♪ >> hello and welcome to "focus on europe." this week, we head to poland, where women's groups have taken to the streets against a proposed law that would criminalize abortions. poland is staunchly catholic and many members of it ruling rightwing law and justice party hope to tighten the already restrictive abortion law. opponents fear that women who believe in the right to choose will face even more criticism. and above all, these women, she said to me, do you want to kill a little baby? more on that is coming up later in the program. but first, we head to greece.

the southern european country is suffering the effects of the debt crisis more than any other nation in europe. in the face of crippling austerity measures demanded by international lenders, hundreds of thousands of families in greece are threatened with losing their homes. many of them, like the couple in our next report, are desperately doing everything they can just to keep the lights on. >> they're ashamed of their debts. for weeks, this couple has been without electricity. bills have piled up. they owe the electricity company more than 5,000 euros, but they live below the poverty line, and can't pay. in desperation, they've turned to a group of activists called den plirono, which translates as "i don't pay." >> i didn't know what to do, so i asked the group for help. i even called the government to ask for payment to be deferred. my daughter's going back to school, and i need to buy food to cook her meals!

>> the "i don't pay" movement is popular in greece. the activists go down to the electricity meter with their tools,and switch the power back on. they don't believe that what they're doing is illegal. they're simply switching the supply on. they're not stealing any electricity. the public utility companies beg to differ, but the activists say it's about making a political point. in the next few months, pressure on debtors will mount. >> more people will lose their homes. we will demonstrate our solidarity with these people who are under pressure because they can't pay their debts. >> a growing number of greeks are at the mercy of creditors. in the next few months, some 300,000 homes could be seized by the state or the banks. when the homes are put up for

auction, the activists from "i don't pay" try to occupy them. they're usually successful. the police tend not to intervene, and the creditors get unwelcome publicity. most of them refuse to speak to the media. they feel they're made to look ridiculous in videos the activists post on the internet. christostomos enotiadis is unemployed. the activists prevented his home from being seized by occupying it. he joined the "i don't pay" movement himself when a court was about to confiscate his home. >> when i arrived in court, i hadn't realized that a demonstration was planned. i was so happy when i saw the activists. i owe the bank 2400 euros. they were going to seize my apartment and put it up for auction for just 80,000 euros. >> for now, banks and authorities can get as tough as they like. they've got the law on their side.

the leftwing greek government had promised to protect the poor and ensure they could keep their homes, but in response to pressure from greece's creditors, what's known as the "katseli law" was relaxed. anna korsanou is a lawyer. she gets dozens of calls every day from people who fear they'll lose their homes. >> there is growing public anger and desperation. these people have nothing, and the government promised it would cancel their debts. that didn't happen. instead, there have been tax hikes. that makes people even less likely to pay off their debts. >> thanks to the "i don't pay" activists, the couple from athens whose electricity was turned off, can turn the lights on again, but they're still worried their home might be seized. >> that's my greatest fear. i've already consulted a lawyer, even though i can't really afford him. he's going to see if we can be let off as an exception.

all we can do is hope. >> hundreds of thousands of other greeks can only hope as well. an end to the country's debt crisis is nowhere in sight. ♪ >> now it's time for our next installment of eastwards, stories about russia. today, our correspondent takes us to a kommunalka in the northern city of st. petersburg. the communal apartment, housing multiple families with just one kitchen and bathroom, may be a bit too close for comfort, but it is a surviving remnant of the soviet era, which shows no sign of dying out. i'm in the center of town at

ligovsky prospekt number three. >> they're expecting me. in one of the most unusual apartments i have ever seen. ♪ first, a hallway, long and dark, then, sixteen rooms with sixteen families. this is a "kommunalka," a shared apartment, a relic from soviet times. it's like a journey to the past. in the heart of st. petersburg, i meet the people who make their home in the kommunalka. a home they value, despite all the difficulties. >> the power lines from the 1950's can be a problem. it's pretty awful here.

>> the kitchen is the heart of the kommunalka, with clear rules and a strict hierarchy. >> those who have lived here longer get the better parts. that means your own table and your own part of the communal stove. i was born here, so my husband and i are among the privileged ones. and this is our privilege. >> kommunalkas are an integral part of life in st. petersburg. the soviet-style collectives help people feel less alone in the big city. the shabby communal apartments are a stark contrast to the opulent tourist attractions. and they are also right in the center, in the old town, also a privilege. i pay a visit to the privileged residents in room number 3.

mama polina and her daughter alexandra are getting in some early musical education. ♪ it seems to make yoschik the cat hungry. [laughter] papa evgeny is trying to install a heating and cooling system for the winter. they don't want alexandra to freeze when the heater breaks down, as it often does. >> russia now is like the soviet union of the 1970's. the economy will ultimately collapse and a new life will begin, but not in our lifetimes. so we don't have big plans for the future. >> getting on with life, no matter what happens, a typically russian attitude that's shared by polina's neighbours. >> there's no reason we can't be happy in this country or to put it another way, there's nothing here we hate so much that we'd want to leave.

of course, russia has flaws, but what country doesn't? >> a shortage of goods is something this country definitely does not have, provided you have enough money to buy them. the produce at this nearby market sells for western prices. even though the average monthly income in russia is the equivalent of just 400 euros. the mutton has been requested by an uzbek family in the kommunalka who are going to make a plov, a dish with rice. back in the kommunalka, the boundaries between public and private realms disappear as evening approaches, especially as the aroma of roasting mutton spreads. the uzbek couple, mirzo and his wife, whose name they won't divulge, would rather not talk about russia, where they are guest workers. >> we just earn our money here and that's more than in uzbekistan.

>> uzbekistan is here in the kitchen, with rice and carrots and lots of meat. a piece of the uzbek south here in northern russia. ♪ evgeni and polina offer me chocolate and chips this evening, along with plenty of kommunalka philosophy. >> it's all fine so long as you remain in your own room. i've got to raise my voice to make sure the kommunalka stays clean. sadly, i was wasn't voted kommunalka president and so i have to constantly raise my voice and assert myself. >> and so, democracy within the kommunalka remains fraught with difficulties. you might say rather like in russia as a whole.

>> despite the strict hierarchy that residents must abide by, people feel secure in the kommunalkas or perhaps they feel secure because of it. poland is one of europe's most devoutly catholic countries, despite already having some of the continent's strictest anti-abortion laws, some members of the rightwing ruling party want to bring in even tougher rules. this is the latest in a string of controversial proposals introduced by the law and justice party since they took office last year. nationalist movements have gained in popularity across europe, particularly in the wake of the refugee crisis and terrorist attacks. but in poland, the latest battleground is the womb. >> karolina wanted to have her baby, but when she was younger, she had an abortion. it was a hard decision. poland is staunchly catholic, and it's not easy for a woman to seek a termination. now, the rightwing, national-conservative government

is considering making it completely illegal. >> tightening the law will only lead to more personal tragedies. i know what women in that situation are prepared to do. i considered taking desperate measures myself. it's hard to explain, but i would have deliberately risked my life. i just wasn't in a position to have a baby at that time. >> karolina felt she was too young to become a mother, and she knew she and the father wouldn't stay together. but in poland, neither factor is considered a valid reason to terminate a pregnancy. at a clinic, karolina encountered an anti-choice activist. >> she said she wouldn't allow me to have an abortion. it was so awful in the waiting room.

there were heavily pregnant women and mothers with their newborns. she followed me around, pushing me towards the children and putting my finger in their tiny hands. and in front of all those women, she said, so are you really going to murder such a tiny baby? >> according to the law, polish doctors can refuse to perform abortions by signing a statement of conscience. that's why at least three women a week visit this clinic in warsaw to see romuald debski, a gynecologist who performs legal abortions. many others go abroad. it's often cheaper to seek a legal abortion in germany than to get one illegally in poland. >> i've been trying to help patients for years, but it's very frustrating that women from all over the country come to me because i'm not in a position to

help them all. doctors who perform legal abortions in poland would never perform an illegal one. i'm well aware that i am under constant observation. >> women who can't find help legally have to go underground, as karolina did. >> later, i realized it was very primitive. i don't know anyone who had such a traumatic experience. i actually had to hold some of the instruments myself during the surgery. there was a pail, i remember that. it wasn't nice. >> coat hangers have come to symbolize these illegal and often dangerous practices. that's what women used to use for self-induced abortions. the staff here at the federation for women and family planning in warsaw aren't allowed to advise a woman to seek an abortion. all they can do is explain what women in similar situations have done.

some women go to slovakia or germany, says this counselor. in the german town of prenzlau, close to the polish border, there's even a polish gynecologist. >> we see a lot of women who've been through traumatic experiences, especially since the petition for the new law banning abortion was submitted to parliament. doctors are getting scared. the number of abortions, including legal ones, performed in poland is falling. women either get them by going underground or abroad. >> fear of stigmatization is growing. pro-lifers are resorting to increasingly aggressive campaigning, such as plastering up shocking images around town. >> we jus want women to understand what an abortion means. that it's the murder of a human being.

people don't understand that. that it's not just a cosmetic intervention. they're killing a sentient human being. having an abortion is a decision people can't take lightly. >> karolina does understand that, and not only since her daughter was born, but she also know that no amount of draconian legislation will stop women seeking abortions. >> you're prepared to do whatever it takes. whatever it takes. >> karolina hopes that when her daughter is grown, she'll have the right to choose what to do with her own body. >> in the aftermath of last year's terrorist attacks in paris, tourism not only slumped there, but also in brussels, where several of the perpetrators had lived and planned the attacks.

their neighborhood, molenbeek, was declared a "terrorist nest" by the media, but this summer, the predominantly migrant area has became an attraction in its own right. when i lived in brussels, friends who visited would ask to eat moules frites in the narrow streets surrounding grand place. molenbeek was an area rarely visited by non-locals, but guided tours there are now surprisingly in demand. ♪ >> these visitors are strolling through a neighborhood that used to be ignored by tourists. city guide erik nobles offers tours through the notorious brussels area of molenbeek. he receives inquiries from all over the world. people love the thrill of a little fear, especially when it's not really dangerous. >> a bit of horror tourism. i give a lot more tours of this part of brussels now. this is the neighborhood that people now want to visit. horror tourism.

>> a tour through the terror nest, as the media dubbed molenbeek. inga from poland and ali from italy are some of erik nobles' guests. they're modern young people, socially involved, and curious. molenbeek is colorful, exotic, and multicultural, but only half the people here are employed, and crime is part of everyday life. this is not your typical city tour. >> sure, at first all of us were a little afraid to come here, but now that we're here, i see there is no need to be so much afraid because things happen. but not everyone is as bad as we'd think. >> there was a funny situation on our tour. someone waved to me and called out, "hi! there are no terrorists here." [laughter] >> but there were terrorists in this neighborhood. one of the planners of the paris attacks, salah abdeslam, was captured in this building in a

police raid in march. sightseeing that puts shivers down your spine. molenbeek residents say the paris attack has ruined their image. karim naciri, an 18-year-old belgian with moroccan roots, loves his district and likes to sketch everyday scenes. he doesn't mind an increase in tourism, but terror-tourism is something else again. >> i don't think it's good at all. what use is it? if they want to view the sights and our city, fine, but to gravitate to where the raids were, where everything happened, what's the point? it's useless and stupid. >> people in molenbeek have grown used to cameras. karim says he and his friends have been photographed by japanese tourists. erik nobles doesn't take his group where the terrorists were arrested. he tells his young guests to maintain their distance and not

to take pictures. the person holding the camera is always in a stronger position than the person being photographed. >> it's better not to take pictures, and if you do take someone's picture, ask for their permission first. >> molenbeek, the immigrant ghetto and notorious breeding ground for terrorists, is suddenly hip -- at least for some visitors looking for a new thrill. ♪ >> do tours like these help or exploit the people in the areas they visit? let us know what you think about that or any of today's stories by getting in touch on facebook, email or twitter. albeit small and sparsely populated, corsica can occasionally erupt into passionate disputes. this time, the small war taking place in a little village on the mountainous island, isn't about its ongoing fight for

independence from mainland france. instead, it's over a pig's right to roam. >> gerard alfonsi is attached to the bit of chestnut forest he owns. his ancestors are all buried here near the village of piobetta, and this is where he wants to spend his old age. it could all be so wonderful -- if it weren't for the animals. goats, cows, and even pigs wander freely through alfonsi's garden. >> in the old days, they built walls here to protect the trees. this is where the wall was, but the pigs have rooted around here, destroying the wall and digging up the roots of the tree. now the roots are exposed. >> the former forester belongs to a group of retirees who have

returned to piobetta, their home village on corsica, after living elsewhere for decades. while they were away, they say, local farmers simply took over their gardens. the farmers want grazing land for their animals -- and eu subsidies. >> the more animals a farmer has, the greater the subsidies he gets and to maintain the animals, he needs land for grazing. >> this is our land. the farmers simply tell the eu, we have a few hectares here and a few hectares there, but this is our land. >> goatherd ange-paul alfonsi has lived in piobatta for more than 40 years. he can't imagine fencing in his goats. as far back as he can remember, domestic animals have always been free to wander in piobetta. >> it's good for them to get out. they eat the weeds and can move about freely.

>> the pensioners want the court to enforce their rights. they've already got a judgment against the village that says it should provide this fenced-in meadow for the animals. but how can the retirees make the animals go there? the mayor refuses to use the police. the pensioners say he's on the farmers' side. >> if you turn this water faucet on, nothing happens. let's follow the hose. see? this is the hose that's meant to bring the water. >> the retirees' court records fill a whole cabinet in the town hall. the legal battle has cost the town thousands of euros. the mayor hasn't been able to solve the problem. he says the retirees who have returned here just want to dominate piobetta. it's not true what they say. >> there's nothing to ruin on

their property -- they don't cultivate anything. they spent years pursuing their careers on the mainland, and now they're all upset about a few trees they never took care of for the last 60 years. >> with the mayor showing so little understanding, gerard alfonsi feels entitled to resort to drastic measures. when animals wander onto his property, he simply shoots them. he's been doing that for years. >> it must have been about 40 pigs and also about a dozen cows. there were a few bulls, too. >> when ange-paul alfonsi hears of this, he calls it "brutality" and says at some point the farmers will have to defend themselves. the loss of their livestock costs them a lot of money. >> it breaks my heart to slaughter a goat, and these people shoot at animals as if they were cardboard targets.

>> the pensioners are calling for law and order. they want every cow, goat, and pig behind a fence. what they apparently haven't considered is that free-range farm animals have long been part of piobetta's charm. >> that's it for today. thank you for watching. next week be sure to look out for the final report in our russia series, where we take you to moscow to get up close and personal with the capital's rich and elite. in the meantime, it's goodbye from me and whole team. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] ♪

steves: like so much of budapest, hungary's parliament was built for the big 1896 party. its elegant neo-gothic design and riverside location were inspired by its counterpart in london. it's enormous, with literally miles of grand halls, designed to help administer that sprawling, multinational hapsburg empire. by the end of world war i, the hapsburgs were gone, and hungary, while much smaller, was fully independent. but then came the nazis, followed by the communists. that illusive freedom was finally won after the fall of the soviet union in 1989, and since then, the city has blossomed.

today, hungary rules only hungary, and it's ruled not by an emperor, but by democratically elected representatives who legislate from what's now a palace of democracy. like vienna, budapest feels more grandiose than the capital of a relatively small country, but the city remains the cultural capital of eastern europe, with a keenly developed knack for good living. you can enjoy that hungarian joy of life at the széchenyi baths. soak with the locals. of the city's two dozen or so traditional mineral baths, this is the most accessible and fun. budapest is hot, literally. it sits on a thin crust over thermal springs, which power all these baths. both the ancient romans and ottoman turks enjoyed these same mineral springs. they still say, "poke a hole in the ground anywhere in hungary, and you'll find hot water." magyars of all shapes and sizes

squeeze themselves into tiny swimsuits and strut their stuff. babushkas float blissfully in the warm water. the speedo-clad old boys club gathers pensively around soggy chessboards. and the circle of rapids brings out the kid in people of all ages. after 2,000 years of experience and innovation, locals have honed the art of enjoying their thermal hot springs. budapest straddles the danube river. on the west side is hilly buda, dominated by castle hill. the royal palace marks the place where one of europe's mightiest castles once stood. since the 14th century, hungary has been ruled from this spot.