♪ michelle: hello, and welcome to "fokus on europe." i'm michelle henery. spain's largest island, tenerife, is a tourist magnet. for its hot sun, sandy beaches, lush gardens, and for its amusement park show starring trained orcas, commonly known as killer whales. while park operators insist that the whales are ambassadors for conservation, animal rights campaigners, like this woman, say holding them in captivity is unethical and causes suffering. more about this later in the program. emmanuel macron made history when he defeated far-right leader marine le pen in this month's french election. but the country's youngest-ever

president at the age of 39 still has a tough fight ahead. his political movement, la republique en marche, is not yet a year old and holds no seats in parliament. transforming such a young party into a political force will not be easy, but members like justine henry -- a veterinarian -- tend to be young idealists, brimming with plans to change this. justine has now abandoned her career and put her aspirations for her country first. [cheers and applause] reporter: justine henry is convinced that emmanuel macron will be able to reform french politics and put an end to cronyism. she's exhausted but relieved that her efforts were worth it. for months, she campaigned day and night for macron's en marche movement. macron may have won the

election, but there is no time to rest. under its new name, la republique en marche, the party now has to make significant gains in the legislative elections in june. justine: we have to get an absolute majority. it's doable, but it will be tight. we'll have to fight, but we're used to that, and good at it. reporter: having studied veterinary medicine, she is renouncing that career path to become a member of parliament herself -- as part of a new movement that considers itself neither left nor right. justine: we don't do politics like the others do. we don't just sit around and wait till we get elected as if by right, without going out and coming into contact with people. we meet local people, we do things in a constructive and coherent manner according to our principles and our values, and that's what works.

reporter: but it's not been easy. justine henry told us that she'd fallen out with family members and friends because of her political ambitions. many could not understand why she would want to join a group of people who've fallen into disrepute because of corruption and mismanagement. justine: i argued with my mother. she doesn't understand why i studied for 10 years without ever practicing. there's been a lot of judging when i've made decisions that nobody understands. my friends say, why are you doing that, it's not you, i feel like i don't know you anymore. reporter: but henry stood her ground. she believes macron when he says he wants to support women in politics. but philosopher and women's rights activist genevieve fraisse says she's not impressed by the president-elect. genevieve: his wife plays a

traditional role. his campaign didn't seem to even know that women exist, apart from one or two who got through the door somehow. his program doesn't reflect equality. why should he be any different? there's absolutely no reason for that. reporter: but justine henry already sees a difference -- in macron's leadership style. she says that he proved during the campaign that he was willing to accept criticism from below. she thinks women simply have to insist on more equality. she also thinks that she has good chances of entering his inner circle. justine: i think i've found a foothold, otherwise they wouldn't have let me speak ahead of macron at his last paris meeting when it was clear he'd be president. reporter: while she might have climbed the movement's ranks very easily, it will be much

harder to get france's discontented front national voters on their side, as well as those who are not on the far right but have their doubts about macron's project. justine: it's a discussion i had with my mother who wasn't sure that she should vote for macron. she really considered voting for le pen. we talked about it openly. she didn't hesitate long, but she did say she had thought about it. reporter: justine henry -- part of a new generation of french politicians marching france towards a new future. michelle: tenerife is spain's largest island in the canaries. located off the west coast of africa, it's known as a place for whale watching. but it's also known for loro park, a zoo and theme park which

hosts a show with orcas in captivity. a mother of a former trainer was once one of the park's biggest supporters. but her views changed after her son was killed by one of the animals. reporter: this is keto. the orca is the star of the show at this marine park on tenerife in the canary islands. the killer whale appears to follow his trainer's every command. together with five other orcas, the two-ton mammal thrills visitors to the loro parque every day. this is a photo of keto with his former trainer, alexis hernandez. his mother says alexis always had a special connection to animals and that he was considered the most experienced orca trainer at the loro parque. until december of 2009, when something happened that his

mother still finds hard to grasp. keto attacked and killed alexis, his trainer. but that only became public knowledge much later. mercedes: in its line of business, the park had no interest in saying what really happened -- namely, a brutal orca attack -- because that would have had a negative impact on visitor numbers. so they played it down, claiming that it was the fault of the trainer, not the orca. reporter: yet the autopsy report clearly states that alexis hernandez's body displayed shark bites and internal injuries. but to this day, the marine park's owner won't call it an orca attack. wolfgang kiessling: how do i

explain it? it was an accident. accidents happen, i can't say more than that. but the animal is still with us today. the animal is loving, sociable, and friendly. how should i know how it happened? reporter: these words are like a slap in the face for mercedes hernandez. the police investigation into those responsible went nowhere. meanwhile, mercedes hernandez has read a lot about orcas in the wild. she's learned how they travel in pods and often work together, about their high intelligence, and their ability to swim over 100 kilometers a day. now, she's fighting to free the very animals which killed her son. mercedes: the traumatic experience with alexis at loro

parque has been a lesson for me and my family. it's created an awareness. now we understand that it's wrong to allow animals to be cooped up like this for shows whose sole purpose is entertainment. it's not right. reporter: but at loro parque, the show goes on. the marine park and zoo welcomed a record number of visitors in 2016 -- over one million. its director claims the park plays a role in protecting the environment. he says the orcas act as ambassadors for wildlife conservation. wolfgang rades: we're so alienated from nature. our children grow up in cities and often know little of the world around them. we're surrounded by technical gadgets, but forget we're also

surrounded by great creatures worth protecting. they're threatened by overfishing and plastic waste in the seas, and we want to create an awareness of that. reporter: but mercedes hernandez believes this is just a pretext. she says there's no lack of opportunities to experience nature on the canary islands. mercedes: around the canaries, in the sea right around us, there are around 30 different varieties of whales. so especially here in this environment, it's a huge contradiction to hold them captive. that only leads to suffering, and i think it's immoral to keep animals caged up. reporter: mercedes hernandez finds peace and solace at this little bay. here, she feels especially close to her son. she's convinced alexis would

understand her campaign to free the killer whales. she believes, deep down, he'd have known that orcas belong in the open sea. michelle: manja gibson is german, but she and her scottish husband duncan have lived in the scottish highlands for almost 20 years. raising their children while running a small hotel in idyllic surroundings, they thought their lives were picture perfect. that is, until brexit. now, not only does manja worry about her ability to stay in britain, she also fears for her family's livelihood. much of the hotel's staff are like her -- eu nationals whose right to live and work in the u.k. is now under threat. reporter: there's never a dull moment at glenfinnan house. manja and duncan gibson have run the hotel for 15 years now. they take care of the guests and the kitchen. under their management, the

hotel has won a host of accolades. glenfinnan house lies on picturesque loch shiel. it's a country mansion, built in the 18th century. here in scotland's west highlands, tourism is a seasonal trade, though the summer months are always busy. but local businesses have also had a bit of good luck. manja: with films like "harry potter," it's just been phenomenal, especially in the lochaber area, because they filmed a lot of the "harry potter" movies in the area. we've had the film teams staying here many times as well. reporter: that's because, just a stone's throw away from the hotel, harry potter's train crosses the world famous glenfinnan viaduct every day. before harry potter's time, glenfinnan and the surrounding area was just a remote region on scotland's west coast. now, it's a tourist magnet.

but brexit could change all that, because workers from other eu countries may no longer be welcome here. manja: i think the risk is that we don't have enough workers in the area to cover the summer months in all the restaurants and hotels, because we really struggle. we've tried to work with the local job center to find workers locally, and we've just found it impossible. reporter: if britain forces eu nationals to leave, manja would be personally affected, too. although she's lived in the u.k. for nearly 20 years, she's german. manja: the children were kind of worried when they heard about brexit -- especially the youngest one. she was like, oh no, mommy, you have to leave now. and i said, i don't think it's going like this. but, you know, it's a big talking point in the family, and within the school, and in the whole family life.

reporter: in spring, the west coast of scotland looks like something out a storybook, with its rolling hills, flowering gorse, and tranquil bays. in the high season, the train steams by glenfinnan twice a day. it winds its way through the highlands, then runs along the coast. the tiny fishing village of mallaig is the end of the line. some 15,000 tourists flock here every month. for residents of this remote region, it's a bit of magic worthy of harry potter himself. ian: i think the train's very important to the fishing village of mallaig, bringing the number of people that we do every day through the season. without the train there's just the one road into mallaig, so the businesses here would suffer. reporter: mallaig's fishing industry is in decline, so locals operate hotels, restaurants, and cafes instead. the region relies heavily on

tourism -- over 200,000 jobs depend on it. duncan gibson is in the kitchen, whipping up some fine scottish cuisine. the award-winning chef makes a trip to glenfinnan house a culinary treat, too. the restaurant is popular. its wait staff come from bulgaria, hungary and lithuania. this is monika's first season here, but she's been to britain often. monika: when i came here this time it was something different than the airport. they asked me a few questions, like why i came here. reporter: konstantin is another of the 10 non-british, eu nationals working at glenfinnan house. last year he was a bartender. now he's working his way up to deputy hotel manager. he thinks britain needs workers like him. konstantin: if that happens with all the eu workers here at the same time, i think there's gonna be a rebellion or something.

beause i don't think that the british economy can exist without the eu workers here. they don't have the people to sustain the economy. reporter: manja says without workers from the continent, they might as well close down. what about her personally? manja: well, i could apply for british citizenship as well. i kind of hope i don't have to. i kind of hope everything will still be in place, and that things and laws are put in place for european citizens living here on a permanent basis -- and have been living here for a long time as well. reporter: outside, glenfinnan receives a visit from a stranger who needn't worry about being asked to leave. manja gibson and her staff hope things will turn out all right for them in the end. but since britain voted to exit the eu, they face an uncertain future. michelle: sweden is viewed as a

symbol of progressive, liberal society -- from gender equality, to universal health care and education. the country was even praised for its generous welcome of refugees during the recent migrant crisis. yet as a response, radical white nationalist groups are on the rise. the extreme and fanatical nordic resistance movement has grown in numbers and infamy and are not afraid to be seen protesting in the streets. reporter: the people meeting here make no bones about their beliefs. they openly profess to being part of the national socialist community. neo-nazis from throughout northern europe have gathered here in a swedish backwater. the far-right fringe of the far-right. almost 600 members and sympathizers of the so-called "nordic resistance movement" are present. they are calling for a nordic

revolution -- the creation of a racially pure society. and they're prepared to use violence to achieve those ends. jonathan: this movement is so dangerous because it's the most militant organization among the far-right groups. it's become the dominant power in the scene. reporter: and jonathan leman should know. a social scientist, he works for the "expo" foundation, which has been obs that's why he's here today.s for thjonathan: one quarter of itsas activists were either convicted or, at least charged with the illegal possession of weapons in 2015 alone. reporter: the neo-nazis have, for example, been linked with bombings near asylum-seekers' hostels, which left two people seriously injured. sweden's domestic intelligence

agency, the sapo, has arrested three suspects from the group in connection with the incidents. the nordic resistance movement was unwilling to talk to us. but the group's political leader shows clearly what he thinks of sweden's defense minister, calling him the traitor of the people because he wants to cooperate closely with nato. the neo-nazis' website is also no less clear about what they want. they call for the, quote, deportation of people who aren't ethnic northern europeans as soon as possible. they also speak of the need to, quote, repel the powerful zionist elite and its military and economic influence. their declared aim -- to introduce a national socialist society. and they're not just active in sweden. there's also a group in norway and a very active one in finland. last september, a man died after

being assaulted at a neo-nazi rally. he had protested against their views. police arrested a finnish branch member. in sweden, the neo-nazis are concentrating on building up support in rural areas, like here in falun, in central sweden. and they're very much making their presence felt. angelica: they try to intimidate people. i've experienced that because i'm actively fighting racism, but my friends, who aren't as politically active, have also experienced it. reporter: the neo-nazis have profited from the surge in support for the sweden democrats, a right-wing populist party -- even though the party officially distances itself from the resistance movement. jonathan: there are members of the sweden democrats and representatives that express support sometimes for groups such as the nordic resistance movement. sweden democrats is a party which works in the swedish parliament, whereas this is a

revolutionary nazi movement. reporter: today, there are no clashes. the scandinavians are generally famed for their tolerance and cool-headedness. the neo-nazis represent a real challenge to those values. michelle: as church attendance continues to dwindle across europe, a priest in poland has come up with an inventive way to reach out to his flock. he figures, if the people won't come to him, he'll go to them. his car may be tiny, but this priest in lower silesia has had a huge impact on the local community. reporter: this polski fiat has been zipping through the hilly terrain of lower silesia in southern poland for the past year. the words on the side mean "mobile spiritual service." the car may be small, but the

driver, father krzysztof kauf, is anything but. on this day, he's paying a visit to the foremnik family, who've called on him for moral support. ms. foremnik, a municipal administrator, has problems with a project involving convicts. the priest offers some tips based on his own experience. krzysztof: take your time. don't be afraid, don't panic. they'll open up gradually, just be patient. reporter: after praying together, she feels better. on top of the car is a blinking priest-biretta -- like a police light. the vehicle resembles a priest's cassock, including a stole. the flames are supposed to represent the holy spirit. father krzysztof's phone number is visible, too. he wants to be accessible to anyone, anytime. now, he's off again.

the polski fiat has rejuvenated the catholic congregation here. they quickly caught on to the possible advantages of a mobile priest. one woman rang with an unusual request. krzysztof: she said, my husband is refusing to go to hospital. i just bundled him into the car. you don't contradict a priest. reporter: father krzysztof has been on call ever since his fiat polski was refurbished. now comes another call for help . a tricky situation. sylwia and wieslaw zajac want to get married in a church, but it's wieslaw's second marriage. his first marriage must be annulled first. now there's a summons, and the couple is nervous. krzysztof: they'll hear the case

again, then it goes to the next authority, and that's where the decision is made. be sure to take all your documents with you. reporter: father krzysztof's goal is to bring believers and the church closer together. behind his amusing vehicle is a serious mission. krzysztof: pope francis tells us to approach people. be on the lookout for anyone needing help. this is a return to the original gospel. jesus didn't sit around at home. he always moved around so he could help those who were lost. reporter: the next day, father krzysztof visits his colleague in the neighboring parish. he's launched a mobile spiritual care service, too. he gets around in a trabant, a car from former east germany -- but the redesign is almost exactly the same as the fiat. maciej: my trabant used to be white. now it's matt-black.

reporter: the priest points out that some of it's coming off. he's treated his own car with silicon. two priests talking auto shop -- certainly not your everyday clergy conversation. maciej: your car's already rusting. krzysztof: not yours, because it's made of cardboard. reporter: an old joke among friends. and another old acquaintance with a new purpose -- darth vader, here, is working for a good cause. michelle: that's it for today, thank you for watching. let us know your thoughts by sending me a tweet or visiting our facebook page, "dw stories." until next time, goodbye. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

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