survivors of the florida school shooting are organising a national march on washington to demand tighter restrictions on gun ownership. they say they're determined that the shooting in which 17 people died will be a turning point in the us national debate on guns. israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu has launched a scathing attack on iran, calling it the ‘greatest threat to our world'. in a speech in munich, he accused the iranians of seeking to dominate the middle east through terror, and warned that israel would act if tehran tested its resolve. russian officials have confirmed that one of their athletes at the winter olympics in south korea is suspected of failing a doping test. alexander krushelnitsky won a bronze medal in curling. he has now left the olympic village and surrendered his accreditation. now on bbc news — hardtalk. to the talk, stephen sackur and this

is unique, a city emblematic of germany's prosperity and small seed servitors. but right now, german politics looks anything but steady, sta ble politics looks anything but steady, stable and ready to bolster the angela merkel‘s new grand coalition with the social democrats is very fragile and the biggest opposition party is the far right alternative for deutschland. my guest today is the influential afd for deutschland. my guest today is the influential md mp, peter boehringer. so how will his party try to exploit the weakness of angela merkel? peter boehringer, welcome to

hardtalk. thank you for having me. let's start with a big picture of german politics today. in some ways, nothing much has changed. here we are again facing a grand coalition led a angela merkel with the christian democrats and the gas ptt together. but actually, things quite different this time? ashok ‘s ptt. we do not have that coalition. we will have that pretty soon. having said that, i would agree that it is no longer the same, we now have a coalition of official losers, both the spd and the cdu of angela merkel have lost more than have been present at the general election last autumn and in the meantime they have lost even more, you could say they

have lost more than 20% of the votes in 2013. it is a different situation absolutely. what is your strategy in the md? will you be looking for spoil was looking for a fight or will you try to be construct a? you are now, in essence, the biggest opposition party. we are. but fighting is not an end in its own right, of course. we are not fighting just for the sake of fighting, we are fighting for bringing germany back on a legal track where laws are not violated all the time, especially when it comes to europe rescue and the border controls and immigration. so we are trying to bring back a little bit more direct democracy that is that people have the say in the bundestag began, which they didn't have for a long time. —— again. bundestag began, which they didn't have for a long time. -- again. your bedfellows in the europe are, i

guess, the nationalfront in france, the austrian freedom party, yet builders party in the netherlands. many people in your country and across the continent are extraordinarily worried about the power and influence you can now wield. actually, we are late comers. in germany, it is very late that germany has come up with a central right new party sticking to the values and virtues that were normal in europe up until the 1990s and thousands. you are not centre-right, you are far right. i have listed your bedfellows, they are all far right, many people would say extremist parties. i would have to look into each and every one of them, it is completely different from marine le pen and from the austrian right, that is properly going too find our. in what way are you completely different? -- now. in

my personal opinion, i haven't changed my political opinion in 20, 30, 40 changed my political opinion in 20, 30, a0 years at all. i stick to a world where the natural state was the natural state of affairs and nobody disputed that. no party, we have a programme and i was a member of the programme condition that the cdu had up until 2005 and even the spd had in the 1990s. we are not extremists, we do not change, society has changed and especially the immediate perception. —— media perception. i am not talking about media perception, i am talking about perceptions of people. a former president of the council of german jews. she describes your party, the afd, as a struck the power which endangers democracy.” afd, as a struck the power which endangers democracy. i don't know what crystal ball she has but she cannot see in the future if she has

the evidence whatsoever... she is judging you on the words of your senior party members. you can always put individual words out of context, ido put individual words out of context, i do not see it in that way. our programme is not radical at all and i would say it is blue joie programme is not radical at all and i would say it is bluejoie in programme is not radical at all and i would say it is blue joie in the positive sense of the word. we need to question against words that senior leaders have said the. you would need to put that into context, it seems that has not been done. your main opposition, let's see if the tone is changing. one of your senior figures... the tone is changing. one of your senior figures. .. he is always quoted, even though he is not a seniorfigure. quoted, even though he is not a senior figure. he is. is one of 16 regional figures. he is quoted all of the time. maybe you know what i will ask you. whether you now distance yourself from his comments when he described the holocaust

memorial window when as a monument of shame and he should have suggested that germany should not have put it up and no other nation should have. he put it like that and it isa should have. he put it like that and it is a memorial of shame, one of the worst routes of german history and... you know what he meant. he meant it was a shame that it had been erected. it was a shame, i am not sure what he meant when he said that no other country would put up a memorialfor the worst that no other country would put up a memorial for the worst period in that no other country would put up a memorialfor the worst period in its history. i wouldn't have put it in that way but that is what he meant. the last one on this style, it is important to find out whether now that you are the biggest opposition party that your language is going to change. as a party i will quote you stefa n. change. as a party i will quote you stefan. he is important because now as an mp he will be the chair of the judicial committee. he referred to the green party as child molesters and cocaine is. he has been suspended from his regional

parliament because of his outrageous behaviour. is it, do you think, why is to put him into a position such as committee chairman of the judiciary committee? it was not my decision, it was the decision of others, the elder council of the bundestag. they put him in that position. nobody disagreed, not even the left or the greens themselves, and a one disagreed, it was only at the initial meeting of that committee that it was disputed for whatever reasons. this is the first time it has happened in 60 years in german history, saying for me. for no reason at all we have seen former nazis in the 1950s had those parties, we have seen the former communist in the 1990s. nobody was ever disputed and some people who got a phuc alls in regional parliaments and me, who did nothing at all basically, were disputed just

because we were afd members. this is the treatment the afd is receiving all the time. let you put it this way, do you accept that the party is going to have to change and part of that change is going to be a different style, tone and language and maybe some members of the party who were seniorfigures and maybe some members of the party who were senior figures in the past will not be in the future? yes, i will not be in the future? yes, i will agree there. that is normal with every party. we have had the come professional but ultimately you have to understand that the tone and the brutality is only a reaction from outside against the brutality of the ruling class. all the time, it is us who give people who are really furious about developments in europe and german elite —— germany, a voice. especially if you are not ina a voice. especially if you are not in a parliamentary position, which we had been up to 201a, that you have to use a little stronger

language, all opposition parties have done that in the past. yes, but you can't excuse some of the things said by figures in your party. you can't excuse some of the things said by figures in your partylj don't want to excuse everything. let's talk of substance. that stalk about immigration and integration policy in germany today and let me quote you the words of a very senior figure in your party. who got into an argument very recently with the german commissioner for integration, who has turkish ethnic roots. she had said in a newspaper article that a specifically german culture beyond the language is not identifiable. to which he said, this is what a german turk says, let's invite her to a sheued turk says, let's invite her to a shelled and tell her specifically what german culture is and afterwards she will never come back and we will be able to dispose of her in anatolia. probably need is a

german would have two explain what he means because i don't understand. in the translation i get the tone and sense of what he is trying to say. is that except double? to dispose of her? i don't even know of the word, is it acceptable that the woman who is aware of that that the integration of the government is not deceive or recognise any german culture. how can you integrate into something which does not exist? that is but she started out with and this is but she started out with and this isa is but she started out with and this is a perfect example that our reaction isjust, i would say, adequate. she is from hamburg and fully german. of this issue doesn't feel like it! —— obviously. fully german. of this issue doesn't feel like it! -- obviously. as a citizen, she has a right to an opinion. the integration willjudge her on her time in office. your leader is basically saying that they

will dispose of her in anatolia. a seniorfigure of actu will dispose of her in anatolia. a senior figure of actu said that this language... they do not need to get rid of her somehow. senior figures on the conservative right said that the language is disgusting and dehumanising. why would you say that too? i would say the policy of the coalition government by including him, is discussed double and has been discussed double four decades now and we are reacting and giving those who are disgusted voice. now and we are reacting and giving those who are disgusted voicelj wa nt to those who are disgusted voicelj want to talk about that. on the specifics of immigration policy, what we have seen today is that there is a significant number of people coming into germany on those immigration flows from the east. the numbers were extraordinary, we know that many more than 1 million came in that period after 2015 but in the last year the figures suggest 187,000 came in compare to 280,020

16, far down from the peak in 2015. so it does appear that the policies adopted by angela merkel‘s government in the last year or two have very much reduced the inflow, would you accept that? it is a relative comparison. comparing it to the levels of 2015, which were suicidal to any society. we had abandoned our borders at the time. imagine that. i am asking you that now in the current situation, where the government has changed policy and the numbers are down, what would you do that is different from the angela merkel government today? you do that is different from the angela merkel government today7m you don't interrupt me, i can finalise my sentence. she invited everybody in september two, 2015 are basically officially saying we are abandoning our borders, our police, the head of the german police wanted that order in writing. it was an

executive order, no law was changed. but officially abandoning our order and the word spread in africa and arabia. we would stop that, stop that invitation. now it has not stopped, absolutely, the official number that the government itself admits to is 220,000, not counting families of those refugees. we are talking about more than 500,000 people, illegal immigrants still. this is the current number. whatever numbers you have are not right and angela merkel has not stopped it. that is why her polls are falling dramatically. what do you do? you and schengen, the three movement on people within the eu and do you also put up walls? i am not clear what the afd would do. we would not have to do that. we were stopped at invitation officially and seriously

and ring back, even by force, a view of those illegal immigrants and even if you only dealt with a couple thousand seriously that word would also spread into africa and arabia and that mass influx would stop immediately. to what extent is this about muslims in particular? i notice you have a policy to ban foreign funding in mosques in germany, to ban the burke, the full—bodied veil. we are not the only ones. and the muslims call to prayer, put imams through vigorous state betting. this petty say that many muslim germans, this deal is like some sort of war and their religion? you could argue who started that war as well. but yes, i would say, statistically, 85% of that immigration is muslims and it is mainly sunni muslims, you could

say it is also an islamic problem in our point of view. but it is not only that. abandoning its borders would even be wrong if only scandinavians came and headed up into germany. it is always a case, a lwa ys into germany. it is always a case, always a problem. and so, well, what you have just elaborated always a problem. and so, well, what you havejust elaborated or always a problem. and so, well, what you have just elaborated or numbered is not totally true. we except the legal right to private confession of religious freedom, if you want, article format of our constitution. we a cce pted article format of our constitution. we accepted that it is disputes that the muslims have a right to pray in private and public but the right to put sharia law of a sickly or law and that is what many muslims are fortu nately a re and that is what many muslims are fortunately are doing, especially muslims groups. you have a background in economics and business. are you comfortable that these days the afd seems to

find its strongest support and, indeed, it is made in raison d'etre in anti—immigration policies rather than the more technocratic anti— eurozone stands that actually the party began with? nobody can really say why people vote for us. at least 50% of the voters still vote for the anti— euro reasons i stand for. 50% of the voters still vote for the anti- euro reasons i stand for. that is what i find interesting whether you are comfortable... islam and especially the islam of the strong religious people, muslims, is antiliberal, it is against women's rights and liberal rights. it is a fight forfreedom, rights and liberal rights. it is a fight for freedom, actually. rights and liberal rights. it is a fight forfreedom, actually. it rights and liberal rights. it is a fight for freedom, actually. it does

not contradict in any way our fight for freedom that we have against the euro rest you and the eu in total. you cannot sift this around and say that this is a minor group of our electorate and, well... whatever you call them, nationalists or patriot are the majority of our voters. you now have an important position in the german parliament. you chaired the german parliament. you chaired the committee on the budget. that gives you real power and influence. how will you use it? it is the moderator ‘s role, a symbolic role if you will. committee where i only represent a minority. i will be at over voted frequently. you are the chair. you can shape the agenda and have influence. it comes back to my

original question about how the actor max sees itself today in a fluid or the cool situation. will you push hard on issues such as the future eurozone bailouts and the ambition that germany and france appear to have to go into a much deeper fiscal integration. will you do your utmost to block that?” would love to. but the bulk of money that was taken into the hands of the european union to permanently rescue the euro, every day, that does not appear on the euro, every day, that does not appearon our the euro, every day, that does not appear on our budget. it is not on the official german budget because it is money coming from the european central bank. the german government especially but it is not automatically part of my budget. were talking sums that exceed these huge budget, more than 20 billion a year and it does not even appear. this is one of the scandals of this budget because the money comes from europe. it is european tax money

from european citizens, especially german ones. i understand that the afd really does not like away the eurozone works and wishes that the deutschmark could be rest restored to germany. would you go further? would you want germany to leave the eu? do you look at brexit and think that that is something that we want and need in germany as well?” that that is something that we want and need in germany as well? i am sympathetic towards the british who voted for brexit. however, the world did not go under in britainjust because you left or are about to leave. so those prophecies that the world would end if britain left did not come true. having said that,... yes. do you think the german public has there been —— has any interest in leaving the eu? they would if

they knew how much money had been spent on the euro rescue. but whether afd existed or not, the euro would have a natural end of life. it is an unnatural currency and one that has to be rescued every day is no currency. it is a contradiction in terms. it is a crash that will happen, it will happen in any case and if we wait too along with that decision then the euro can really become a question of war and peace. i saw some opinion polls that showed the eu and the afd, having won just short of 13% in the last election, now stand at 15% in the latest national polls. do you see yourself in the long—term becoming sup, somehow becoming partners of a post— merkel conservative party in germany or do you see yourselves replacing that coalition? that is a question

that coalition? that is a question thatis that coalition? that is a question that is being heavily discussed in our party. today, no—one wants to be ina our party. today, no—one wants to be in a coalition with us and we do not wa nt to in a coalition with us and we do not want to be in a coalition because they follow that supra— nationalistic agenda which we do not accept. we follow a planned central economic policy, which we do not accept. today we cannot do a coalition. things do change and i think they will change quickly. afd works today from the opposition lines into the government lines and if the leading class of those parties is being replaced then it will happen quickly. then maybe we have a different situation. these parties will have to become, will have to accept the very idea of the nationstate again, which they have abandoned. good election results are

only the result of us sticking to that idea. ultimately, and we should not forget this, your party scored 12.6% in the last election. i am telling you that your poll standing now may be as high as 15% but that isa now may be as high as 15% but that is a very long way from becoming the biggest party in germany. if you are to do that all really gather political momentum, it seems to me that you may have to consider changing some of your core messages and your style and your tone, particularly on issues concerning immigration, the german was on community and reaching out in a way that you have refused and failed to do thus far to show that you are not a racist party. how will you do that? i do not recognise your analysis did it we are not racist. that is ridiculous and a false allegation. we are not racist. islam is not a race. so being critics of

islam does not make you a racist. that is ridiculous. we have nothing against foreigners, not at all but we have something against illegal people in our country who have no reason whatsoever. this is true in a strict legal sense for 98% of those who've come since 2015. we need to change a little bit and we need to change a little bit and we need to change the tone. we need to be more professional but compared to 2013 when we were, in your words, a not so radical party, we have even gained, while the major parties have lost 20% in just four years. if you repeat that in another four years than we have a majority. we will see what happens then. you really think your party are the future of germany? i am not predicting that but that is what we are looking for. thank you very much for being an hardtalk. good morning.

it looks like the weather pattern and weather type will change significantly over the week ahead. the past few weeks we have had fast—moving weather, a strong jetstream propagating across the atlantic with fluctuations between sunshine and it's noted that everything slows down over the next few days, the jet stream will weaken and change position and get more undulations. and it is under one of those

that we induce this area of high pressure to build in the middle of next week. something we've not had much of in the past few weeks. not much sunshine around on sunday. we have some to the lee of high ground across parts of wales and the south—eastern. anglia got sunshine as well as north—east scotland though for many of us, cloud rolled in and lot of cloud at the moment so no frost. two weather fronts on the scene as well, the first one bringing most of the current rain and drizzle. in between the two we have a pocket of mild air. get sunshine in the west this time that will boost the temperature. a change of fortune on monday. eastern scotland and eastern england are drab and dreary with a lot of cloud, rain and drizzle. dry and bright with a little sunshine especially in coastal areas and in northern ireland. ahead of the second band of rain that arrives later in the day. get some sunshine, 13 degrees in the east under and rain, only 7—9. those two bands of rain joined forces to bring rain for england on tuesday, probably from humber southwards. heavy for a while, easing off in the afternoon but a strong wind will push cloud through the midlands towards the west country.

further west and north in particular the air will be drier with more sunshine around and decent temperatures. overnight clear skies, light winds and the temperatures will fall away. the rain peters out towards the south—east. we will have some cloud at times across southern areas but elsewhere we will be back in the blue with frost in rural parts — the first of a few frosty nights to come. a cold start on wednesday but brightening up with nice sunshine around for many. more in the way of cloud through the day at times, wales, the midlands and southern england with sunny skies further north. by this stage the wind are light everywhere and you get some sunshine it will not feel too bad, but this temperatures will be around 7—8 degrees or so. some weather system threatened the coming from the north—west and bring back the sort of weather that we have been seen but they will be held at bay by the blocking area of high pressure so thursday and friday will still be drier. temperatures reaching perhaps 13 degrees at the beginning of the week and that mild start will turn chilly, particularly at night

but it is becoming dry. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is nkem ifejika — our top stories: marching for their lives — survivors of the florida school shooting say they'll take their gun control campaign to washington. israel and iran trade insults — and threats — in a showdown at the munich security conference. a new russian doping scandal as an athlete at the winter olympics is suspected of failing a test. and the winner is... the stars are out for the annual bafta awards. we will have the winners and those who missed out, later on.