Summary
Edward Stourton asks how the European Union might change after Britain leaves. "The wind is back in Europe's sails", according to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. In September, in his annual address to the European Parliament, he set out a bold dream for the future. Soon afterwards it was echoed by another, this time from French President Emmanuel Macron who declared that "the only path that assures our future is the rebuilding of a Europe that is sovereign, united and democratic". Amongst the proposals that the two leaders put forward were a European budget run by a European finance minister, an enlargement of the Schengen passport-free travel zone, and much closer collaboration on tax, defence, and a host of other issues.
But at present, the European project faces huge challenges. Britain is about to leave the EU, whilst Catalonia's bid for independence is causing turmoil in Spain. In the face of such developments, how realistic are the grand visions that Europe's leaders have for the future of the continent?
Producer: Neil Koenig.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Just before this BBC podcast gets underway, here's something you may not know. |
| 0:04.6 | My name's Linda Davies and I Commission Podcasts for BBC Sounds. |
| 0:08.4 | As you'd expect, at the BBC we make podcasts of the very highest quality featuring the most knowledgeable |
| 0:14.3 | experts and genuinely engaging voices. What you may not know is that the BBC |
| 0:20.4 | makes podcasts about all kinds of things like pop stars, |
| 0:24.6 | poltergeist, cricket, and conspiracy theories and that's just a few examples. |
| 0:29.7 | If you'd like to discover something a little bit unexpected, |
| 0:33.0 | find your next podcast over at BBC Sounds. |
| 0:36.4 | This is the BBC. |
| 0:40.0 | Thanks for downloading analysis, the programme about the ideas behind the news. |
| 0:45.0 | This week Edward Stirtin asks what kind of future lies ahead for the European Union |
| 0:51.0 | after Britain leaves it. |
| 0:53.0 | Isn't it funny? |
| 0:55.0 | You know, when I came here 17 years ago |
| 0:58.0 | and I said that I wanted to lead a campaign |
| 1:01.0 | to get Britain to leave the European Union, you all laughed at me. Well I have |
| 1:07.1 | to say you're not laughing now, are you? The former UKIP leader Nigel Farage addressing the European Parliament in triumph |
| 1:15.0 | after the United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union last summer. |
| 1:19.0 | We now offer a beacon of hope to Democrats across the rest of the European continent. |
| 1:25.0 | I'll make one prediction this morning. |
| 1:27.0 | The United Kingdom will not be the last member state to leave the European Union. |
| 1:32.0 | When we do go, his seat along with... state to leave the European Union. |
... |
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