What Next For Europe?
The Briefing Room
BBC
4.8 • 731 Ratings
🗓️ 11 April 2019
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
David Aaronovich examines the likely lasting impact of the UK's decision to quit the European Union - not on Britain but on mainland Europe. The European Union is struggling to reconcile competing views of the economy, of national identity and of ideology. As populist political parties play an increasing role in the governance of member states, some expert Euro-watchers give their views of the divisions and the chances of them being reconciled. Might the EU "widen" its reach to new countries? Or deepen" the binds between member countries? Or is it time to concede that voters across the Continent prefer sovereignty to be exercised within national states.
Presenter: David Aaronovich Producer: Sally Abrahams Researcher: Kirsteen Knight Editor: Andrew Smith
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts. |
| 0:09.0 | Welcome to the briefing room with me, David Aronovich. The idea is that you and I step into a large room crammed with computers, maps, reference books and top experts, |
| 0:21.8 | whose only job is to give us the most thorough briefing possible on the burning questions of the day. |
| 0:27.4 | And what is singeing us today is the question of Europe beyond Brexit. |
| 0:32.4 | What is the outlook for the European Union itself? |
| 0:36.1 | And if you enjoy this podcast, |
| 0:39.7 | you might enjoy other editions of the briefing room, |
| 0:41.9 | which are all available on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:51.7 | In this country, this week, |
| 0:53.6 | we're transfixed by Brexit and what might be called the Halloween extension. |
| 0:57.2 | The image has been of supplicant Britain faced by a United European Union. |
| 1:02.4 | But, as they say, we should stop assuming that it's all about us. |
| 1:07.1 | This week's European summit of the heads of state and Government of the European Union, its full title, |
| 1:12.8 | has had other things to talk about. |
| 1:15.0 | Big things. |
| 1:16.3 | So in this week's briefing room, I want to know what the challenges and potential pitfalls are |
| 1:20.9 | that lie ahead of the EU with or without Britain. |
| 1:25.1 | Join me inside. |
| 1:31.2 | EO. or without Britain. Join me inside. Even if Britain leaves, the EU will comprise a union of 27 countries, 450 million people, |
| 1:38.6 | and be one of the world's big three economic blocks. But it's been under strain in recent years. There's been the crash, |
| 1:46.1 | the crisis in the Eurozone, the refugee and migrant crisis, and the rise of a new kind of politics. |
| 1:52.7 | We'll be looking at the economic prospects and the vexed question of European integration later. |
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