♪ >> hello and welcome to "focus on europe." we're showing you what is going on across the continent and the personal stories behind the headlines. i'm damien mcguinness. thanks very much for joining us. on today's program -- the belgians who want to tackle islamic extremism. ukrainians who want to join russia. and the french who want their own, rather small, kingdom. the conflict in the middle east are having an impact on the europe in many ways. one of them being that young

european muslims are being recruited to go and fight, particularly in syria. it's a trauma for their families but also a major worry for the european countries they come from. the danger is that they could come back radicalized. the highest number of recruits in proportion to the population comes from belgium. the issue has, of course, unleashed a big debate in belgian society, but whose fault is it? some there are trying to find an answer to that question. >> maximum-security for belgium's biggest terrorism trial. eight suspected numbers of the organization sharia or belgium -- four belgium are in court. after returning from syria, he revealed how belgian islamists were turning youths into jihadists. his father says the state was also partly to blame.

>> of course i blame them, and of course they are guilty because all these years, they knew what was going on. today we are two years farther, and nothing has changed. i do not see any prevention, any more border controls. today, i confirm that miners, youngsters, are still taking a plane without permission from their parents and taking a plane to syria. >> 38 other members of the organization have also been charged an instant share. they are either still on the front or dead. prosecutors accuse one man of sending them abroad to fight. he's a petty criminal known to the police, turned hate creature for the extremist group. he once threatened to attack a brussels landmark and turn belgium into a caliphate.

>> we have our religion, which is superior to your religion. we have our system, which is superior to your system, and we have our values, which are superior to your values. >> he used to be a social worker in an antwerp suburb with a large muslim population and was there when the hate-preaching career was launched at a youth center 10 years ago. >> he talked to for 10 and 15 year old here. he told them, "your fathers are not integrated here, and so they are not worth anything. they are not for islam, not for your people, not for your country." these were 14-year-olds, and i knew their fathers. >> he warned authorities, but nothing happened. he is sure that the state would have intervened if the group had been right-wing extremists, but

he says that no one -- neither the civil -- neither the state nor civil society -- wants to come across as racist when it is about muslims. >> they all try to keep well out of it and not take a stance. but when it comes to cutting people's heads off, there's not much room for interpretation. i think it's a frightening situation. >> b mayer's's radical islamist a threat, but at a joint demonstration by christians and muslims, he warned against panic . he said that freedom of expression is a fundamental right and restricting it would hit all of society. >> we have to defend our democracy, and you can only defend them with democratic tools. using undemocratic tools to fight against undemocratic groups is giving them already the victory.

>> these muslims and christians are showing unity. most belgians want to live together peacefully and in accordance with western values. these people want nothing to do with radicals, and many are worried about their children. >> we should open up more. muslims need to approach the others. the mosques should open up. we should eat together, talk together, support each other. >> the prosecutors are calling for a 15 to 20-year sentence for the main defendant. for sun, like this woman whose son is still fighting in iraq, that is not enough. she wants the man who radicalized her child to be put e-farce for the rest of his life. >> now to ukraine where parliamentary elections have just been held. the result was welcomed by

europe and the u.s., and that's because the vote passed peacefully and was won by pro-western parties. the hope in kiev is that this will help ukraine move away toward russia's orbit, but pro-russian rebels want to hold their very own rival election this coming sunday, a vote which has moscow's backing and the support of many people living there, some of whom say they do not want to be part of europe, but instead the part of a russian speaking region historically called new russia. to find out why, our reporters have been to the pro-russian region of donetsk. >> prayers for peace and for a new country, new russia is what these churchgoers want. their husbands are working in the mind next door.

their grandfathers were russians who came to donetsk during the period of socialist industrialization to work in the mines. alex's grandfather was one of that versed in a ration, and his father also worked here. the church has remained part of the patriarchy of moscow to this day. every sunday, the priest appeals to the russian patriarch or support, particularly during these difficult times. for this small community, moscow has become something of a patron saint to whom they are looking for hope and assistance. >> we want new russia to become a recognized country, a complete country, and for people to be able to live here as they want with their own history, their own religion, their own culture. we do not want others to impose foreign values on us.

>> you just cannot understand the aggression of ukraine towards new russia. it makes no sense. >> like many here, they blame the ukrainian government for the bloodshed. everyone in this mining community longs for new russia to become a reality. alec takes a quick breakfast before his shift begins. it's sunday today, but he still has to go to work to earn the equivalent of 250 euros a month. he has been working in the mines since he was 17. he rails against the oligarchs and the growing gap tween rich and poor. >> what do they do with the money? they give it all to kiev, but if we had new russia, the money would be used to benefit us here. new russia would be much better. >> the autonomous region of

crimea is responsible for its own affairs, and we want to be like them, with its own ministries and its own president. >> more than anything else, once an affordable place to live. things like that, he says, were much better in the soviet union. now nearly half his wages go just to pay the rent. >> people in russia have a much better life than we do, much better. >> how does he know that? >> we see it on tv. >> 1980's, soviet times. >> like many here, alec idealizes the old days of the soviet union and admires the glamorous image of russia presented on television. his wife, natasha, a nurse, is even more skeptical of the new government in kiev.

>> no one knows what would be better, but in ukraine, we are considered and its, so no one wants to help us. >> on sunday, the self-declared donetsk people's republic is due to hold elections to choose a parliament and the president. officials of the local government building are busy preparing for the election. an economics professor is one of them, saying the association agreement that ukraine signed with the european union would have devastating consequences for his region. >> if the agreements that were signed by president poroshenko, without the agreement of the leaders of the donetsk and luhansk republics -- if these agreements were implemented, it would lead to the shutting down of the mines and to the collapse

of our entire industrial region. >> that's because the mines do not meet eu standards. they are left over from the days of the former soviet union. right now, the self-declared people's republic is largely dependent on russia. another convoy has just arrived from moscow bringing badly needed food supplies. after months of fighting, most people in the city of den yes card dependent on outside aid. most of the elderly have not received their pensions for months. outside the municipal offices, the subject of new russia is on everyone's lips. only a few dare to express a contrary opinion. >> ukraine -- i don't want to live in russia. russia should leave us alone. i don't need new russia. ukraine is my homeland. i'm russian by origin, but this is my homeland. i love ukraine, and i want to live in ukraine.

>> others quickly shout out their disagreement. "my parents built on yet," one lady cries. "who are you to give it away?" many others, young people especially, don't dare to voice a love of ukraine in republic. they face too many threats. and yes goes once a melting pot of different cultures. these days, most people here seem to have one goal -- the establishment of new russia. >> until the 2008 financial crisis, ireland was known as the celtic tiger, a booming economy which reversed centuries of immigration, but the crisis changed all that. the last few years, educated young irish people have once again been leaving the country to find work. for some of those left behind, one of the few ways left in making money is through crime and violence, but there are those who are now determined to

offer young people a very different type of future. >> ice cold water, tough young men -- these boys are all from north dublin's working-class neighborhoods. they know violence and drugs, and they know this social worker who try so pulled the young boys out of the dead-end of their neighborhoods. they trust him, and the plunge in the icy waters of the irish sea is a shared ritual. they come out here to get away from daily life for a bit. ireland's economy started to boom after 1995, but the government preferred to invest extra income in financial operations rather than local municipalities. violent drug gangs began spreading through dublin. in this neighborhood, the apartment blocks decayed into drug dens. now the buildings are being torn down.

dean is from this neighborhood. he and his the culture of fist fights, stabbings, shootings. that is one reason he is taken seriously. >> you start to execute people, shoot people, get rid of people, it has huge effects. it's a bit scary and very unhealthy, if you are looking to develop as a strong society after 10 years of greed and mismanagement by a government. also unemployment matched in there, it's not a new mix. >> one of dean's charges, reese, knows all about that. at 18, he dropped out of school, was unemployed and a drug addict. his environment made it even worse. reese was a gang member and a drug dealer. his involvement in that scene nearly cost him his life several

times. a year ago, reese was attacked here by an out-of-control young man his own age. >> down the road where we were going, there's flats here. only for a good friend of mine came out. >> a vicious cycle of violence and counter violence. social worker dean scurry knows things will only change here when the teenagers who are

affected take constructive steps themselves. he hopes his project "get your dreams" will help young people get in touch with others who are interested in getting something off the ground. they meet at the local youth center. among them is the group that goes swimming. they are all from the same troubled part of town. he recently opened a recording studio along with his friend. they record music from the neighborhood -- they record music with other kids from the neighborhood. dean introduced the teat of musicians to reese, and since then, the three have been recording hip-hop tracks together -- dean introduced the two musicians to reese. >> to people under 20 opening

their own business, if they can do it, hope lee, it will give people their own push. >> a dean scurry's get your dreams project has had an effect. it has also dramatically changed reese's life. he started acting as well is missing -- making music. he recently auditioned for a hollywood production. >> it's not just ireland that is suffering this problem. youth unemployment is rife in many european countries, so what do you think the best way is to give young people a good start in life? let me know by getting in touch on twitter or by e-mail. now to montenegrin, which hopes to one day become a member of the european union. the country attracts foreign investors and tourists. it certainly looks more affluent than it has for years, but now,

concerns are growing about what is happening to that money flowing in from abroad. allegations of corruption and grave concerns about press freedom arch -- threatening to jeopardize montenegro's eu ambitions. >> no, this is not nice or monaco. it's montenegro, but favorable comparisons to the playgrounds of the rich and famous are welcome. it is meant to launch a kind of balkan riviera, drawing tourists from across europe, so the emphasis is on being as european as possible. elsewhere on the coast, there's less luxury, but there is still hotel after hotel. most are built in the last eight years. since independence, tourism has become the country's biggest economic factor. the european union has conducted talks with montenegro for the past two years. vacationers here would like to

see it in the eu and soon. >> i think montenegrin should join the european union because we would be one family. >> for the tourists, it would be much easier because afterwards, it will not be unnecessary to cross the borders. >> they need some adjustments under the complex system. >> why not? >> yes, why not? perhaps because this is also one of the realities of montenegro -- an explosive device goes off in front of the offices of the daily newspaper. no one was injured in the blast. it was a scare tactic, and not an isolated one. this is one of montenegro's few independent newspapers. it has accused the government that has been in power for nearly 25 years of abuse of power and corruption scandals at the highest levels, so not everyone is pleased by what it prints.

>> publicly saying that the newspaper is a monster, a state enemy, media mafia, rats. it is something which creates this atmosphere, especially when it comes from the top of the government, including the prime minister. >> last summer, a bomb exploded under his car, and it was the second at 10 against him. in 2007, he was beaten up by two men. he reports about organized crime and drug smuggling. now, he and his family fear for their lives. his attackers are still at large, but that, too, is not unusual here. >> i have the impression that someone obstructed the investigation. i think they reached a point where high-ranking and well-established people -- for

instance in the government -- would have been implicated. >> how does this harassment of journalists and a candidate for european union membership square up with the eu's declared democratic and human rights values? >> an integral part of the negotiation and processing, and one of our chapters, we have to have a safe environment for journalists. so the country can move forward. >> he believes that will take a long time. since the bomb attack on his car, he has been under police protection around the clock. he says some european standards are still a long way off in montenegro. >> across europe, there are regions now calling for more autonomy. scotland, which is right now negotiating with london for more powers, or catalonia, which wants, against madrid's wishes,

to hold an independence referendum. in southwest france, one local mayor has decided to not bother with such formalities and plans to simply set up his own state on january 1, albeit with not many citizens. >> this is the new national him -- hymn, and cows are the new emblem on the code of arms. this village is about to become a principality. a miniature state with a passport, diplomatic relations, and, of course, a government says the long-standing mayor of the village. >> you are in the governor's palace. the future government headquarters. our two co-princes will be the president of the french republic and the bishop of by own. the council will be turned into the government, and i will be the delegate. i will be the head of the government.

>> it's due to become a principality, and the 123 in habitants of the village will become its subjects. visitors will be expected to pastor customs. >> we will check the cars to make sure they do not have weapons or illicit object. >> the principality will be peaceloving and glamorous. the mayor invited regime for darrow to live your 20 years ago when she announced she had had enough of the riviera. she did not in the end, but she did become friends with the mayor. he says it's a perfect alternative to the cote d'azur with its chateau for regal events and its flowing river.

>> instead of having billionaires, yachts anchored, there will be rafts for time to time and canoes and kayaks or a great pyrenees mountain dog paddling in the water. that's just as good as the beach in nice. >> but the project is not so much about glamour as protest. like many in france, the village feels it has been neglected by the government in paris. there's not enough money coming into the coffers. people who work in the local crafts industry hope they will get an economic boost. they expect new customers as well as support. >> they always say that craftsmen are france's greatest enterprise, and that's true, but who believes us? no one. those we elect do not believe us. we hope we will be joined by more artisans. maybe we will get more attention if people talk of the principality.

>> the local farmers are also looking forward to the village's new status. >> if it is like monaco, fine, as long as there's no more taxes. at the moment, we are paying a lot of them. >> but not everyone is that enthusiastic. >> we are letting the mayor do what he likes, but we are a bit worried, a bit skeptical. people tend to make fun of us when we say where we from and ask, "are you the princess?" >> they may have a national anthem, but as a principality, it is unlikely to gain recognition from the government in paris. >> that's it for today. if you use twitter, do feel free to get in touch. it's always great to hear from you. in the meantime, it's goodbye from me.

thanks very much for watching. see you next time. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] steves: i'm meeting my florentine friend tommaso at i fratellini, a venerable hole in the wall much loved among locals for its tasty sandwiches and wine sold by the glass. -grazie. -tommaso: thank you. and when you're done, you leave it on the rack. steves: boy, it's intense in the city. tommaso: yes, it is. well, if you want to leave the tourists, let's cross the river, and let's go to where the real florentines live and work. -steves: what's that? -tommaso: the oltrarno area. steves: there's much more to this town than tourism,

as you'll quickly find in the characteristic back lanes of the oltrarno district. artisans busy at work offer a rare opportunity to see traditional craftsmanship in action. you're welcome to just drop in to little shops, but, remember, it's polite to greet the proprietor. your key phrase is, "can i take a look?" -posso guardare? -man: certo. steves: grazie. here in this great city of art, there's no shortage of treasures in need of a little tlc. this is beautiful. how old is this panting? woman: this is a 17th-century painting. steves: from florence? woman: we don't know. -maybe the area is genova. -steves: genova. each shop addresses a need with passion and expertise. fine instruments deserve the finest care. grand palaces sparkle with gold leaf, thanks to the delicate and exacting skills of craftspeople like this.

a satisfying way to wrap up an oltrarno experience is to enjoy a florentine steakhouse, which any italian meat lover knows means chianina beef. the quality is proudly on display. steaks are sold by weight and generally shared. the standard serving is about a kilo for two, meaning about a pound per person. so, both of those for four people? woman: yes. steves: the preparation is simple and well established. good luck if you want it well done. man: i am hungry, yeah. oh, look at this. ah! steves: oh, beautiful. [ laughs ] man: wow. steves: chianina beef. -woman: white beans. -steves: okay. perfect. man: and that one. steves: so, the meat is called chianina. tommaso: that's its name, because it comes from the chianti. steves: oh, from chianti. okay. and tell me about this concept of the good marriage of the food, you know? tommaso: well, when you have the chianina meat, you want to have some chianti wine, and they go together well.

they marry together. we say, "si sposano bene." steves: si sposano bene. a good marriage. in other words, the wine is from tuscany, -and the meat is from tuscany. -tommaso: exactly. you don't want to have a wine from somewhere else. that's it.

. getting ready. chinese officials prepare for the apec summit in beijing by trying to ease the city's air pollution and traffic congestion. safeguarding a sea resource, japan's coast guard steps up measures to deter chinese boats from harvesting coral in japanese waters. and envisioning a better life. advocacy groups fighting child poverty search for ways to support struggling families. glad to have you