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in. the white cliffs of dover to symbolize britain a model of democracy discretion and elegant restraint. but also a nation consistently skeptical about europe and there could be no john that this is indeed a zombie judgment even suppose every new idea of the tale is that i don't risk another jail. are you doing i know you are not sure if you're in the playground you are legislators rex it means brett's that we are going to make a successful bit of controversy over europe has a long tradition in britain. cut it.

sometimes britain gives europe the cold shoulder at other times it wants to belong and now britain wants to leave the european union why is britain so different. on the morning of june twenty fourth twenty sixteen many people in britain were still incredulous a day earlier the country voted by a very narrow majority to leave the european union and jog the day after the vote on the twenty fourth just imagine what the most frequently asked question on google was what did britons google most on june twenty fourth i'll tell you who is the e.u. is. the agitation grew from month to month desperately want to completely turn its

back on the continent this is talk less and in the end this is just a continuation of british schizophrenia about europe because britain will remain in europe with where else otherwise. the nation is facing one of the greatest crises in its history. you can look at this being a true. as being something which is a very difficult pain to feel it's even a true if you're on the winning side what do you do know you know you've won. was the referendum a way for some people to vent their frustration because they long felt that they had been abandoned by their politicians. among those that don't know what i mean it's allowed them to let everything out yes a bit like you would do in psychotherapy to say you think everything isn't so great that you're not getting what you believe you've earned over expected for yourself

and the next generation you know that life has simply become more difficult the result comes from this mix of reasons and motives you call those like humans have for. there are plenty of clichés about the british. their independence is sacrosanct here over the course of their history the question has arisen again and again do we belong to europe or not. they're all belongs interesting to us that doesn't belong to europe so well of course not like. britain is a european country through and through. it's part of the whole history of europe

it's deep europe is deeply proud to our history and we are part of the history of the euro of europe. spiders it's balls of course it's part of europe just look at the geography but it's also a neighbor because it's. offshore as they say it's an island it's not part of the continental us. in some places england southern coast is only about forty kilometers away from the continent. on clear days you can see the french coast. for centuries taking a boat was the only way to get there. people see the channel as both a link and a boundary.

during world war two what came over the channel from the continent was by no means good. during the battle of britain in one nine hundred forty german air raids killed more than forty two thousand people in britain. by nine hundred forty five the european continent had been reduced to rubble. hard to imagine that enemies could ever become friends again. by the wars and many british cities were heavily destroyed above all london yet britain still had a functioning administration and a confident government. to offer it. economically they were ruined but they remain a proud nation unlike their european neighbors therefore england differed from the european nations and that it still felt well in its own national skin while we here in europe were very uncomfortable in our own national skins that's why we started

to think of europe and europe merging into one. man will be proud to say i am an european. it was surprising that after the war the former british prime minister winston churchill called for a united europe as a major project for peace and englishmen of all people. yes yes and what an englishman i mean winston churchill who like many of his generation also fought like a european it did indeed in one thousand nine hundred forty eight he addressed the peoples of europe from the hague me in the model. that he encouraged them down essentially what he said in principle was i'll tell you something very exciting and at the center of my idea for europe must be a reconciliation between france and germany and if there's a chance to get this devastated europe which is nearly destroyed itself in two wars

back on its feet well that's in britain's very own interest just not another war for god's sake. you are can only be united. by the help we all part come you for i'm vietnam and the. time def right hundreds and even then lend these fun guns and how it's invention and some i'll still put it god knows you leave me there no matter where they. go. i do things must not have to resign but you must say that churchill was somewhat unclear about the details of britain belonging to this european union. but i. think. when the idea became reality britain looked on politely from the sidelines france and germany pushed for the establishment of the european coal and steel community in which six european countries would cooperate in producing these commodities a member of the decision after centuries of national rivalry the people of europe

finally reached out to one another oh oh. our greatest task now is that europe must be created. german chancellor comment on an hour was one of the first to recognize the significance britain could have for european unity. god is all about back then he found this wonderful word he said he would like to see britain play a role in europe and then listen to the rest of the quote so that we won't be on our own with a more or less hysterical french. that was out in our in the autumn of fifty three no politician in europe would dare to speak so openly today. in march one thousand nine hundred fifty seven the people of europe were looking to rome the six representatives from germany france italy belgium luxembourg and the

netherlands met there to found the european economic community e.c. the predecessor of today's new it was the moment european political unity was born . britain was noticeably disinterested it didn't even send press representatives to the preparatory conference. the dream of a united europe seemed tangibly close and the british simply stood aside and watched events unfold. britain behaved very stupidly in the one nine hundred fifty s. . back then we had the chance to take on leadership of a european community a european union. i know there were many continental europeans who wanted just that that's what britain was asked. and britain declined saying no no we're still a world power well. this is the end of life during the fifty's

a slight condescension could be heard in british statements the arrogance of the old empire. therefore they kept their distance times churchill's speech got up and running then they said yes be friendly to the europeans but try to end the involvement of. god. oh. europe is too small for britain even today starting in the seventeenth century the nation spread its influence all around the globe to become the greatest colonial power in history. even today the queen is still the head of sixteen states from australia to new zealand. i think you've got to be very careful the british tend to be very nostalgic when they consider their own country and that's a danger because sometimes they nostalgic for something doesn't exist.

it. is usually pretty easy it's a friend it says. it's as if we still have an empire and that's part of the english mentality to a colonial mentality. we actually want to rule and conquer those who don't accept invitations. in the one nine hundred sixty s. britain was the source of a cultural revolution had its poppy was a conquered the european continent and the world feels. no other country in europe was as exciting as britain whether because of its real new ideas park or key traditions. is that something we admired about england they give the world inventions that the whole world the global village is crazy about metal from us and. britain was good

for a few political surprises during this period as well. the economies of the continent six e.c. countries were growing but britain this wasn't suddenly the british were showing interest in becoming a member and applied to join in one thousand nine hundred sixty one. a decade of tug of war began between britain and the continent. prime minister harold macmillan even went to france to visit president charles to go and campaign for membership. for weeks later to go answered at a press conference. police in order to live on if. britain is an island it is maritime with its nature structure and economic situation different fundamentally from those of the countries located on the continent live in these conditions are undoubtedly incompatible with the system

that the six countries have developed. among themselves. you know it you'll know born them. since the norman conquest in the eleventh century the peoples of britain and france have had a difficult relationship with each other. because no confront for many british the widespread cliche of french arrogance. yet at the same time they view france as the land of pleasure and fine cooking. the business knife as it were a bit envious of the french media how they look how they live the flesh that they have in their lives. in laden. like the french but a man would never have an evening leave his lady alone with

a frenchman a bottle of wine. we don't trust the difficulty. because the tell put an end to britain's joining because in the e.c. all decisions had to be made unanimously a few days later prime minister macmillan appeared in front of the cameras in london. what i have wondered brussels yesterday was bad bad for us bad for your book bad for the whole free world a great opportunity had been missed mcmillian saddle britain asked again to join in one thousand nine hundred sixty seven again france answered no but the british stubbornly refused to give up and began looking for allies in europe that would support their application for membership of the e.c. . the british foreign secretary even went to bonn to ask for help.

the germans still favored having the british on board. there's a famous passage in villepin hans memoirs britain's foreign secretary at the time george brown comes to him and says really you've got to let us send so that we can take over the leadership. that's just wonderful. we're back so to speak with the british attitude either a leadership role or not at all or the recent enough. the political mood in europe changed during the one nine hundred seventy s. to go ahead step down that put an end to the french resistance against british entry to the e.c. . accepting britain into the european community became conceivable and was the number one topic of conversation everywhere it was a good deal spiritually thrones or not finished higher than it's just not make

money here that's one smidgeon lot on the continent and stuff that's on top of them in quite a serious way it just needs officious and i think i know in suits who signed on and learn from the salon so i can i will post a few that he got as a line more important than merely them but i'm children. and i take up as host. to better housewives i don't want to go and thank you for that. one of the main arguments against joining was a fear of rising prices until then the british could import cheap food from former colonies after joining the e.c. they would have to buy more expensive products from europe. the european community in this case was not seen as a political alliance but solely as a common market. is just from but it's already telling that the british would speak of the common market back then. i think you did mainly as an economic union.

and that is what it was thus far as all the bits of the economic question was always at the root of the european question does it benefit us or hurt us well everything gets cheaper or will it become more costly of its oil. and it. is official membership negotiations began in the summer of one nine hundred seventy . s. . the british were already sparking tensions even before they joined they want to membership but were demanding special rights but the europeans didn't soften yes to membership no to special exceptions to negotiations went on for two and a half years. meanwhile in britain the economy was struggling continual strikes had power lies the country.

the government was hoping that membership would revive the economy but many people remain skeptical. in january nine hundred seventy two the accords were ready for signing in brussels. but the sound money got off to an inauspicious start prime minister edward heath was splattered with nk this was immediately viewed as a protest against british succession later it emerged that the culprit was a german with an alleged personal grudge against heath's government. yet for many the incident was nevertheless seen as a bad omen for british membership in the e.c. . these review also. after an hour's delay

edward heath finally signed the treaty of accession in brussels. more than a decade had gone by since britain first asked to join. pretty early on to its economy towards the continent. and the british brought new accents to the community it was the start of an exciting partnership. first there was the question of official languages english began to prevail over french. aren't they came on very confidently as an important partner. and they view their own role in a completely self assured way there's never been a problem but naturally you could still sense the distance in that they actually never really felt at home in europe. and europe had to get used to the. behavior of the new partner.

the british were wary from the outset. it would happen in this country to join the european union was that it was seen as a necessary thing to do because of the klein because europe was succeeding economically and the americans were pushing for it it wasn't seen as an expression of. a positive growth it was seen as. something we had to do. with and this feeling that its european community was fundamentally designed by different architects by the french and germans and belgians and italians and that it isn't really our house. the all over europe and also took place in all the major parties in parliament so the government. in one nine hundred seventy five decided just two years after britain

joined to hold a referendum on the machine. they introduced this referendum because many voices were still saying this relationship this marriage with europe that cannot be our mission our destiny. so we want to put it to the people one more time and sign this law in full for the. supporters and opponents began to campaign. i will go if you're also short explanation why you want to be got out of it by somebody and often go to times and i just want to just sort of. get. definite only think. first of them getting their minds on one marked annoyance and not the right seem to have to buy that he gave doesn't. mean right

now thirty cent rise to show you how i think we've got a vendor here which wants all along of the incident. to be about to begin tonight game so i'm never gonna. get your shot because this was known to us who does london benita in line with. the first referendum in britain's history and produced a surprisingly clear result more than sixty seven percent voted in favor of staying in the european community. a few hours later the prime minister at the time harold wilson gave a press conference outside ten downing street. the british people in literature for a cut class on thought resigning his fate. the old patient of mine shaft of the european community. in britain would give me the british were never honestly told what was actually behind the e.c.

namely an increasingly closer union of a political kind that was never said because all the prime ministers knew very well why if we told our people the truth that this was about more than free trade and improved economic relations and let's say polemically was a super state then they never would have said yes in the one nine hundred seventy five referendum. yes we want to stay they always kick that down the road and it came back to haunt them later. losing sovereignty and being bullied by general are deep seated fears of the british nation. into call he's a fraud is that the question what is our parliament worth what influence my faint do i actually have as a voter if the parliament says something from the e.u. can come along and say no. in the european community britain is just one country among many

a fact reflected in the anonymous facades in brussels. and europe and brussels they're subtenants but no on the island they're masters of their own house. margaret thatcher became prime minister in may one nine hundred seventy nine and. the first woman head of government in europe was to put european government representatives to the test again and again. if i was making was an iron lady but when it was about europe. as an economic union then she was one hundred percent in favor of that and she wanted to further it. came when things got too political. that's where she drew the line itself. marched right in with her big handbag that was already a statement of how she made her entrance taught. the true one and discount on the

british financial contributions she argued that the country was paying in more than it was getting back from brussels in agricultural subsidies. we are not asking for the abandoned you can buy. the time can well live on and i thought. of us i can get. own money back. at some point in the night she even burst into tears and pulled out all the stops to make her point and she managed in the end she was really insistent annoying to be honest as i was are. you also a bit disappointed about mrs thatcher stubborn position. of course i'm disappointed when europe has to speak with one voice and we're putting on a measurable show i can't accept that. she wouldn't let it go much to the horror of our partners in europe in the end they

gave in because they couldn't stand her battle cry i want my money back anymore and i want my money back we need the money hundred skate. it's promised. she was an unrelenting woman surrounded by powerful men a new experience for european politicians like helmut cork office want to tell hong . kong strangely enough he's the socialist french president song. and the very conservative prime minister margaret thatcher got on very well. somehow they understood each other. some of it had a bit to do with the frenchmen and an english lady with helmut kohl it was just the opposite they didn't get on it all from the first time they met. they came from two different planets she couldn't stand this german one time on the

return flight from summit talks in bonn she said oh my god that man is so german. the british first tried to prevent german reunification too great was there fear of an all powerful germany that would come want to play a new role in the heart of europe. in germany we don't have the luxury of maintaining distance and the british observed germany right in the middle of the continent today we've got nine neighbors all of them friendly like the british would have nightmares if they had to bear having so many neighbors of scotland is already enough for the english and. an englishman is simply unable to relate to this romantic image of a united europe. finally in one thousand nine hundred there was a new hope for the europeans but john major didn't receive much support for his ideas in the british parliament. but made

major mark the start of a new generation who very early on made a famous speech in which he said we want to play a role in the heart of europe which we want to be at the heart of europe. but the joy wasn't to last major's conservative party forced him to negotiate opt out clause is in order to avoid fiscal burden sharing for joint decisions europe closed ranks politically while the british gradually began stepping back. yet there was an event during major's term in office that fundamentally changed britain's relationship to the continent. in may nine hundred ninety four the queen travelled by train to france through the new tunnel under the english channel. the rail journey from brussels to london was reduced to just over two and a half hours. isn't best wealth better expresses that would

you go along to your ip and building this tunnel together i mean these are told about. a giraffe trailing to france that was a shade too close for many in britain to. feel a lot of garlic from france infections from drinking too much red wine sick sexual behavior from god knows what else we were afraid of everything european appears. today more than ten million people travel by train through the tunnel annually it has brought britain and mainland europe closer together despite all kinds of resistance. but anyone who wants to board a train to the continent still has to show their passport. name while on the european mainland borders between most e.u.

countries were opened in march one thousand nine hundred five here passport checks became i think the past when the schengen treaty came into effect. they found a change in the city now the british didn't want to join in another project that was close to european hearts introducing the common currency the euro the british pound remained a symbol of the nation's independence. on may first two thousand for ten more. joined the european union. britain became one of the first countries to push to have its labor market opened for people from eastern europe on the european mainland they waited several more years to do that increased immigration stope british mistrust many saw the newcomers as unwelcome competitors for jobs and housing the politics on the titian has really had

a very hard time dealing adequately with this feeling and this unease to actually respond effectively. to that since the start of the new millennium the euro skeptic party you cap and its leader nigel for raj exploited these fears for maintained brussels influence is too great. a wayside enough's enough we actually want to govern our own country make our own rules control all right go . prime minister david cameron was feeling more and more pressure he wanted to stay in the e.u. and laid the european question to rest once and for all with a referendum memories of the first vote resurfaced. but the problem was the same one that harold wilson had already had he wanted to stay in power and reaffirm his position by putting the european question to the people for a vote for then you could demanded that as well and cameron saw himself forced to jump on board this moving train in order to limit the allure of ukip when.

once again the question was remain on leave for a second time the british were to vote on e.u. membership. the progress of campaigners intentionally targeted people's fears. they'd given to why all holders were even given away our class schools the european union it isn't that. the issue of immigration was ever. presents. the crucial thing to understand about immigration which played a big role in one sense as a fear factor in the referendum is that it represented a loss of faith and control. it was a slogan in referendum take back control and in that sense it was about sovereignty it was about democracy it was about how we are governed take back control. take

control. take back control my friends of our democracy. prime minister david cameron campaigned for preventable maine and the european union but he wanted profile on all saying we are stronger out west safe but we're better off if we stay . the government decided that he didn't want to say anything positive about the european union it didn't want to discuss what was good about freedom of movement how we're allowed us to go to european currencies it it it accepted the basic narrative of the euro skeptics. and then it said but we call and afford to leave so oddly enough the pro european government campaign also euro skeptic didn't have enough reasons to say why the e.u.

was so important the race was run get the skeptics already had the upper hand on. the atmosphere was so volatile that in the week before the referendum approach e.u. member of parliament joe cox was murdered by a radical e.u. opponent. three days later the campaign resumed. seventy two percent of those entitled to vote did sell nearly fifty two percent voted in favor of leaving. while forty eight percent wanted to remain in the e.u. the margin couldn't have been much closer. it. was a purely a protest vote why did scotland and northern ireland vote to remain. speculation about the reasons for the outcome began immediately one answer was social inequality. large areas of northern england were facing economic ruin.

london's immensely wealthy the west country the north very poor and people resented that and they felt well you know who are who do these people think they are that are running us and they blamed the english blame the european union for that gradually the question arose of what form bracks it would actually take nobody said to voters it's going to take many years it will be very complicated. nobody was realistic about it. for a long time there was a great deal of uncertainty about what bracks actually meant it wasn't until january twenty seventeen that the new prime minister theresa may set the course. not partial membership but the european union. membership of the european union or anything that leaves hockey in heart out we're not thick to hold on to membership

as we leave feeling negotiators open talks in brussels in june twenty seventeen one meeting followed the next again and again the british europeans were wrangles to reach agreement. that. intense debate continued back in britain as well in london more than half a million people turned out to call for a new referendum. the demonstrators spoke out against backset and the increasing ante for an atmosphere when their summit was over over a million relationships have broken up over bret's it families are breaking up over exit very deep growth the cloned ordinance you get at the beginning of a civil war very painful. then after a year and a half of tough to go she asians there seemed to be

a solution. theresa may and the e.u. agreed on a soft plan it guaranteed the rights of e.u. citizens in britain and british people living on the continent. perhaps the most important point was that it would establish a free trade area between britain and the e.u. for industrial and agricultural products. the british people don't want to spend any more time doing about it they want a good deal that fulfills the paved the isles has to come together again as a country. after that the sparks really began to fly hartline broke the tears accused her recently of paying too much heed to the voices of the remainer us who didn't want a hard exit from the e.u. she was as she had to get this camp on board whether she wanted to or not because after all she had belonged to it herself and she voted for remain in the referendum

remain. and she decided to stay inside the european space on the same time he's going to leave it. which is impossible so she got caught up with movies tensions. fears of crashing out without a deal grew. the authorities even simulated a traffic jam to determine the level of disruption breck's it could cause around the ports. people began to buy and hoard food and other supplies in fear of shortages in the shops. conmen you factures announced plans to move production abroad. and bankers and brokers in the city were worried about their deals. political showdown began in london. on it theresa may was fighting on several fronts against members of the opposition who are demanding stronger ties to the e.u.

and those calling for a hard bracks it from within the ranks of her own party. particularly failed to do so. is a lot of desperation. the border between ireland and northern ireland became a thorny issue because of britain leaves the e.u. it will become an external new border. the artist on the right she won and to the narrow. parliament voted down the exit agreement with the e.u. twice in the parliamentary vote after parliamentary vote followed against exit ing without a deal for a delay of or exit and a series of amendments. and from now on that was a sign of course and with it came the people's recognition that complete chaos was

raining in westminster. with means tonight as callous of. britain's confidence in their parliament. representatives has hit new depths these days but i'm so bored with the whole thing i don't read anything more about it. all for it's just gone on far too long we got into this mess because of the incompetence of our government over forty years of looking off themselves looking off the rich not looking after the people but i find it. i'm just sorry but it's going like this person should be invested in this. discord still dominates when it comes to people's feelings about britain's relationship with europe. but nothing that europeans we may all go well but they see the european union. as terrible we have all told me until. the the european

union slowly crept into our politics and stopped taking over i'm for breaks and i hope that it goes so i wish the english government wouldn't delay it and basically i'd like to leave you up because i don't think it's working for us i mean. but the concept that leaving is simple is an illusion. we couldn't escape from the european union so there is the this is our reality we have to live in the world that we are really in and we have to we have to have a political system which can face that. if you disapproves of how will this political class that has shown itself to be incapable of meeting this challenge how will they regain their prestige to govern in the name of the people when they were unable to achieve consensus in the name of the people i'm. so what's next still nothing is clear delay play for time.

meanwhile the unrest continues. that works and groundbreaking their ability gives them power they go their own way admirable and indescribably. abramovich shit in nash at such a violence. story exceptional artists with one thing in common they've all come out on top. thirty minutes w. .

staying up to date don't miss our highlights w. program online w. dot com highlights. african. economy president obama. in the london patriotic front in. the rebel army and in the one nine hundred ninety four genocide was in the room or in the room as there was and when to ask to be you going to allow me to reinforce that . i knew this but does that mean he was not following in a. controversial leader whose success is beyond question. time. and the wanton tragedy starts cable fifth on t w.

this is still the news live from. the joker in the pack could ukrainians choose a comedian as their next president. correspondent. is leading the polls in a closely watched race also coming up. the number of confirmed cases of cholera and mozambique doubles in just one day aid agencies stepped up their efforts to.