struck just across the border in northwestern iran dozens of people were injured in both countries after more than a 1000 buildings collapsed. just 42 percent of voters went to the polls in iran's parliamentary elections on friday the lowest turnout since the islamic revolution revolution 40 years ago the announcement has been seen by some observers as a sign of dissatisfaction with the country's rulers and the approved candidates hardliners are expected to have won most seats once the full results are in the interior ministry has blamed the low partizan patient on the coronavirus well those of the top stories stay with us talk to al-jazeera is next hearing from the e.u. foreign policy chief joseph to stay with us.

i think. i'm just a hole in munich where global policy makers are gathered for the annual security conference among them josep the european union's foreign policy and security chief ban who faces many challenges from the u.s. tariffs from the iran nuclear deal to managing relations with eastern giants like china and russia and of course festering conflicts in places like libya and yemen the list is long can the ties that bind e.u. member states endure all this is there a common vision for the european union's future we'll find out as josep or el talks to al-jazeera. just approach the european union's high representative for foreign affairs many

thanks for talking to al-jazeera thank you you're part of a new european commission there's a new european parliament a new e.u. in fact 27 members minus the united kingdom but you've got real problems you've got people like president macron of france as a very powerful reformer pushing for more integration you've got a kind of steady as she goes germany at the moment struggling with the leadership flux you've got rule of law re shoes nationalism populism in places like hungary and poland how do you reconcile that that's life that's life it is their way these and we are not going to change these things other night but it does make it difficult for ursula found alone the commission president's view of a new geo political coup. mission of geo political e.u. based on shared sovereignty how do you create this sense of shared sovereignty working together build in the feeling that threats that we are facing are indivisible the threat of terrorism in libya or the migrants illegal migrants flow

in libya is not just a threat with a meter ready in countries as much as the threat of the. russia and can represent a threat to the some members stated they used to both of us in not only for them we have to share common traits and this requires a culture it is not going to be of another night you know is a matter of overcoming our past histories in order to be a look on an understanding of the world if you don't share a common understanding of the wool you cannot share a common for a policy but ultimately a lot of the sense of change the need for reform has come about as a result most recently breaks it which has been hasn't it a colossal blow for the european union losing a member like britain and bad separate it we regret. we are not

going to be completed 2 thirds united kingdom but duties had to go to unity is to decide about their future 1st to hold a referendum and secondly to hold elections and in both cases especially on the 2nd one to the back seat is one so there is no way out it is the way it is we regret but we will try to do our best without the british and to try to build a better relationship with them but for sure they would not be the same neither of them nor for us to what extent does brics it undermine the european union's ultimate standing in the world and be a union i hadn't seen the british leaving my name the union debate is never the have always been very clear since the speech of western georgia and enjoyed it on the aftermath of the 2nd world war saying you are being

billed united this stage of you but we will not be with you we will be looking to the landing to previous have never hidden his his will they have never been in favor of a big integration had never been in favor of a political union so. not dad not dalai wants all the member states they say mad to do it on that point of other nations that are also taking along british lines it's a border where you yes but. the break up as difficult as possible for britain isn't it in order to dissuade will discover they had it is no need to do aiding anyone because erected has not been the nebulae me it has been a vaccine. instead of why spreading brought people together in a vaccine because people should all look look at how difficult it is look at the consequences so anyway the need for change is clear and undisputed record has

highlighted that but as much as anything else. the united states and china 2 great powers squaring off against one another as i said fast changing geopolitical environment you groet. this to survive in the world of giants we are peons must adjust our mental maps to deal with the world as it is not as we hoped it would be to avoid being the losers in today's us china competition we must really learn the language of power what did you mean by this is a sentence the has become famous. when you say power one people immediately think of military power. power means that you are sending bangs now there are many different kind of power when the americans use their law in order to everybody being abiding by dale or. company has to abide by the america law even if this law has been voted by the american parliament and in principle

distance national. limitation will do all this completely unjustified but they have the power of doing that if you do what they don't like you to do you will be punished well it appears we are not able doing so well you say you are not able to and yet in this vision or you are not we are not willing well in this vision of a new geo political future for the e.u. this talk isn't there of only doing deals with countries if they sign up to the paris climate accords for instance there's a big push now on digital taxes on us tech giants there is suggestions that us european businesses might withdraw their support for us and chinese markets if they don't open themselves up to e.u. competition the problem is as soon as you do these kinds of things people like the us slap tariffs on your products as they've done with steel as they've just done on air bus so. the once to push for more muscular vision of the.

but the hard power isn't there to back it up well bore the difference between hard power and soft power nowadays is a little bit fuzzy create is that the harp our softball or well at the moment that has risen to our judiciary has relied on soft power it's beginning to look a bit dated but today's. diskette you were race has been very much mix and confuse no which is soft which is hard to interfere in the democratic process of what one country you just used in syria capacities is that soft or heart. defect is that their parents whose interfering in what they're doing and what that interferes with them a crowd to. do though to use arms you use the digital technologies. can be very very very damaging you know with the fans not only about the risk of being

invaded by an army but the risk of being to feeding the new institutions building and working why didn't new methods the knowledge of things to us cyber attacks. all the old means and to the to the many people can use and they have been using cyber is one of the most glorious that we should face and the brits hybrids something that people are not this day not not yet very much aware of what does it mean and at the same time we have heart challenges the old style heart challenges like for example in seattle you know how many soldiers are sahani enormous loss last year $1000.00 for $500.00. the terrorist terrorists the band it's the people fighting and moon kill $1500.00

millions in these unions people and this is an area of strategic interest of course because with all of that fighting come waves of really heading for europe is a wholesome hail becomes non-state land without an over 30 then the risk is very very big because these of a political problem for the cycle we don't have a plan would have caught conference for this held next month you know that we tried to have an extract we are there different mainly what member station hoping european union as a whole with. several missions military and civilian reasons the united nations have 15000 souldiers the multi. but there it seems that they're not very effective so you know libya has been a kind of tumor who have been mis dust izing who the hell countries and europe

cannot afford to lose control of these area where the population is growing at incredible big age where women have having 7 or 8 childrens but had they not bridge toward the growth of the population the effect of climate change the non. did that sense of had an organized see below political society was such a big extension with a growing population here is a danger for you talking about difference talking about hard power one of the greats fractures at the moment is in the transatlantic relationship some people deny it's there other people say it's glaringly obvious donald trump insisting that europeans do more for their own defense president mccrone a great supporter of that. talking to us from. the former nato secretary general he suggests this is fanciful a paper tiger europe simply can't afford to secure itself without u.s.

hope is there a future for a european defense system a european army or europe standing on its own 2 feet without u.s. help. right that's not a matter over a theological position is a matter of how the methink isn't made of numbers i am in the genie of a training it when they have to these custom thing i go i look to the numbers it's completely out of question that it would be a stage could ensure they had to rhetorical defense out of the nato and insert and secondly. it's not a defense union was not created as they need to do issue a the military still regarded to a full member state well that's because later it was always something that was taken for granted not so much in the age of donald trump well that's true whether this same time what we have to do is spend more on defense and that interrupts

right but we have to think about where we spend more hope for what we had to discuss about this threat as you go objective or more expenditure in defense and you have to spend better you know that is such a big diversity between debian armies so many overlaps how so many vacuums where we don't have capacities and in other in another place we have too much capacities that there be kaffirs has to be done in order to build military capacities among to be a member states army not to create the debian army but to coordinate the efforts of all of us in order to have among all of us to get better it is that that required would be much much much less expensive ok let's look at e.u. foreign policy proper your day job as it were when you and. engaged in reforming the european union the iran nuclear deal 2015 the e.u. took a good chunk of the credit for sealing that deal with iran it's now forming

a part of course donald trump exited it. and there's enormous pressure isn't there from the united states on european signatories to toe the line and do likewise is the e.u. close finally to caving in and accepting that the iran deal is over not by do you know i am the coordinator of the board that follows the implementation of these nuclear deal does border change. they where the states there are 3 countries well now in the member stage of the to be a union another european country has to but it has left it to be a new europe was destined to be and and i have the role of course the nato and i'm as far as they know. striving to keep this deal of life.

but. we should be able to do to our day daniel to fulfill their commitments on the nuclear side and we should be fulfilling our commitments on the economic side but we are not doing that by the time being because our firms are afraid of america under the relations sanctions we are trying to be real financial instruments in order to be able to. sections especially in the humanitarian side we start falling on though there are very concessions which is one thing in which we are in a different position with our american friends on the most important issue we will be all the time in the same side of the table but here we disagree we don't agree with america's rule from these nuclear deal it took 12 years of very difficult discussion and through reached this deal at night is going to be possible to build another one. thanks to this deal iran is not

a nuclear power today we saw this deal who knows what's going to happen in the future like so many things the american might is insurmountable you may well disagree but in the end there's nothing you can do about it and there's no way you can win the argument we try to do something we're creating these in sticking straw men in order to avoid american sanctions frankly speaking and it is what these are allowed not americans of course why did you get incentive for iraq politically with the time being we haven't been able to make it work and i had a really good neither did any and you know i tried to be someone objective and measured into positions of the job according with reality according with the facts 40 months after the american withdrawal daniels has been fulfilling their commitments and european leaders have been promising them that they should continue fulfilling their nuclear commitment because we will look on our way of having

economic expansion which they did recently they said that you know if we are going to go out slowly slowly of these nuclear commitments and we try to convince them to go back to the commitment of the nuclear side that we can provide. some rewards on the economic side did they gave us not over the game is not over let's see what's happening in the following month well if nothing else it's a sign what has happened with iran very different kind of global foreign policy is on the way and has been for the last 4 years a very much more muscular bruising confrontational foreign policy which as we said earlier the european union's old approach of soft power. doesn't really work doesn't apply. to this and we have not dismiss the power to give you the capacity of we due to being on your rest becht of human rights to sign

trade to riemann's to set up norms we know how to this middens very important normative capacity that we have. is a way of conditioning many economic and technological development trade we are the champions of trade we introduce them to trade to women's to think that really worries us about climate change then we have a strong. thrown capacity of influencing. but it's true dear wall that we are facing it is not the world that was behind us you know whereas the south east and north north south west east that really the devil rays that have to be used you know that were no idea wall of to morrow well i don't think so i think that these belong to another period of history and now we are. driving to. a dual pall

of power between china and united states this is the history it's where we are hitting. be an important thing is to found a place on disc competition not to be a scratch on the middle of this. well let me ask you now about russia another issue that divides member states president mccraw of frogs thinks. that russia is a viable security partner for the e.u. do you. well with rush here we have a principle to follow but to guide our relationship we have to continue saying that we support ukrainian integrity and the best way of containing the russian influence on the eastern part of europe is to support ukraine economic and democratic development this sanctions will not be lifted well knows that his son

change of direction attitude but on the other hand we have to engage selectively with russ you have because we share common concerns commenee easters can we talk about the arctic policy without engaging with russia of course i'm not going to read the can we discuss the. energy autonomy or security without talking with oh a big provider of gas there's so many issues in which we have to talk with russia to engage and to reach a women's that we have to have a 2 sided policy libya. brand new u.n. security council is in place calling for a ceasefire you said back in january when the previous ceasefire was as fragile as it was that a cease fire only exists when it's monitored and managed any cease fire has to be monitor it if it does not monitored. the last 2 days by the time being we're still not there if this cease fire the gun then if someone have to monitor it the

united nations should do it and we should be able to cooperate with them how will depend on what more is the e.u. prepared to do i mean this is a humanitarian disaster in the making for your all of the refugees all of the people in awful conditions on them but abuses today to flow the flow of migrants to has been decreasing pretty much we had reminded the pick of the 20152016 who everybody has in mind is 2 years big float people 160000 people getting across in your area today we are in figures much much more the problem has changed they mention completely israel palestine is there any part of the new trump. the do you support this plan doesn't fool feel the international nice parameters department does and which should have been unit has been working to change our parameters which change your

mind or we cannot say that this plan and he's a good plan for our standing why did the same time and discipline has the capacity to break in this stalemate on put into conversation between the israelis and palestinians again that they will. not you're not saying the spread is not good you have to propose something else and now we have to look at the we are able. to propose something better or how can we use the opportunity to display an office to break this for 5 years without nothing climate change. another big issue perhaps the preeminent issue facing the future of the planet not least the e.u. the european union has shown its commitment with a green deal over the next 5 years you took some fire recently with comments you

made about young climate activists suggesting that people like gratitude but don't really have the stomach for a fight but they don't understand and aren't willing to pay for the changes that they demand you called regret a syndrome do you regret that look. police say what they said not what do you interpret they've said what he said it's fine to demonstrate against climate change so long as nobody asks you to pay for it. i wonder if everybody's self aware of the fact that we have to fight climate change why did just not a free lunch. not to fight against climate change. existential threat to fight against climate change is not for free it would require investment it would require big restructuring of the way of living and it would have a cost and it would be a lusus and the winners have to be ready to compensate the rootless that were

putting on the table i just don't see it for a climate change and what they wanted to say is that. have to explain people all sides of the kind. we don't have to make people believe that to fight against climate change is just a matter of i want it yes but you know that will do that is going to be we are going to face big the information is very good that the young people movie lines this is very good the young people are very much aware that the old people of the high cost will not fight against climate change but one thing is that. the climate change the present is a big threat and a high cost and another thing is not to be aware that fighting is climate change also represents a cost that this has to be bait finally because alone you are a proud cattle and of course yourself the issue of catalonia goes to the heart of concerns across the e.u.

about nationalism about suffering to the rights of minorities spanish foreign minister you were no supporter of separatism of course i understand that as e.u. foreign minister i wonder this problem is not going away do you in any way support a legitimate say for the people of catalonia in their future even if it means changing the constitution to allow a referendum to take place we can change you're going to do shouldn't but i don't think it is. spain to change you can just how do you deal with this problem how do you make it go away how do you reconcile catalonia and madrid. when you say it's a little very close to 50 percent of the other 50 percent it seems like you're going to get into consideration you know what i mean there is division in catalonia and division in spain but all of it has to be reckoned by do you see your trap to talk about catalonia referring only to the 45 percent wonder you used at the lorgnette to refer to the 45 percent what they've refused is these

a simulation between catalonia and less than half the catalans i'm just i'm just a pro thank you very much for talking to overseas thank you. march on al-jazeera after the oscar nomination witness brings a new film this time from africa to international women's day. a crucial day in the race to challenge donald trump where live across key u.s. states for super tuesday

a discussion series brings people together to talk about exploring topics and finding common solutions as benjamin netanyahu prepares to go on trial for corruption israel heads into its 3rd election in less than a year. the listening post dissects the world's media how they operate and the way they cover stories. on al-jazeera. whether online like father gobbing did one of the worst grabs the mainstream media about president or if you join us on st there's a difference in diversity and inclusion and they were sometimes isn't always sincere based is a dialogue sanctions on the ways in which they were applied to iran are an act of what fair everyone has a voice we as a society that is so quick to be to blame need to just sit down and listen and join the global conversation on al-jazeera.

revealing eco friendly solutions to comeback threats to our planet on al-jazeera. i'm charlie rangel in london with the top stories on al-jazeera china's president says his country faces the biggest public health emergency in its history as it battles to contain the deadly coronavirus she told high ranking officials that measures taken to counter the virus where effective but despite that nearly $650.00 additional cases in the past 24 hours has taken the total to just under $77000.00 more than $2400.00 people have died around is another major hotspot with $48.00 cases and 8 deaths the highest outside of china several neighboring countries have closed their borders but is italy that has the largest outbreak outside of asia in a matter of days confirmed cases jumped from 3 to 1383 people have died in

a cluster of cases it's confounding scientists as it has no link to china meanwhile south korea's president says the next few days will be critical for an outbreak that struck more than 600 people 6 have died in the country is now on its highest possible alert robert pride reports. the worst affected areas in southeast korea the city of daegu and neighboring chung the county remained at a virtual standstill to mask clusters of infections account for the majority of cases reported so far one of them at this hospital quickly spread infecting more than 100 patients and staff wards are being prepared to treat the increase of new coronavirus patients raising the alert to the highest level came at an emergency meeting chaired by president moon j. in this weekend the number of new cases has risen alarmingly by the hundreds and he stressed that the.