one of the biggest topics in germany right now is the election so we're taking a close look at democracy and just how fragile it can be. imagine you're a law abiding citizen of legal age who lives in a country that proudly boast of its commitment to democracy yet you're not allowed to vote that is the case for julian peters a twenty year old man from the northwest of germany he is one of over eighty thousand people denied this basic right because they are disabled while many other european countries have lifted traditional restrictions julian and his family wonder why germany has failed to do so. pater's is taking

a close look at the candidate's campaign posters he takes an active interest in politics and the upcoming election so who's that. and what do you think of him. better now. he's wearing a dress shirt with two and. twenty nine year old julian also has opinions on the candidate's platforms but because he has down's syndrome and his parents have power of attorney he's not allowed to vote. union takes issue with that and he doesn't mind talking about it with those who have influence. that he's with the city you. how do you feel about the fact that you can't vote it's not ok union and his father have invited over to tell him that they think it's

not fair that union is denied the right to vote she is campaigning for reelection in unions constituency. it's kind of i don't understand it but people with disabilities are a minority and they can't defend themselves so that's how they get treated. pater's is not willing to accept the situation just because he needs support with certain aspects of life it doesn't mean he can't vote he argues the right to vote is in trying to the german constitution after all but legal barriers prevent people like union from taking part in elections. until recently we were hoping that with a bit of goodwill there would be a majority support for reform of voting rights but in the end there wasn't enough support for. the ruling coalition was unable to agree some believe that people with disabilities are too easily influenced and are not able to properly research the issues at stake to unions father this is sheer prejudice in for me he does the

research he never misses the eight o'clock news he always reminds us when it's about to start and says he wants to watch. he also has other ways of staying on top of the news he loves political satire for example he really loves certain t.v. shows. i'm not sure if you understand that or all but that's not really any of my business. the unions exclusion from the vote is a breach of international law and the un convention on the rights of people with disabilities. it guarantees their participation in political life union feels this is exactly what he's denied. he wants politicians across the spectrum to make this issue part of their platforms. i'm not allowed to vote do you know that. i think we're lagging behind with this issue because for too many years politicians

have failed to make it a priority but that doesn't mean it's too late to do what we can to ensure people like you really are allowed to vote as you do a number of families including the pater's have taken their case to the constitutional court they feel it's a sad reflection on german democracy that the court has to make a decision on a matter that politicians should have addressed. the german government has pledged to look into improving the law before and so far those promises have turned up empty citizens are also fighting for democracy in poland activists concerned about what they view as an erosion of crucial checks and balances in the country have decided to camp out on parliament's doorstep and protest literally since coming to power critics say the conservative law and

justice party has sought to undermine been years of democratic progress in the land widely considered a post soviet success story a small group of protesters are holding vigils in a caravan right in the middle of warsaw. oh yes of a new early in the morning on the rise is the children he sees of prime minister b. artist should walk. on the left is a caravan. its occupant. is just getting up as usual she starts the day feeding the birds. lives in a small caravan as a form of protest she is here to keep watch over democracy. it's physically demanding but someone has to do it it's my duty i have to do it if i

don't who will. i also expect others to take action it is with a political conscience. it's definition is it skis turn to take over the caravan is always occupied the campaign is a protesting the right wing government's refusal to recognize the legitimacy of constitutional court rulings when the court rejected a traditional reform pushed through by the ruling the law and justice party for example prime minister should was simply fail to publish the ruling. just said i'm not going to accept the destruction of democracy in this country. what's going on is unbelievable two years ago i wouldn't have thought it was possible. but not everyone supports the protesters caravan campaign.

where harassed sometimes cyclists spit at us when they ride by it happens. but there are a minority some people honk their horns most people just don't react at all. they're horrified by what's happening in poland public media has become staunchly pro-government did you dish really has been weakened with checks and balances in jeopardy. if things continue like this polish democracy won't survive. but constantly protesting takes its toll. could go home but it doesn't until recently she was a housewife looking after her daughter. now she's a political activist with a mission her life's changed completely. i'm no longer is timid as i once was i used to be reserved now i'm surprised by how is search of i've become. just. every day at noon the protesters perform the same

ritual muster quotes the law the message constitutional court rulings must be published. part of the ritual is to keep track of the number of days that this law has been ignored by prime minister b. artist should watch. for and. look at this and then they hand out copies of the constitution but it soon becomes clear that the issues surrounding the constitution and the constitutional court is complicated too complicated for some. not all poles see the problem of their judiciary losing its independence so sometimes protesting can be a lonely business. many are what you could call politically opportunistic they all have their own lives their own families that's what they value most so

that's understandable but short sighted we want people to look to the future. the practice does put some effort into making their caravan cozier now it's like a home away from home. we've got used to it we already spent a spring summer autumn and winter here now we're into the second year we've weathered all seasons so we know we can do is. sit up. at the outset they voted to keep protesting until the constitutional court rulings are published back then they had to expect that their campaign caravan would become a permanent fixture. corn and in a province in the north of the netherlands is home to one of europe's leaches natural gas fields the gas from the region brings in billions for the country but not without a cost thousands of residents say their homes have been damaged by earthquakes

brought on by the extraction of natural gas from shell rocks deep below the surface they wonder how could such a beautiful area and such a wealthy country be allowed to fall into ruin. grew up here in the area around haunting and close to the german border. setting off on a boat and enjoying nature from the water is something he never tires out. late this is my life we were all born on the water and lifeboats my father was a fisherman it's like heaven on earth. that killed my fifty. but the area is no longer as a delay kens it once was once a dream it's becoming a nightmare since two thousand and twelve explains there have been regular earthquakes there brought on by natural gas production in the region. that houses

damaged that one is damaged all the houses here. you know that i gave that. has been living in an apartment for two years now his own house is surrounded by a fence these days. you can't really see the problem from the outside but let's go in then you'll see what's happened. the problems are on this side it's really bad over here. next used to be my bedroom . the baseball is already separated from the outside. and on this side the wall is come away from this one. so the next time there's a quite the ceiling will probably come down and then this wall could fall in what. the natural gas company offered him just eight thousand euros compensation. for repairing the damage would probably be closer to

a quarter million that's what it would take for him bags house to be safe enough to live in what infuriates him most is that no one is taking action. if you are not used to the natural gas producer is incredibly rich they have huge legal departments that try to draw everything out as long as possible. i always say they hang you on a little stick and wait for you to give up. that's how they do it that's my impression and even that is always you get into. the objectivity is i or is a company called numb a joint venture of the dutch state in the shell and exxon or lend gas multinationals spokesman explains that natural gas has been extracted years since one nine hundred sixty now the ground is giving way. over the years the gas has brought in three hundred billion euros in revenues but none of that money was put in reserve for potential damages. but will call for help we're going to get gas

field has made the dutch state a lot of money over many decades the money went into state coffers but now it's been spent on infrastructure public expenditures and the like so it's been used to do a lot of good things for the people of the netherlands and on their side of course we do know from a lot about good things for the netherlands but horning un is left with a mass of problems. once beautiful houses have become uninhabitable. margaret cochrane their family now live in this container furnished by the natural gas company they've had to trade their country estate for temporary quarters margaret is furious that her children how to grow up like this and constantly worries that something even worse could happen. here what if he goes on night and day you wake up at night because you hear a bang and the bed stunts to quaver. or during the day you're in the kitchen you hear a noise and everything starts to shake. the house

has been around or family for six generations now it would take over a million euros to restore it about one hundred thousand houses in the region or suffer damage and nobody wants to buy. and have lost until twenty fifteen this seller was always dry but now water is coming back in sometimes it's though she took forty centimeters deep and everything's covered in mold. there seems to be no solution for the problems beneath the ground and honing in. but yellin just paid to fund a hobby is helping people receive compensation more quickly sometimes he has to call in a power shovel to be able to determine exactly what caused the ground to change there's evidence to be used in court is to go in some spots like here and a bit farther on the ground water was up this high. and that wrecks the

houses especially after the bigger earthquakes the earth resettle so much that groundwater is pushed to the surface in some places. yes extraction has been scaled back but the dutch authorities don't want to stop it entirely. it's just so our bag his friends family and neighbors have no choice but to accept the situation. when they don't move face we don't really enjoy the money the natural gas brought in we were doing very well it was in the billions but we squandered it without considering problems we might have later. today the estimated damage is twenty to twenty four billion euros so far but we no longer have the money to cover it. but have that this is a comedy do. for here just from back the most frustrating part of all is that a prosperous country like the netherlands could behave so carelessly leaving many

of its citizens to live with ruins. imagine a russian military maneuvers regularly taking place right outside your door that's what people in the small villages along belarus as western border must contend with and much to their dismay. people from the neighboring baltics and poland are worried that these exercises some of the biggest since the cold war may prove to be just a warmup for an invasion and that these war games could become real. and ambush on a country road it may look real but it is and it's part of a russian scenario where western sponsored separatists infiltrate neighboring bellows. it's part of the zappa twenty seventeen strategic military exercises being held in the west of bellows. do you.

normally this is a tranquil area for one week it's all queue by by foreign troops russian forces here conducting world games in conjunction with fellow russian troops. the border with nation and a poland is just a few kilometers away there the exercise is only exacerbated fears that it could become a reality. nearly everyone in the belorussian border region has polish roots and he is to the catholic faith many here also worried that the joint exercises with the russians could be a pro you two war among them is elaine she and her husband recently bought a house here close to the border. they have measures up here. i'm against troops on a territory. that i think. why does russia have to hold its exercises right here

in the us and our western border. just intended to intimidate us. elaina's neighbors friends one criticize russia he has only good things to say about the maneuvers. region others that we have to defend our homes nato is very close here of course we have to conduct these exercises. i'm for it. but for you as a fino the troops bring back traumatic memories of the second world war even if they're only exercising. i don't want it i'm against it. also against it hundreds of critics of the belorussian government they've taken their protests to the streets of the capital means they want no russian military presence here belarus had taken a few steps toward opening to the west now they see this as

a giant step backwards. which is the world. where not protesting against russia here. nor against the russians. we have protesting against our government. it's irresponsible policies and dragging us into a military conflict and in danger in our future. is going up. the russian defense ministry disagrees saying zoppot twenty seventeen is an exercise by two allies in the interests of the security of both countries. the exercise is absolutely peaceful and it's defensive in nature and we're not planning any intrusion into neighboring countries. experts take a different view the current war games remind many of russia's last major exercises in twenty fourteen on the frontier with ukraine they ended with russia's

unrecognised an extension of crimea. with your. view of the crisis in ukraine began in february three years ago. back then russia stationed its troops on the ukrainian border under the pretext of military exercises. bearing this president in mind you can understand the anxiety felt by the neighboring countries that history could repeat itself. in twenty fourteen hardly anyone thought it was possible for russia to annex crimea against international. law now russia's western neighbors have cause to ari see is a war a growing especially when tanks roll up and soldiers practise close combat. as a phina and her neighbors on the polish border a watching and waiting for the troops to withdraw and hoping the war games never

again turn into real rule. did you know that the french fry is in fact not french but rather belgian in origin belgian fried doesn't quite roll off the tongue in the same way but they are delicious one reason for this is the country's unique double fry method rendering the spuds crispy on the outside and soft on the inside but this beloved dish is now being threatened by european union laws on food the rest of europe often complains about bureaucracy coming out of brussels but now it seems bitterness is being tasted closer to home this summer brussels was the size of an unusually delectable political drama at its center belgian free unlike some of the tasty treats made elsewhere kids are lovingly based in lots of oil price will go up the

first you've got a deep fryer poached the chips and. that ensures they stay soft inside and they're fried again to a lovely golden color the amount of time depends on the type of potato on it's sugar and starch contact you need a knife or that it's a skill. food for something you can sense when there are dozens. more yes in belgium we can tell when they're ready. so understandably belgian fry aficionados weren't pleased when the e.u. commission proposed new guidelines on how the snack should be prepared and to add insult to injury the report called them french fries rather than freeze pages of recommendations regarding crispness sugar content and ph value. a change in process and procedure actually began in the early one nine hundred seventy s. when a german fry many factory used

a machine to cut of the potatoes which would then be launched that is briefly plunged into boiling water the result the chips absorbed less oil but they also tasted a little bland out official flavoring took care of that problem but that's another story. and then in two thousand and two a cruel mind was discovered in food believed to be carcinogenic it forms in the frying process when certain foods are heated to a temperature greater than one hundred twenty degrees celsius. but belgians know what they're doing and don't need any you regulations quoting to flemish tourism minister ben bates in a letter to the european commissioner writes complains of exaggerated health consciousness he thinks it's inappropriate to ban a calorie tradition. he wants to preserve pumphrey to culture. his letter prompted headlines around the world and soon enough german then brits.

and even australians turned their attention to the endangered chip. excitement and outrage died down the e.u. commission started to backpedal. the european commission does not intend i stress does not intend to ban belgian free or any other fries. and it can't hurt that the belgian national dish has at least one high powered european politician on its side angela merkel annoyed by breaks the talks shook off some of her frustration at a nearby fried course in brussels a while back. who got her tasty to eat at one it's currently being expanded but customers can still get a fix from a nearby food truck in the interim made just the way they like them and so belgians

can continue to enjoy their favorite snack browned but not burnt although there's now just a slight after taste brought about by the e.u. trying to make their lives miserable. if you ever get a chance to taste a belgian fried preferably covered in manet's no other version will ever come close again that's it for today thank you for watching see you next time.

paul paul. paul. is firing.

stories followed across social media sharing commons and content. germany decides what is your take on the whole position regarding climate change. ask w. your questions about germany. and america they were. write to us on facebook we'll answer your questions. gemini

besides the candidates. d.w. xena's pool and just up to current have interviewed almost all the front runners in germany for upcoming parliamentary elections. and now look at four thirty in. the now. cast a german inside. the candidates september twenty first on. cash tag germany decides the day of decision is near equal coastie one germany. would want to bring a strong team to the campaign team but if the we in the f.t.p. have new concepts anyway sions is a virtue and my friends this will be a difficult election by we are ready to take responsibility and to help shape in this country. we have more than enough parties participating in a competent government but not the left party germany can do better. polls in

germany open on september twenty fourth. what do germans want for their country. what do the different parties stand for. and which party will come out on top. d w your expert on germany's bundestag election two thousand and seventeen. germany decides german bundestag election two thousand and seventeen on d w. rescue efforts are continuing after a powerful earthquake in central mexico that has killed over two hundred twenty people emergency workers and volunteers have been searching through rubble for.