at the protest phase for the. full swing that you're standing here today any of the last plenary session of this particular european parliament because we'll have a new one coming and the result of that election is going to be closely monitored in africa this is a continent after all a chance years of a complex relationship with europe you elections why they matter to africa. d.w. . has no education her husband drinks. her son takes drugs. there seems to be no way out. and she dares to make

a change and take control of probably. a growing thing a story of some. sixty minutes. from the book you are now going to keep. the length of medical research. exposing injustice global news that matters to me minds. while the campaigns the different campaigns for the european elections are in full swing and we are here at the last plenary session of this particular european parliament because there will be a new one come may and that is being noticed outside of the european union as well that's why we will discuss today new elections why they matter to africa and.

that's an outcome of those elections that will be closely monitored in africa this is a continent that has after all shared a long and complex relationship with europe so stick with us we have a great panel here to my right over there. who's a member of the basically social democratic faction in the european parliament by the way all experts here on the panel and he says it is time to rebuild a new partnership between the e.u. and africa turning the pages of the past and to my left we are joined by venue angry she is the managing director of german african s m e alliance this connects small and medium enterprises in germany and africa and she says that it's time for the s of news to enter the african market for long term investment and on an eye level. over to my left a member of the biggest party of the european parliament the conservative p.p.a. likely to remain the biggest party also in the european parliament and he says

africa needs europe to set clear political priorities to face common challenges to the benefit of both and last but not least we're joined by dr. he is that the rector general for this small and medium enterprises agency of nigeria and he says that the e.u. should do more on good governance in africa by stopping corrupt money into europe from africa he also adds that we should treat africa an equal partner as in trade so you can tell we have a lot of different experts here also on small to medium enterprises and there is a reason for that because of course one of the main topics between africa and the european union is trade and there are different reasons they go way back why this is complicated we tried to break it down for you. a fast and diverse consonance to some one point three billion people africa has

massive potential. coffee cotton and beisel natural resources africa has a lot of. it it has the world's youngest population africa's potential seems beyond this. because. it's because its biggest trading its biggest provide. yet africa's economy is still on the debit side of life and how much does this have to do with europe. free trade is the centerpiece of e.u. policy africa gets access to the european markets but needs to open its markets for european products and often can't compete officially the e.u. now advocates an equal partnership. it has been customary for too long for europeans to lecture africans. so that over. african leaders don't want charity they want results but if you change jobs. africa

should be able to transform these raw materials and to provide labor for youth. retrain is the e.u. robbing africa. and that's a question where we're going to pick up and i want to throw that question to you dr we've heard that africa has massive potential but is it robbing africa of its free trade no we have to look at the menu is first of all we know the fork but he has been very strong partner not to africa and this has. been the colonial time and we need to dip in that kind of relationship but i think it did more harm than good no i think we need to do it in greenland so that africa. be able to benefit from it what i'm saying in essence is africa is an export largely oil and gas to europe but we import primary goods the primary goods should be produced in

africa from really good should be produced in africa companies european companies has to establish an africa to utilize the rheumatism delivered in africa so that there will be creation of jobs for our team in youth and there will be also equal opportunity in terms of the economy blog minimum prosperity of our people in africa why doesn't the you do that i mean we hear a lot that the you wants to do this but if you look at the legislation it always seems to favor european companies exactly because you are a piece working for europe and they don't care about something else than europe so it's necessary to have with us african people african civil society african elected people. make making advocacy for having more for africa and you feel like you're doing enough in that sense i think it's not enough for the moment because we are dealing with past european partnership agreements from the past and from the past

is just jaron chines that europe is having room interiors and europe is entering the market of africa and i think this is a mistake we have to have a win win situation and african people need to have development with trade agreements and this is what we have to discuss with african people for the new new partnership and not only economic partnership but new partnership with africa so when you do feel that this is happening you know mary saying that the old model is outdated do we have something new and is it working i mean the question of the fairness of the free trade agreement is very central very important and when we consider the evolution of. if richard's agreement in now i can say that we are in a good way actually we've also the as it was mentioned because i think that there

is two central principles which are very important first of all. because it's enabled it would be it will enable. country also to export their goods without any thing in your duty is and also in the quarters it is something that it is also a large large. second one it is this question of sustainability because if used think about different for the agreement of the new it would be the twenty twenty and if you have something. and don't have a limit it also can promote investment and say ok we'll think long term investment and it could also bring some investment is it is at the end what you could want to have more investment that creates more jobs it within the continent well the european commission is certainly thinking about sustainability saying that the focus between relations is shifting towards

knowledge sharing and responsible investment can you give me examples where you feel this is working. so yes i mean this know how transfer is very key features and for instance i'm here representing the end of the station and we also speak a lot with our members and it's a nice and difficult question though training and the know how transfer is the key . the key things that they want to give investment to african countries over to mr dollar to many african countries you know the continent from a european perspective when we hear all this it also sounds very you know it's all these initiatives so little complicated but isn't it the case that most people on the ground in the african countries you consider don't really experience all that well first of all i think if you look at the point of departure trade wise we have

these existing schemes it's the economic partnership agreements and the everything but arms initiative for thirty two of the least developed countries which of a quarter free access to our markets that is a new the one side i think indeed we must shift towards. a new approach and that would tail in my mind to combine the efforts to have good governance in given countries and to be really for both on the education side in order to provide the work force that is actually needed in africa for the future and then also come with credits both for african entrepreneurs and ours who shall i say to invest in africa who have got the experience yet and in this regard i think such initiatives. as a means if we can combine that first education and vocational training and then incoming investment that can contribute to an added value that the cocoa is not

exported people become chocolate in africa coffee beans become roasted coffee in africa and. the cotton becomes textiles in africa to add value and then gives market access to us i think that is that the proper way that we should be heading for i think i think it is really important to realize well in part because in the us much as long as we establish a new european company in africa a lot of people would learn that the canola g.m. both a lot of people have experience from the people who came from europe but we've been hearing this you have been hearing voices for decades now and it's clearly not working in some countries so what needs to change i don't think it's not working is like not being made because this thing is being more the tory than actual because most of the tunes that i've been talking about on this partnership in something that is happening or a tory thing because things that are being completed they keep on c. and c.

in this sense but that is no practical thing on the ground all right mr guy must recognise the fact that iraq has to really have africa in area of. civil rights good governance african countries are doing very well in the area of good governance accountability as well as to see that democracy is in or sisters of the globe will get to that we'll get to that in a second i just want to have a look at what steve just rather emmanuel mccraw the president of france said on this issue he says in a tweet steve jobs father was a syrian refugee it would seem that nationality has nothing to do with the ability to succeed if you think that being an engineer ian means you can succeed then you want if you fight and you do succeed you will be a role model so i want to come to you actually marry because you're really shaking your head you're not believing what the prince and to say no because it's not only a question of will i think that sometimes some companies are destroying the will of

people in african country if i take for example in nigeria you know that the most important part of the oil in nigeria is just export it in europe to be treated in europe and really sent to africa and there is no agreement to prevent deciduous and for example what we ask for and this indeed is to have to sing is the trade agreements the first thing is to have an symmetrix situation with country like nigeria and to give them the opportunity to have quotas to to keep some rheumatiz and to be sure that this raw materials are proceeding in the country this is the first thing the second thing that we have to ask for is to have jus diligence coming from big companies in this country because it is not because you are big companies in this country that you are respecting people or climate so we have to have this due diligence system in this car in for these companies many to national

when they are countries so we have to control them as mr gather called due diligence sounds very bureaucratic or you. on board well i would say from our side as far as our companies and our international companies are concerned we should really put the appropriate pressure on them to behave not only to the standards that we have in our countries but also to say the laws that exist in the country and action and it will have nothing and we have should be finding it not to if you find not to give them incentive it should be binding if you have if you have a situation that. some of our companies still think that they can buy. their permits or that they can bribe officials that is we have to overcome name and shame and make it transparent in this regard there are initiatives that i publish what you pay or extractive industries transparency initiatives that should contribute to

transparent way of of doing business in africa and i think he's right and scientists are going to let me get a lot of their hands due diligence the european canal boat i totally disagree because most of the european leaders most of the discount miserably and companies that are in africa most of the corrupt african leaders are twenty new rope from these companies and this is how because we can just understand because most of the money that is being stolen from our for a couple our leader has been stashed in europe and the european companies are responsible for this and i don't think there is any due diligence you're talking about the most important thing that we need to do in africa is the food want to dip into this relationship is there should be an open agreement and disagreement between africa and europe on certain aspect that leads to our blood that there are certain partnerships and agreements which are on the table awaiting signatures from

certain countries so it seems that africa has the opportunities but simply is not taking the africa doesn't have that opportunity because those agreement about. can about this agreement that we put on people but most of the reality conditions on the utopian contras put their programs of power over a tea pot head to africa we are not. put unity we are not equal partners here from africa what we are asking is simply that what are you going to do we should have mutual agreement that should be a strategic plan for the blog meant taking into consideration of people take into consideration though because. isn't that normal i mean we i was going to come to you isn't it normal that the european union puts its interests first and it's up to the africans to organize their interests to for example create a single market so you are you are talking about fairness and we are also talking

about win win situation it means that both of the parties have to to gain something at the end so i will i will come back maybe to that because i mention it. one of the part of one of the benefits of disagreement you cannot make a partnership agreement. between that you have ten countries and it's a piece countries is also this is promotion of the shared values it means that to have standards tenders two to have good governance to work together so that we have a uniting for sure it is a lot to do and not only all countries. know that nigeria. is not. the same it like tanzania was no but kenya was can i just also a good example of that said to implement it so they are some knows but now we have to also get specific with specific italy why for instance nigeria is not the other

. thing is because a little girl dealing. who is double dealing with the euro because there should be and that is what is largely creating mistrust if you are going to do with. delude africa. but arab and african happened to accept an african agenda on the african free trade area and also to adapt our plans our regional agreements to do what you planned because i think it's we have profited as europeans amongst hours trading amongst ourselves that is has made us strong and wealthy and i would wish that this african agenda to have a free trade area into africa that that is being supported from our side and one more thing for it by if they want know if they africa want to protect itself from us they could already prior to having their own integration inside they could erase set up pan african customs terrorists that applies in all of africa

european and american or imports that would protect africa efficiently and we could not work one against the other if that if they were in agreement with themselves in this regard for the. unhappy you know in fact in the eco us region for example they are working on the internal market for this region and what europe did is because of nigeria blocking and why nigeria is blocking this pass is just because they said they want to protect the infant industry and it's normal it is the way to have industry in your country is for moment to protect them and after to open your country nigeria is asking for this and europe say no and what europe did is just going to ghana and going to walk and saying if nigeria say no we are dealing with you separately and so we are destroying the internal internal market of africa and

if you see for example with all the remains that we have been. in africa and europe for a long time ago we don't have these increasing of xchange between africa and europe so what do you expect what do you want the next european parliament concretely to do in that respect what is important is really not to be a procreates on this and to support the internal markets of africa because i think is for as a means is more important to have just into an internal market to have the market with europe and second thing is to have a pass that respects what african countries are asking for for their development for people living in africa not for multinationals that are coming from europe being in africa that is all step by step implemented as a long time scale there are transitional times and there must be an effort also also to integrate amongst themselves africa must tear down its internal borders

simply to become that trade and in and in creating jobs that are out there is this easier said than done i mean you did say that europe is double dealing dealing with ecowas separately and you want them to deal with an african area equal opportunity is not being given because we are a good move for africa and europe are not equal. because africa has a relation of about one point to be neutral possible palatial about five hundred million i know you look at g.d.p. g.d.p. oh obama's have been ten trillion dollars africa you find the g.d.p. less than to the trillion and now that you're talking about all right i'll meet you talking to naji excuse me let's give was more opportunity when it comes to even broader look at the it's the opportunity of opium on house to go to africa is quite higher than the opportunity and africa has to come to europe because when you go to

the embassies you see the kind of. treatment the european embassies were given to offer it will get to my question in just a second i want to challenge all of something like you said about. adams and i'm going to jump in after the question you talked about figures and the e.u. being able to trade in huge quantities but the e.u. is also trading with each other in trade in you trade is that seventy percent and intra africa trade is at sixteen percent we are not trading with each other so the question is why do we expect trade with the e.u. to be better if we cannot leave ourselves you know you have to understand one simple thing we trade in order for us to gain and we gain more when we trade from this perspective but the most important thing for us to understand it before you go to understand that is an effect. the property level in africa has effects on europe because of the proximity the close this point brought the timidity in terms of geo political area only miles between europe and africa so

the question if that is problem in nigeria if that is problem who wonder if there is a problem in somalia that is embody a problem in europe so what we are trying to do is give was equal opportunity to give was on this demo interest and so that our prosperity house will be who. you are preventing you from cooperating closer with each other if you have them soon in africa we are not preventing that but if there are. two to support because we've got experience in this regard ration regional integration in africa and finally continental free trade area ok it is the objective and i want to now look at the impact of some of these interconnections that dr rather was talking about free movement of persons you've heard him say here that it can be humiliating sometimes for an african to try and gain access to europe even when they're doing it regularly but what happens when it's irregular the issue of migration has been

a hot button issue for both africa and europe and here's why. migration one of the toughest challenges facing. the issue of refugee resettlement deeply divines the european union the e.u. has failed to rein in political infighting among its members it's impossible to let everybody across borders not in a way which is clearly clarified. the e.u. continues to depend on deals with countries like turkey because it has not come up with a solution for sharing that. that is one of the reasons behind europe's new top priority helping africa to get on its feet in order to curb the flow of migrants to the shabbiness developing danes and apply to african leaders to deal with its citizens in a way that african youth has a chance. to live with this means both public investment and private

investment. your concept would be to be in shape for migration issue continues to give rise to right wing and anti european populist movements. and finally the e.u. will get back to defend its quarters and the right for security of its european citizens should. the european union and africa remain under pressure how can they shape their common future. isn't a migration crisis the best thing that could have happened to africa in the last year is because they put it on the map in european discussions with europeans have to do something first of all for all people concerned in this migration it's a tragedy because everybody in principle wants to stay at home and have a good living there so the fact that people are leaving out of desperation mostly

not out of bed terrorism or even voluntary talking about the political. yes you never really talked about africa before the migration crisis in this well that's well i wouldn't go so far but i think indeed we have to do you in a different way and it's good that we do not limit our discussions on this migration issue which is an important one but that we see it in the long term perspective and that we discuss about the issues like the economy that we have in the previous panel but i think we could as europeans assume our responsibility of course in addressing it in a way that of course we cannot take every person that is in need into europe but we should categorize we should see who is personally persecuted as a political asylum seeker who is under the geneva conventions as of war refugee and who comes for if you really economic reasons and in this field i think we have to

open a slight door for legal migration in order to focus the people on the legal opportunities or that on his own we seem to think we need more than just a slight door opening for sure so for your question was also. if this gratian also opened the door and said that now it should be in the engine and for sure as you said mrs merkel is not that only tale to tell us and fifteen the question of africa is now but i can say that now we are moving from this policy of development aid to something else we have promoting with private sector and. doing searching over ways to solve this problem and now i can really say that. you are the agent of the. german government the private sector is really on the agenda it is like

a way to put also. opportunities are to create a chain arrange in africa to deal with immigration because as you said nobody wants to go to to go to europe because it's fine so i want to come to you mr and because we're talking about policies that started in twenty fifteen but we too long to start having conversely this conversation between europe and africa i think that we have to have to wear this that we need as you can more africa that africa needs europe and this is really important because the only thing that we see is just seeing these poor people living africa coming to europe but you know. the most important mobility in africa is in africa within africa and it's we in different countries in africa and we are just dnd of the process but this is the most important mobility situation is in africa and if we are not aware of the fact

that we need africa and we spoke about. but also martin that we are just in the wrong way of thinking africa and so for me it's important to have two things the first is there legal we for mobility i don't know where you're going with mr gallagher i don't speak about migration because you know when you have young students coming from africa coming in europe to university what they want to do is to go back to africa and to big businesses and to have example health care we're talking about if we're talking about regular migration those who are coming here from pressure economic or otherwise so first thing is the mobility and i think that europe was an open europe and for the moment we are close you are we don't want to have for rangers in europe this is the first thing and we have to reopen europe for african people not only for students but also for some workers and this

relationship with africa the second thing is humanitarian she. gratian and we as you are but all the continent we look at humanitarian citizen asking for protection and this is the way we have to do to put in the hand to these people and to say we you are then coming out i don't mean and this is something else but we don't have to mixed this to situation we have to make our duty on humanitarian help to serve as well as our you know sort of human rights in that are the right wing populist seem to mix i mean the engine is very important and before we come over to you mr god dr rada are you following. the run up to the european elections where a lot of right wing populist that are making their living off of the topic of migration are poised to make significant gains and what do you think about that i think before we get to that we have to understand the fact that. africans migrate

into europe. because we have an economic situation in africa that needs to be addressed by our leaders we talked about that is the stance of women see as dr let me that's very important to me let tell me how you feel about the possibility of people of parties gaining significant votes in the european elections because they almost exclusively campaign on the topic of migration yet because that is the thing that is affecting europe because that is a new trend all over the wall of nationalization. kountry is becoming more national counter is becoming more solve recognize doing since on their own ways and that is why you see that british ones who go out of europe you see a lot of other countless wanting to be annoyed that that has manifested also it being in the united states you can see the nationalization is spring going off and

even africa you see a lot of elections have taken place under a government opposition opposition parties were taken over by governments because people need a new lease of life people need a new life new government new people have hope and they are looking for where those hoops will come for and this is the kind of sins we are looking for from europe and it is very important for the relationship between africa and europe but the most important thing let's do it was mutual agreement remove util means to move from conditionality and sanctions and try to focus. on understanding i'd really meant this agreement which are mutually understandable and i'm not sure but i think mr gandhi i disagree with that unconditionally i mean first the responsibility for the well being of african citizens and we had from the president obasanjo has some

years ago he said who's responsible for the unemployed youth in africa first of all it's. as africans yes if you your rulers assume their responsibility first i'm very happy to support all those who really undertake efforts to improve the. rules well i. will first rule it is you have never done any significant change in our lives the people of my. policy specifically i mean i guess what the struggle is trying to say that africans should ideally be responsible for african continent of course and. i am as i said very much i am very much prepared to assist an african agenda to improve the situation and when it comes to the migration issues unfortunately for the populists this is low hanging fruit for their campaign but be sure if they were

not the african migrants they would find national minorities and if they were not then they would find others to to put people against each other so that is. a problem so it's for them it doesn't matter who is bad but unfortunately migrants are the lowest time you food for thought about african and european problems with no money has a ration for coming from africa ok you've got an african problem so i think that what you're saying talking about so why national nationalism opportunism i think that it's also because we said that africa is the neighbor of europe in europe and europe is very close to africa but they don't know each other actually and i think that the media they also have. part of their responsibility the ways of putting on this issue when this migration flow west there and it puts also like as mary has said it's not that the first destination was europe it was within africa and then

in europe but i think that we. strength. this situation so far that even that is while they are all coming to my country we have to do something i have to close the voters and stuff so i think that first of all we have to know each other and europe and europe have to know what is africa now. actually we need it why because you see in africa there is the most young people and this those people are not people that is a very very well to take it and they have a lot of parts left to give and we should come to that positive part in just a second i would like to wrap up the part who is to blame actually because there's always a lot of blame game between africa and the european union with a tweet from the rwandan president paul kagame mean if somebody doesn't really mince his words very clear tweets always and he tweeted if you look at history of this migration for

a long time europe was inciting inviting people to go to europe the message was your countries of africa are governed badly and you should come to us is that the message you heard you. think i think. africa. generally needs. what we needed because of religion issue is emotional why is it emotional is because it's did the. same so we need to help africa to promote the issue all africa should do blood is so we need to be in it should. they need to cut the oars hold our hunts try to see how they can help those to do below in terms of good governance they should be encourage they should be encouraged elicit funds from africa into europe as much as possible try to be part of this funds back to africa

because that a lot especially in nigeria know that a lot of the. money in europe that are touching european banks that iraq encounters refused to let those money back to africa we need hold in europe need to hold of rekha really need to support africa larry and you need to have a mutual understanding between the agree with this africa need handholding we have to come and shoot the two important reasons for migration massive migration inside africa and also outside africa whoa. instead bt lack of police in some countries and the second one is the climate change. these are the most important reason for migration even more than economic situation even more than economies of theirs and their own life here is a life no longer but if you if you speak about massive migration displaced people

it's peace lack of peace and climate change and we are we have a part of responsibility together on this on the climate change so we have to work together on this help africa to go to the transition for the climate change and also help africa to go to the more critical we of governance in their country and peace so i think that we need to get there it's not because africa needs europe we need to get or to go in this path of climate change and peace. is what together to fight climate change one example but we've heard from ms and we already that she thought there might be a little potential for something going beyond there and i'd like to put a question that's part of mr gollop isn't africa with all those young people who want to work who want to learn and the aging europe the perfect partner for the future yes i would definitely agree i mean this is

a neighboring continent with this huge potential and that has to be put in a system that really this potential can be realized and it starts with. the issues that we addressed before good governance and investment you see encouraging signs there i see more and more african intellectuals and jews and civil society in many countries that address these issues and they get governments under threat i mean we've seen it for twenty years in zimbabwe as one example unfortunately the regime was stronger still and you can go through many. countries . long sitting. presidents think that they have a future i think actually they don't but the people are in a. position to. change and if that goes ahead i think we should stand by and actively pursue this africa to

get the development done i think there is enough intelligence and enough will among society and the young people in europe in africa and we should come in and support that so we have a new we've been talking about boundless potential a young population getting even younger but at what point do we realize this potential is it an infinite state of being so. this potential is there and because of the lack of opportunities maybe in their countries it is not possible to to. to take them and to explore this opportunity and this young so the problem now of the question now is how to deal with the city situation and we talk about vocational training and what. are the main thing for that so if you're. working we come back to that i would say that on the level you have the.

same is for instance this. training for entrepreneurs so we really have to encourage readers to to to to just build these people working in. and on the rug i mean it's not that it's not a lot we have to to make a lot of them so that it can work i have made the an example in the town of sinegal that cars every small slum it is called and in this town there is about two thousand. people living there and what did the german is to me because it is really a private things as i said we have to is to transform this area two. steps a fusion city so that at the end can be sufficient and you do young people can have a future and what what's what happened some entreprises left camps come to the big

companies from the bakery area to come there and just give the know how to make bakery and a lot of is to music were part of it and now building a new town from this to a new one and this is a practical writes a practical example that's also positive and that concludes our conversation right here at least for now we're entering what max actually believes is the most fun part of this conversation but he also warned me that his german so. different ok let's go quick fire around next to the first one yes we have actually you're allowed only to say one word as an answer to what i'm going to do it usually works we will start over here and we'll go clockwise ok so i will start with the question is what are you looking for what are you looking in the outcome of the european elections. so one word. inclusion exclusion. reason prevails lose invest

in my first invest in my investment solidarity i'll give you a little bit more leeway for my question answer the following sentence europe and africa are. depending on each other. the. the. ok i will give you five seconds equal now you have to go though no i think the word for it is one word we have twenty seconds left but the most part is ok i think that's a fantastic way to conclude this discussion ended rather positively you wouldn't have thought that at the beginning of this discussion with a lot of tension but we thank you both thank you all for your time thanks for being here of course stick around with the w. for expenses coverage of the european elections in may.

example elaine has no education her husband drinks. her son takes drugs. there seems to be no way out. then she dares to make a change and take control of tripoli. a growing thing a story of some africa. disappointing totally. unique okies in germany to learn german. emerged in the uk why not learn with him online on the mobile and free to soft d.w.b. learning course because vic. franks

food. international gateway to the best connection sells and road and rail. located in the heart of europe you are connected to the whole world. experience outstanding shopping and dining offers and try our services. biala gassed at frankfurt airport city managed by from. the dimension as an emmanuel mccall has laid out a raft of reforms after months of yellow vest protests have challenged his oath already my call is pledging to cut income tax for the middle class and make it easier to hold referendums on some issues but he also says they'll be no tolerance for violent protests. after months of speculation former us vice president joe

biden has announced he will run for president in twenty twenty it's the seventy six year olds that bid for the.