Hello and welcome to a special end of year bumper edition of the spiked podcast.

I'm Fraser Myers and today I'm joined by four brilliant guests.

As ever I'm with Spikes Deputy Editor Tom Slater.

Lolo.

Columnist Ella Wielin. Hi. And as a special treat we Deputy Editor Tom Slater, Lolo Weelen.

Hi.

And as a special treat, we also have spiked editor Brendan O'Neill.

Hello.

And columnist Andrew Doyle.

Hello.

Today we'll be discussing three key themes, Democracy, Freedom and Identity.

So without further ado, let year of political upheaval and change. The old order is crumbling, people across Europe are revolting,

and in Britain Brexit is all still up in the air. Brendan, you've described this moment we find ourselves

in as a European spring. Would you like to

tell us what you mean by that? I think what's happening in Europe right now is

incredibly exciting. I think it's not an exaggeration to say it is a European spring. I think everyone always says

the current period is like the 1930s, the return of fascist, the return of Nazis. I actually think

it's more like 1848 when you had the another European spring that the

people's revolts across Europe which are actually were actually very similar to what

we have now they were nationalist revol. They were people calling for more national self-determination.

They were revolts against largely monarchical structures against kind of distant political elites who didn't represent people.

There was a strong Republican sentiment.

...