same sex marriage is being legalized in more and more countries, discrimination, inequality, or part of everyday life. for many, we ask why? because life is diversity. make up your own mind in d. w. need for mines with ah ah, this is d w. news coming to live from berlin covered 19 cases surge to record highs around the globe. only kron is quickly becoming the dominant variant. while delta

is still hitting hard, we get an assessment from the world health organization. also coming up, elaine maxwell found guilty of helping sexually abuse young girls for a decade. survivors say it's a step towards justice for the pick terms of jeffrey epstein and south africans pay tribute to nobel peace prize, glory and human rights activists. desmond tutu. ah, hello, i'm terry martin. good to have you with us. surgeon cove at 19 infections are worrying governments around the globe. here in europe, france has recorded a record number of infections, 200000 in a single day. italy, ireland, and portugal have also announced record numbers of new cases. officials say the skyrocketing infection rates are being driven by the highly contagious on the

chrome variant. a new national record for france here, every 2nd more than 2 people are testing positive for the corona virus. your local police patrols have stepped up in response. there was a bars and restaurants checking people's vaccination passes, and for the still unvaccinated french authorities have a grim message, yet level patrols who perceive there is really very little chance you can escape at this time. the virus is spreading too fast and unvaccinated people are more likely to get infected or very sick. but actually germany do is putting more pressure on the unvaccinated leading to several protests across the country. in munich, police initially banned a rally, but protesters came out any way by the thousands saying they're just out for a walk. there is also concern that germany is under reporting cases due to staff shortages during the holiday season. it will, their fossil,

the under reporting is probably of the order that the actual incidence is currently 2 or 3 times as high as the incidence. we are measuring awesome isn't the u. k is facing a surge in all my current cases and that it's frustration that rapid test kids aren't available. we pick them up and there's none in the pharmacies. illinois is non, they will got the signs outside the run outside. many people need a negative test to be allowed to work on gather to celebrate the start of a new you florida. i'm joined by christian lind miles spokesperson for the world health organization in geneva. mr. lin, bye, thanks. ring with us. your organizations, director general, says the delta and on the cross variance of the corona virus are creating a soon army of infections. what's the worst case scenario you're trying to avoid? well, thanks for having me. what we have right now is

a still existing delta variant, which seems to have higher severity in the cases and at the same time and extremely quickly spreading all micron. it's the last majority of cases, many countries, countries around europe have been have been reporting, record cases, never seen in 2 years. and that combination is certainly something which could easily strain and overburdened the health system as you have it. and though maybe severity might be lower in all because she, a numbers game leads to the fact that the health hospitals clinics to health care workers. the system is completely overloaded. public transport public relations officers have to close because workers, the not able to go to work because of the high infections rate. so this is a, this is really a worst case scenario. and we have to be really everything to,

to avoid this. only cron it's on everyone's minds right now. reports from some countries, south africa for example, suggested that variant with variant infections are less severe. can you confirm that? and what should we expect from on the chrome in general? it still charlie to really firmly confirm the indications we have so far. and the early reports and early studies out of different countries indicate that yes indeed, all me con could be less severe. but many of these studies have been done in, in younger populations and student populations, which in any case should produce lower severity of cases. so we have to be careful and what we also don't know. and that's important to remember. we don't know anything about long term effects of omicron yet, so we have to be careful with this seemingly less severe on the what are the crucial measures that need to be taken?

now, to stop this pandemic from getting worse. what we have seen in the last 2 years, that the comprehensive package of all the measures that we have really works well that starts with your own personal protection. with using the proper hand hygiene the mouth. hygiene using the mac, whenever possible, necessary outside, or in closed rooms avoid assemblies of people avoid crowded room is also in northern europe. now in europe and the northern hemisphere. ventilate your rooms as often as possible. all these are traditional, simple measures that we all can see. it's when on top of it, the vaccines do give protection, they give protection, certainly again, without the variance. and they also give protection against the, the army. so if you're offered the vaccine, please take it and if you offered a booster, it's also time to get it still in my thank you very much for talking with us. that

was christian lind, bio spokesperson for the world health organization in geneva. thank you. is look at some other developments in the panoramic around the world. south african researchers have found a booster shot of johnson and johnson's covered. 19 vaccine is 84 percent effective of preventing hospitalization. covered 19 cases have reached a record high in the united states. however, the country's centers for disease control and prevention says, deaths and hospitalizations are comparatively low. the ice hockey junior world championships and canada have been canceled. that's due to a number of players testing, paused event, entire teams being ordered to isolate a jury in the u. s. has pound british socialite is delaine maxwell guilty of helping the late sex offender jeffrey epstein abuse under age girls over a period of years. after 5 days of deliberations,

the new york jury found maxwell guilty on 5 counts, including recruiting and grooming up scenes, teenage victims. the verdict could see the 60 year old spend the rest of her life in prison, recruiting and grooming teenage victims and trafficking a minor. these are the heavy charges of which british socialite galle maxwell was found guilty by the new york jerry. the road to justice has been far too long, but today justice has been done. no one, no matter how powerful or well connected it is above the law. jolaine maxwell is the daughter of british newspaper. baron robert maxwell, in court accuser showed evidence of maxwell's close relationship to late fine and sheer and convicted sex offender, jeffrey epstein. epstein was jailed in 2019 based on charges of sex trafficking minors, but he committed suicide in prison while awaiting trial. in the current court case

of killing maxwell, she was found to have helped epstein systematically procure young girls some as young as 14. the charges against maxwell were brought forward by 4 victims, but many more feel they have been served justice. this is a victory for all the victims of miss maxwell and abstain. moreover, i think this is a victory for all young children, boys, girls, women, and men who are victims of abusers like this. it will give them the needed push to step forward and to speak their truth and to hopefully get justice like these young girls have with respect to miss maxwell, the defense as to 60 year old is being used as a scapegoat for other people's crimes. i. we firmly believe in glens, innocence. obviously we are very disappointed with the verdict. we have already started working on the appeal,

and we are confident that she will be vindicated everyone the healthy, have a happy new year. how you doing, maxwell now stands to spend the rest of her life in prison. if she receives the maximum possible sentence of 65 years to catch up on some other stories making headlines around the world today. european union has said it supports an international arms embargo on me on mars military regime and says it's toughening its owners sanctions on the country. this comes after humanitarian groups reported the military killed and buried 30 people last week in a village. in the conflict torn at kaya state, police in hong kong have formerly charged to senior editors from the online pro democracy news outlet stand news with sedition. they've been identified in court documents as former sent news chief editor chung week when and patrick lum. the announcement comes a day after authorities rated the offices of stand news,

strong winds and drought conditions in argentina have intensified wildfires raging in the south of that country. some $250.00 firefighters and national park employees are involved in battling the blazes in the path of goni, a region official say the fires already destroyed thousands of heck hairs of fours . and he ran says it has carried out the launch of a rocket carrying 3 satellites into space, stay television, carried footage of the launch vehicle and take all are and says it space program is for research purposes and does not reach the nuclear deal, which it is currently, re negotiating with western powers the body of south africa's archbishop desmond to, to has been brought to a historic cape town cathedral where it will lie in state for 2 days. warners have been streaming into saint george's cathedral to pay their final respects to the revered claret. before opening up to the public, the church conducted a private service or the family to to will be cremated in his ashes,

buried on new year's day inside his former parish. or he had preached against racial inequality. the anti apartheid icon and nobel peace prize laurie died last sunday at the age of 90. ah, every day at noon this week, the bells of saint george's cathedral and across south africa have chimed in. remembrance of the former archbishop flowers, the mass for desmond tutu. though he wanted no grand display of mourning, his daughter on cumby, thank to people around the world for their support. it has been such an outpouring of love and support and that we, we, we don't have enough. now. there are times in the last sharing story that times we are crying as we come to to is life without dead

cape town. city icons are eliminated in the purple of 2 tooth clerical robes. south africa, the president added his words to the chorus of tributes because he was the voice of the voice that he was the one person who paid for justice. for people living with a b. as for the l g, b, t, q i, community and for they did jacketed and the oppressed people. not only in our country footage from 985 shows to to coming an angry mob who had been beating and accused apartheid collaborator. he was one of the strongest voices for peaceful resistance against the system. a pricing south africa, black people. we know, we know, we know we got over. he lay to travel the world containing like human rights

against homophobia. israel's treatment of palestinians and climate change. one of his last public appearances, receiving a covert 19 vaccine, sending a message of social solidarity right to the end. saturday's funeral will be limited to just $100.00 guests inside the cathedral, but will be followed by countless more outside and around the world. with 2022, just around the corner. a sweet new year's tradition in japan has taken on gigantic proportions a rice cake, weighing 700 kilograms has been offered at a shrine into a cheeky prefecture north of tokyo. it's an annual tradition marked by prayers for of good harvest you and the safety of the community. a rice cake will remain on display until january 20th,

then broke it up and given to mr. shed reminder the top story we're following for you here today. on d. w. news surgeon cobit 19 infections are causing governments concerns around the globe. here in europe, france has posted a record number of infections with authorities reporting more than 200000 infections in a single day. italy, ireland, and portugal have also when else record numbers of new case. you're watching dw news from berlin up next is business with rob watson. i'm terry martin from in all of us of the w. thanks. watch. ah, welcome to the dark side where intelligence agencies are pulling the strings. there

was a before 911 and an after 911. he says after $911.00, the clubs came off. were organized crime rules. were conglomerates make their own laws? what is true of space? it doesn't matter. the only criteria is what we'll hook people. we should light on the opaque world who's behind the benefits. and why are they a threat to whistle? oh, peak world starts january 5th on d, w. ah, ah, 20 years of the euro as the euro is own marks 2 decades since it's radical,

new common currency started filling up wallets, who discussed whether it's been a monetary marvel or financial flaw. yours 1st home grown battery facility has begun production. we'll look at what sweden's new north folk giga factory means that the continent with energy prices still soaring across the world, will look back on a year of power struggles. fossil fuel fights. this is day to be a business on robots in berlin. welcome to the program, 19 countries, one currency, and now europe is marking 20 years of the euro. it's been a rollercoaster, a couple of decades for the single currency. for some, the audio has been a stabilizing factor for the continent. others say it's just driven up prices as we wait to see what the future holds for the euro. as 1st, take a look at the past. a symbol of hope and prosperity for all of europe.

the 6 story high euro sculpture in front of the european central bank in frankfort . it was germany's way of celebrating the introduction of the euro as legal tender since then, europeans don't have to exchange notes and coins when traveling within the eurozone . companies also profited as trade within the currency union sharply increased on the eve of 2022 more than 340000000 people in 19 e. u countries used a common currency every day at its introduction, one euro cost one u. s. dollar and 7 cents since then it has gone up and up in 2008. it reached its old time high of almost one u. s. dollar and 60 cents just before the start of the global financial crisis. there was also the 1st real test for the euro, a single currency for economies as different as greece and germany, a recipe for disaster. the e, you had to agree on

a 1000000000 euro rescue packages to save the weaker countries of southern europe from financial collapse. the crisis but the euro under unprecedented pressure. speculators tried to caching on the failure of the common currency in 2012, the president of the e. c. b spoke words that would go down in history. the c, b is ready to do whatever it takes to preserve the euro. and milly, me, it will be enough to easy b was pushing the envelope and it worked. the euro survive the financial crisis. to day. a tough new test. the corona pandemic locked downs have placed a heavy burden on the national budgets of the euro countries. in 2020, they took on joint debt for the 1st time ever.

critics of the euro. so this move makes financially weaker countries a burden on those which stronger economies. many others, however, still see the euro is the best opportunity for the european union countries to grow even closer. well, to discuss further 20 years of the euro, let's speak to maria de maps. this is deputy director of the brussels economic think tank brew go. thanks a lot for joining us on dd business. great. have you on so 2 decades in can we say whether the euro has been a success or not? yes, of course, i think any, you know, has been there has been a big success actually. and way of thinking about this is imagine how countries small countries, but also be countries would have weathered the 2 big crisis that we've seen in the past 20 years. had they been alone? i think that's a very important thing to try and contemplate it with a thought experiment. and then you realize that the scale and the stability that

the youth has brought to the continent, different degrees for different countries has actually managed to keep europe together. and, and actually whether the crisis was much less cost that it would have been otherwise. so yes, it is being an outright success as far as i'm concerned. but as he just mentioned, the impact of it has buried between countries. have there been winners and losers for the last 20 years? i think it's important appreciate that not on countries joint or the euro ended the you for the same reasons to the extent that one can have a distinction between the north to the south. and i'm very reluctant to make this type of comparison because they're never really accurate. but let's say, let's say for the sake of conversation we, we divide the continent in this 2 blocks. the northern countries are a more open country, so they're the ones we're looking for a great markets. so they're real, the prime motivation for the northern part of europe to join the you is to expand their markets both domestically domestically being in europe. but so scale also internationally, globally, and of course the year to provide amply,

2 countries of the north, kansas in the south and the other hand wanted stability. they wanted a stable currency that is going to ensure that the consumer has got predictability in terms of pepsi. pirate in their pockets, and they got that with the euro. so yet to that extent, if use of think about the motivation why every country joined, the you and all of them had something to do to win from the adjustment to the, to the euro. hasn't been easy for all countries that i think is important. countries in the south founded a lot more difficult to adopt, simply because their economies are a lot more inflexible. i but i think even countries in the south, i found the stability of the year to been an upright success. it survived 2 decades, and it's got through various crises. but there is another one on the way as the, or is recovers from the pandemic. how well set is the euro to get through that? i think you'll see that a european architecture, which is absolutely essential for

a good a collection. i mean, for sustaining shocks or sustaining crisis has been going, has been moving in the right direction. compare the reaction, how europe dealt with the financial crisis and of what speed and to the reaction of the you in the current crisis to put in a crisis in 2020. and at what speed, you'll see that both of the unity of europe as well as the speed of reaction, have greatly improved. there is a thing as a serialization appreciation of the fact that a united europe can really, whether the storm so much faster. there are we important discussions in 2022 when it comes to a contextual issues. i'm thinking mostly of the fiscal pack that can really help increase the resilience of the continent. and i think there is enough understanding that important steps for what need to happen. ok, maria demetrius from brewer. thank you very much for joining us on date of your business. next, it's been labor day milestone for europe. sweden's north volt has officially begun

production at the continents 1st home growing battery cell production line. it's good news for customers like folks bargain, volvo and b, m, w, and the future plans. just 200 kilometers south of the arctic circle this factory and we'll, if they all produced its 1st battery cell this week, the location was chosen because it's near important sights of renewable energy production in northern sweden, including hydro electric power, intended to compete with the u. s electric car, joint tesla and asian producers of lithium ion batteries. the site is expected to produce enough batteries to power $1000000.00 electric vehicles every year. north vault expects to make its 1st deliveries to commercial customers. in early 2022. the company has already secured $30000000000.00 worth of orders from european carmakers, including germany's b, m, w, and folks, vargas, and sweden's, volvo, with which it plants

a 2nd european factory. tesla is due to launch its 1st factory in europe soon, and asian rivals have significant operations in poland and hungary. but no european firm had opened a major facility until now. russian president vladimir putin is again turning up the pressure on german regulators to approve nord stream to is told a meeting of the government shown on russian stake tv. that the pipeline is now fully primed and ready to solve your, its national, at natural gas supply problems. and the network regulator though, says it won't give the go ahead till no to nod stream to until it satisfied the swiss based operating company is complying with german law. a ones for approval may not come until the 2nd half of 2022 cooker. and you put the rising tension. nathan nod stream to comes at the end of an extraordinary year for the global energy sector. as chelsea delaney reports,

nicole natural gas and crude oil in this year. these fossil fuels have been in short supply, whatever you want to call it, a crisis, a crunch. shortage. what's been unfolding across global energy market this year is impacting all of our lives. in almost every corner of the world, the energy needed to heat our homes or fuel or cars or power. our businesses have become drastically more expensive. it takes a long time for them to switch away from fossil fuels. in $981.00 oil gas and cool account for 84 percent of total energy demand. last year that was 284 percent. the 1st place where we really started to see energy shortages unfold this year was in china. china school supply couldn't keep up with the sharp bounce back in demand from its factory sector. by september, the government ordered some factories closed and told coal mines to increase production with the coal shortage at home. china turn to international natural gas

markets to help keep the lights on and factories running. that huge amount of demand coming from china rippled across global energy markets, including to those here in europe, the competition between china and europe for elegy has been building for years. but this years energy shortage is led to an all out bidding war and europe, husband losing to asia when they get cold and they get them in europe. ready have been less, but then i mean, there's pipelines to play in no way algeria, russia, they can supply as well. but that's where you have no problem. moment russia has been slow to finish tional gas the you this year, despite the critical shortage of stocks. some analysts believe the limited deliveries are no quinn sentence and accused moscow of exploiting europe's energy weakness. why? inter nordstrom to the 9500000000 euro natural gas pipeline. russia recently completed constructing to germany. the russians have spent

a fortune under put in developing an entire new natural gas province. what happens in europe then, as part of its climate policy cuts back on natural gas consumption? indeed, many politicians do see climate policy, namely, a faster move towards renewables. as the solution, but building out that infrastructure could take years. so what about right now for now, government seemed to have decided the answer is more fossil fuels. china has doubled down on coal while here in the u. for many countries have pledged to give a call in the coming decade. idle plants are being put back on line. fossil fuel stole power our lives. and until that changes, fossil fuels and the countries that produce them will continue to determine how much it costs to keep the lights on. chelsea delaney reporting now

2021 has also been a year of ups and downs for the world's shipping lanes in the sea of japan. things have taken another bizarre turn as well. dozens of cars have become kate in ice, up to half a meter thick on my way to the russian ports of blood voss dog. their japanese ship experience high winds. with temperatures minus 19 celsius waves splashed over the cars, then froze, cracking, wind screams and causing all kinds of other damage in the process. muscle from the business team here in berlin. if you want more from us, do have to our website, do we dot com slash business? you can also find master on the database, use youtube channel, and of course on facebook at d, w dot business until next time i enter the conflict zone with sebastian at least 27 migrant parish in

the english channel. will this now force you to commit to say for migration policy? uber hofstadter, brussel, member of the european parliament on the home of prime minister, belgium. what happened to the news, much value, and what the conflict on w. these places in europe are smashing all the records, stepped into a bold adventure. it's the treasure map for modern globetrotters. discover some of you will record breaking sites on your back. and now also in book form. in this week, on comfort zone, at least 27 migrants perish in the english channel. will this now force europe to commit to say from my great and policy?

i hope it is a catalyst to finally give a hofstadter in brussels member of the european parliament. and the former prime minister of belgium, if e u. member countries can't agree on a life and death issue like this. what's the point of the you only on that you level, you can manage this as polish security, inflict water cannon, and tear gas on refugees at the border with bella. bruce, what happened to the use much vaunted values and what reforms are needed. also the trouble with facebook and the need for revamped nato all on conflict on givea hofstadter. welcome to conflict zone. let's talk 1st about the migrants who drowned last week since as the crisis of the moment this would you think this is going to be the catalyst for some new european policies on migration? i hope so because this tragedy in the, in the north sea is not the,

not the 1st tragedy. and we have so many casual piece tragedies and in the mid to reagan, now this is happening in the north sea. so i hope it is, it got the list finally to have a common european migration policy. i because it's already more than 20. yes. that we are talking about the common migration policy. and it never happened because a common migration policy could to avoid the tragedies, as we have seen last week, from schooled for urgent talks to discuss this tragedy. but then it disinvited a british minister because it didn't like one of bars. johnson's tweets, you don't do that if you're serious about finding solutions to you. i don't think that you, you start to do such talks with, with, with tweets and that's maybe the way that is a policy. but that's not the way we do it inside to the european,

the inside european union. so i think more important is to concentrate ourselves on what could avoid such tragedies. and again, there a change in the european migration and sign a policy is absolutely key like that is also a need for you k for you and i to the kingdom to understand that they are now out of the european union. and they need to take their own responsibility for the migration and the final policy. well, but i think i think they understand that i'm talking about diplomatic. i hope so. i'm not sure. i'm not so sure that maybe you understand that i'm not so sure that the, that the british government and body johnson understand this diplomatic stand off may be great fun for governments, but the only people who are going to get hurt by this other migraines isn't the

time for everyone to stop playing games with these people's lives it's, it's at the time now earth to do what are the most governments, especially also the british government, but also other governments have always avoided to do that is to develop a common migration and assign a policy that is based not on unanimity, a ruling on, on the decision by unanimity, but unqualified majority because that's the reason that we don't have the last 20. yes. a common migration and as island policy, it is already since 1999. a debt, we decided that migration would be a common policy in the union. and since then, nothing have happened. and the 1st thing to do is to create and to establish a common legal migration of policy. because a many of this tragedies r o, d u, the consequence of the fact that we don't have a legal migration policy in the union. and the 2nd thing to do is to have common

asylum standards in union. so there is no shopping any more possible. and a 3rd thing to do is to a really better manage our outside borders of the union outside walls of the union . yeah, and unfortunately i want to come on to the ants. i bought it in a minute, but if, if, if, if e u member countries can't agree on a life and death issue like this, what's the point of the, you the point of the you is that only on the, you level, you can manage this. you see the red brit britain cannot managers follow it needs to ask to european union to take action. otherwise, tragedies will continue. tragedies for people want to reach and want to go to a united kingdom. and the point is, art point is as a euro, as the european parliament, we have already said for years. and i hope that in the next conference in the future of europe, we will achieve that,

that we need to get rid of unanimity. the problem is that the fact that you need the approval of 27 mabis days before you can act. and in the meanwhile, such tragedies are happening because of this impossibility or to go forward on migration policy. because the unanimity or requirement that the that exist today. okay, but at the same time that is not, this is ailing on the leads out the only feel that it's not the only field the you is facing a major credibility issue because it doesn't just sell goods around the world. it tries to sell values as well, and i'm wondering which values thee was selling when poland was filmed, tear gassing helpless migrants on the border with belarus and showering them with water, cannon and freezing temperatures. not the greatest advert for e e values was it doesn't, does not make your sorry, we're not, not, not, not, you're now, you're not very objective in the way you're put your question. because the problems

at the podium border are not a problem caused by european union or caused by poland that are problems caused by luc ankle. by belarus. usa is, was in the appropriate way to treat the my dryer to use and abuse or migrants. and they got abused by pilot again, that's a problem that has been that it's a problem caused by luca change. so it's not very objective to invert the roles and to do as the migrants of the border between batteries and poland are a problem that has been caused by the european union. that's not, and you know, it's very well it's and what we have done in the meanwhile is to try to have agreements with dose countries where these people come from. so to avoid that, they are abused by a dictatorship in the neighborhood of european union, as has been the case at the last weekend months. and you are right. i deplore as you use of violence in that. so, so some of the you, it,

you vented into have resulted and i'm talking about the particularly dirty deal with the libyan coast guard, paid in effect now by d. u to hunt down my going boats in the mediterranean and take the human rights violations visited on them. can santee i, yesterday, i have that, that you're wanting it may be your next time you don't invites me or to have you interview. you invite the commissioner was responsible for that because exactly as a member of parliament. i have criticized this to what's the european commission. i am not a member of parliament we'll have to if had to policies of european union. so next time you take european commission are responsible for these matters and you ask him his questions. i'm as critical as you on the fact that this happening and as the reason why i take that european migration and assign a policy needs to become a european union matter, whether it is not today because all elements that you have to put forward the

problems in the naulty in the tragedy we have seen in a naughty the problems at the border between poland embellished the problems in the mediterranean. ah, to wear it, sir. a libya and people coming from there and abuse. there are all the consequence of the fact that all member states are responsible for that. and europe in union is not. so it's not the question of european union. it's a question of a lack of european union, a lack of european migration and asylum policy. but next time my proposal to you is invite the commissioner responsible for it because i am as critical towards what is happening in the military and in the north. he as you do, your critic go about it. the media is critical about it. the reports have been coming in and going to the u. n. and human rights organizations for a long time. and yet nothing gets done about it. why do you think that is a because a, like i, i will explain for the 3rd time of

a 4th time now that this policy's for the moment asked old policies of the member states because there is no unanimity inside european council to change this migration policies even at the moment when so many people refugees came from huh. yeah, syria and the conflict in cedar. 2 words, europe. yeah. it misses marigold said okay, be a shuffle. thus we gun at the big them. we got to take them inside germany. that was a national measure without consultation read the us. so we need absolutely a radical change in no way utopian migration. an asylum policy is treated in unit and we have to do it in a common way. we have to do it on the european level, whether good bore the management with common eyes. i'll m and a migration conditions and with a legal migration part where because a lot of the tragedies in the military and,

and in the naughty are the consequence of the absence to day of a legal way to come to work, to be active as a migrant in europe, you claimed earlier this year that e integration has been enormously important. you said to enshrine rules, rights and freedoms, into our societies in europe. but in a number of e u countries, those rules exist only on paper, don't they? and your powerless as you said, to do anything about that, hungary and poland for instance, with all the rule of law issues. they know how to game the system, does they and they can paralyze it if they want to hold up discussions on the budget, hold up this and that so far from enshrining your rules, the ear is being strangled by them isn't though absolutely not. there is a way to tackle this above. there is an unwillingness in european council under d at some states and government. and under d prime ministers are to tackle that problem. my, what i expect is that with

a new german government arriving a government of a socialist liberals and greens, that this new government will be far more critical on this issue. let's be honest about it. until now. we didn't tackle the problem and angry with didn't to tackle in, in poland. it because the european council, under the leadership of mrs. malika was not capable to do it. the volume that was gaffer is lou said they've got it on they think they had a car. sorry. the commission launched the procedure on it. and european court of justice also took its responsibility. the only institution would didn't take into responsibility was the european council. and i, i think my expectation is that with new german government arriving empower now. this will change and we will see really european union who is active using the instruments to make sure that the values in european union also applied

in countries like poland and hungary. you've criticized european leaders for lack of courage. you said the, the instruments, for instance of that with ad for dealing with rule of law issues in pakistan and hungry to exist it the instruments exist. you said only the courage among leaders is failing. so why do you think you leaders are so gutless on this issue? the of for the simple reason at that in the council, everything is decided between them. i have never seen in european council and was a long time, a member of the european council. one colleague attacking another colleague, one colleague, criticizing another colleague, one colleague, a yacht sanctioning, i should say, a, another colleague around the table that doesn't tell that doesn't work in european council. therefore, i think with the arrival of a new german government, i think that we'll see europe in castle far more critical towards what is happening in poland and in hungry. and in top of that, i think that in the future,

we need to maybe to change the instruments and changing them as it means to give to european court of justice d capability to competence. not only to give in judgments about what is happening in poland and hungary, but also to decide on sanctions. what is the case in every normal or rule of loan system in every country? so i think that fundamentally and ultimately it will be necessary to give you competence to european court of justice. what to give them the possibility to decide on sanctions towards countries that they are not applying the fundamental values of, you know, you mentioned earlier, the conference on the future of europe, which your co chairing, yet another inquiry into what europeans want from their institutions. has there ever been an organization that does not navel gazing and introspection? no, it's not, it's, it's not a consulting,

was it pumped is absolutely not that. what we are organized where the conference on the future of europe is an unseen exercise. well, we try to combine representative democracy with participatory democracy. the citizens were, you're talking about and totally 800 selected, randomly select that people are not her or not that to give their opinion or, and it's over. no, no, they are participating in the decision making process. it's will the 1st time i think in, in, in a modern democracy, a dad, the citizens are directly involved in the decision making process. that is what we are doing. that's eva, eva. i went them and not many of them either. not many of them. the numbers taking down that are known as natalia the island is, are so small as to by almost irrelevant. i don't know. i don't know. there are, for the moment that are, for the moment, 4000000 people will are on the platform who have got access to the

digital platform. the conference in the future of europe. there are $10.10 of several, tens of thousands war on daily basis. debating on the future offer d a european union, and in top of that, that has been in a scientific way, 800 people selected. and all these people have nothing to do with european union to participate in the decision making process. we have seen such err. yeah, what we called citizens convention, already in france already in ireland, already in germany. but it's for the 1st time that it is organized on a ben european level. and my expectation of this exercise is not to listen to, to citizens because we know what the citizens want. we have the euro barrow meter. we have surveys, like it's in the gaze also in britain. note, the big difference is that the citizens are, are selected, will continue to participate in not only formulating recommendations,

but also in the answers. the politicians will diff, to their wishes and to do recommendations you said to regain people as trust in democracy. we need to fundamentally revisit the way democracy's work, so they are for and with the people instead of that, why not concentrate on result? yes. find a way for $27.00 desperate countries to put together on the major problems that are facing them. something that they have conspicuously found to do. so what does what well, for the simple reason that the pressure that can be created by a participation of the citizens will be so huge that i am, i am confident that way you can find 2 ways to break the resistance off of some member states to go forward inside to european union, we need the power of the people. we need the power of the citizens inside this

conference to go to barriers, for example, the barrier of unanimity. and secondly, yeah, we need is also this new type of democracy because our liberal democracy, your liberal democracy, our liberal democracy is on the truck to day on the track from outside european union, china, russia. it's also on the inside because of the social media, social media like facebook are in their mining or liberal democracy. so a direct involvement of the citizens inside the decision making process of the european union isn't really the good answer. i take a real answer to words. yeah, this degrading the liberal democracy to the social media sbc today. why is my facebook undermining your liberal democracy? why is that the? is that the i think that's,

that's obvious. at least everybody understands that when you go on facebook and you put, i don't know what, for example, chinese communist party, on your facebook, that for the next 5 or 10 years, you will receive mostly only posts and see posts and messages concerning the chinese communist party let me think of anything you put. yeah, but if you've been, you know, how they have other things you'll get to play. sorry, let me explain the algorithm. this behind the system of facebook are made in such a way that at the end, people only see what they think and not the counter argument. and that's a very good mother to make profits in the, in us, maybe in united states. but it's a very bad mobile for. ready the plural is in our liberal democracy. let's come back to the e. you. the question is that often raised about accountability among the commission?

do you believe that this commission is accountable? how many of its commission has ever get fat once in its history? once since 958. is there accountability in the commission? no, that's not, that's not true. that's not what you're saying. you're forgot to mention the fact that this parliament at the certain moment has dismissed i who told me a whole commission once and also a commission president in the past. that's not true. so that have been many examples of, of that. but it's true that we need to increase the power of this year at the bottom and to make it a real european democracy and the power additional power that is europe and parliament need is power and fixation. that is something we are missing for dom went and the 2nd thing, what we need is the right of initiative for this european parliament to initiate

new or proposals. so if you tell me that there is not enough power for european parliament in controlling the commission and in controlling the council and in developing an emerald policy, you're righteous. we talked earlier about what you called, failing courage among europe's leaders. and in 2018 you went further and you said the union tends to be rather weak in the face of global challenges. that was pretty much the case, wasn't it? when donald trump was president, allowing europe to be lectured like naughty school children about nato funding and who you could trade with and who you couldn't. pretty degrading wasn't there, but yeah, but it's, it, it didn't fundamentally changed with bio biden or trump boat or, or criticizing a european union or for that and for good reasons. not because there is not

sufficient funding, but because there is not sufficient corporation inside europe. you know, that you'd up is spending is spending more than china on, on military expenditures. we are spending in europe without even the u. k. 4 times more than the russians on military. the problem on military in europe is not the level of spending. the problem is that we do it $28.00 times $27.00 times now after the breaks it and that we dedicate everything $27.00 times. we spent more or less 35 percent of the americans are military and we can only do 10 percent of the operations of the american army. what does it mean if you spend 35 percent of the americans and can only do 10 percent of the operations that you're treat to 4 times less f. and that's the consequence of publication. so my plea is that the fastest as possible will create as european defense community as a biller of nate, a european pillar of nato. and that's the real answer to our geopolitical weakness

and not spent a little bit more of tax money as we do today. but do you agree that one of the commissioners, cherry breton said the other day that something is broken in transatlantic relations? and that's neither a reference to trump, nor biden is, is the something that he was talking about temporary or is the trans atlantic alliance coming unstuck? irrespective of who's in the white house, my know what, what, what i see is the absolutely need for a reform of the north atlantic alliance. and why i'm saying that when joe biden is coming a few weeks ago to europe, to the nato summit, he is talking about china. he's talking about china that is in the south pacific. no, that's not the north atlantic. that means that our defense issues to day are not related only to d environment in a north atlantic, but our world wide. and there, there is

a need to reform the nato into a global work alliance off democracies. and that unaccompanied mental scale. that means that in the north american continent, the asian continent, european continent has to do a real effort to create defense communities, to defend or liberal democracies said, the nato is today still and aligns of individual countries. and what i thing is that we need to trans to tense form it into a real alliance of continental defense communities, defending liberal democracy. you want to reform nato. you want to reform rules inside the european union. you want to change the unanimity row. you want a lot of reforms and you want a federal, a federal europe at the end of it, a sort of one size fits all. it's what if you don't get any of these reforms that long enough that rosie, you got that that you have

a complete misunderstanding of what federalism is, because a one fits for all that's not that's federal is that still pulls it. it's the opposite. you see in the united states of america, united states of america, all 50 states with 50 different constitutions with 50 different armies, and so on and so on. so, when i am a, i'm a federalist, that's true. but federalists will meet means that everything, what you can do in the local level, you know, the local, what you can better do in the national level, what you do better on the national level, but where there is an added value on the european level that you have to do on utopia level and is the only way for the europeans to defend our interests, all values on in the new world order that is emerging today is emerging that exist already today. that will be a tie where it will be dis, shenise will, will be decides on our standards. we will be decide on our way of life. and the only way to counter that is to organize a federal democratic in diversity european continent. the european union gave

a hostile, it's been good to have you on conflicts on thank you very much. ah ah with ah ah, ah ah,

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