
:23:23. > :23:27.countries or asylum seekers during the migrant crisis. When it comes to
:23:28. > :23:32.the economy, Sweden is one of the few countries in the world
:23:33. > :23:37.experimenting with negative interest rates. And what about all the
:23:38. > :23:41.Swedish cliches? Hi taxes, loads of welfare, lots of leave for when you
:23:42. > :23:47.have children and being flat that. Is Sweden really like that? Yes,
:23:48. > :23:50.it's true. And others that stuff, here are some more pictures of cute
:23:51. > :24:01.puppies. A Christmas gift from politics Europe. The gift is
:24:02. > :24:07.appreciated, Adam. When you look at the mood music coming out of stock
:24:08. > :24:14.home both by the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary -- Stockholm.
:24:15. > :24:18.They could be, if we have any allies, it will be the Swedes in
:24:19. > :24:23.these Brexit negotiations. And there is a big slice of public opinion
:24:24. > :24:36.which is in favour of leaving. We could be looking at Swexit. It's
:24:37. > :24:42.news to me. Is news to me too and I am married to a suite. They are big
:24:43. > :24:45.supporters of Britain. They are not in the eurozone. I was speaking a
:24:46. > :24:49.Swedish colleague yesterday and they were saying it's a shame because a
:24:50. > :24:53.lot of mutual support came from the UK and Sweden especially when it
:24:54. > :24:59.came to improving environmental standards. Trade. The emissions of
:25:00. > :25:03.scandal et cetera. We are working closely with our Swedish colleagues
:25:04. > :25:10.who definitely want to remain. We will keep an eye out. We will keep
:25:11. > :25:11.an eye out. But is it for now. Thanks for joining us.