michelle: hello, and welcome to "focus on europe." i'm michelle henery. to smoke or not to smoke is no longer the question as various countries around europe look to legalize marijuana. in shops popping up across switzerland, marijuana, arranged by variety and composition, line the shelves of self-styled cannabis supermarkets. elsewhere in europe, such products tend to change hands in dark alleys. but in basel, for instance, consumers can purchase the drug legally, and right off the shelf. "we want to dissociate ourselves from this stoner image. we sell high-quality raw materials," says this man.

more on this later in the show. it's ok to beat your wife or girlfriend provided they don't end up in the hospital. this is the message many women in russia worry is being sent to abusive men after the country's parliament passed a law decriminalizing domestic violence. instead of up to two years in prison, offenders now face the mere prospect of a fine. according to estimates, over half a million women a year are victims of domestic violence. now some fear that figure could rise even further. >> demonstrators in st. petersburg act out scenes of domestic abuse in protest against a change in russian law making violence against spouses a petty offense. it essentially removes one of the only deterrents. >> now if we beat someone in our family, we'll only have to pay a small fine. >> men who batter their wives are more the rule than the exception in russia. this incident outside an

apartment block in southwest st. petersburg is just one instance. a surveillance camera recorded a family dispute that turned savage. ekaterina: he suddenly came around the corner, and raised his arm to hit my friend. she managed to dodge him and ran off to get help. i held on to the railing. he grabbed my hair, pushed me down the stairs, and slammed my head against the asphalt. then he started kicking me. >> in this case, as in many, it was ekaterina's own husband. he had waited 40 minutes for her in the stairwell. after the attack, she took pictures of her injuries on her mobile phone, images of a hellish marriage. ekaterina: i was totally covered with bruises. there was a bruise here, a hematoma there, and on my back, too. i still have marks on my arms to this day. >> ekaterina met eduard in 2003. at first, the relationship was

harmonious. but then he lost his job and started drinking. after that came the first episodes of violence. ekaterina: once, he hit me in the elevator, right on my nose with his knuckles. i had to have surgery. i reported the incident to the police, and they talked to him. but they didn't take any further steps. later, my husband apologized. he gave me nice presents, and after a few months, i forgave him. >> finally, by december 2016, she'd had enough. the incidents were coming thick and fast, but hadn't had any consequences for eduard. the new law is all but a license for him to continue. impassively, he watches the videos his wife uploaded to the internet. eduard: nothing can happen to me. there's this new law.

it means the police can't interfere in domestic matters anymore. they no longer have any authority in private households. the law allows for a wife to be chastened once a year. a wife can also whack her husband with a frying pan or a rolling pin. >> the amendment decriminalizes domestic abuse for first offenders. repeat offenses could result in criminal charges. it passed in january with just one dissenting vote. one of the bill's authors is, ironically, a woman, olga batalina, a member of vladimir putin's united russia party. the russian orthodox church has also thrown its weight behind the law. one of its initiators, politician vitali milonov, was elected to the duma, the parliament, in 2016. mr. milonov: it's no big deal if a man or woman gets physical occasionally. the first time, they face a fine. if it happens again,they .

but remember, the state has no business in private households. all kinds of things happen between married couples. they might hit each other, but suddenly, they make up. the criticism of our new law only comes from feminists and lesbians. they want to keep women from living together with men. >> politicians like milonov play down the acts of violence and the fact that more than 600 russian women are killed in their homes every month. there are hardly any shelters or organizations for the victims to turn to. some were even recently declared foreign agents because they had received money from abroad. [phone rings] >> [speaking in russian] >> one nongovernmental organization still operating is ingo, a hotline for the victims of extreme violence.

ms. tyukina: in the middle ages, our ancestors had a tradition of chastening their wives by beating them every saturday. the wives were supposed to obey their husbands and, by doing so, contribute to a peaceful home life and a healthy spirit. oddly enough, this tradition has survived in our country to this day, and it's practiced intensively. >> ekaterina no longer expects any help from the state. she's barricaded herself in her apartment and reinforced the doors. ekaterina: i can defend myself with this. >> her weapon is an old water pipe. ekaterina: i've always got this pipe with me, even in the car. anything else he could tear out of my hand and beat me with, but i can hold on to this. it's heavy and made of metal. and i can't forget the mace. i found one i can aim very precisely. i never leave my apartment unarmed anymore.

>> back to the protest in st. petersburg. every day, an estimated 36,000 women are beaten in russia. and about 11,500 die every year as a consequence of domestic violence. michelle: and now to another scourge on society that refuses to go away -- prejudice against immigrants. despite doing work that many locals don't want to do, foreigners who earn an honest living with menial jobs in greece are often accused of taking opportunities away from native-born people. female immigrants make up a sizeable proportion of the country's cleaners, and their stories of sacrifice and suffering often go unheard. but in some circles, their efforts are not just appreciated, but celebrated -- on stage. ♪ >> back in her homeland moldova, valentina ursache used to earn

her keep as a folk singer. when that was no longer possible she left her husband and child behind and moved to greece. that was 14 years ago. valentina has been cleaning the homes of wealthy athenians ever since. valentina: at first, i cared for two elderly people. then i started cleaning. i knew i wouldn't be able to work as a singer here. >> after five hours, valentina has finished one job and moves on to the next. along the way she passes a number of closed-down businesses. the global economic crisis has increased xenophobia in greece. valentina: "go back home," "go back where you came from." i hear that a lot on the street or the bus. they say that we're taking their jobs away.

but we do work they refuse to do themselves. we do the dirty jobs. >> her accent reveals that she's not greek, and she faces prejudice every day. valentina: fortunately, there have been fewer foreigners and refugees recently. >> the neo-fascist political party golden dawn fuels the existential fears of the greek populace and stirs up hatred for foreigners. the party is now represented in the greek parliament, and its supporters target migrants. it got to the point that valentina didn't dare leave the house in the evening. then two young theater directors asked her if she would voice her fears and humiliation on stage.

the result is a play called "clean city." valentina rehearsed every evening. her fellow performers come from bulgaria, nigeria, the philippines, albania, and moldova. all work as cleaners in athens. the german-greek directors came up with the idea when they heard golden dawn neo-nazis promising to clean up athens. mr. tsinikoris: we thought, ok, let's take that sentiment literally and ask, who does actually keep the city clean? >> for over a year, valentina and the other performers have been telling audiences what it's like to clean up after other -- often unappreciative -- people, far away from home. for the 57-year-old, it's been a liberating experience. valentina: i've got over the humiliation. i want everyone who has ever

treated me badly to come see me on stage. >> at the end of the performance, valentina gets to sing as she used to do in her homeland. it's greek easy-listening music with a defiant message -- "i'm not going away." ♪ the five cleaning ladies have been touring the stages of europe promoting this message. their performance in the southwestern german city of freiburg was a sellout and a big hit with the audience, who were swept away by the courage of valentina and her fellow performers. [applause] >> who can act better than someone who's performing her own life? >> a lot of migrants are well educated, but they never get a chance.

>> valentina is proud of audience reactions like this. valentina: one day, i'll be able to tell my grandchildren that their grandma didn't just clean houses. she also performed in a play and she did a tourf europe. >> tonight there's a champagne reception. but soon valentina will be back to cleaning bathrooms in athens. still, the play has made her feel that leaving impoverished moldova 14 years ago was worth it after all. michelle: high up in the rugova mountains that span kosovo and montenegro, fitim and finik dreshaj earn their living renting out holiday homes to tourists. but the kosovan brothers say their livelihood is in jeopardy, now that thousands of hectarese transferred to neighboring montenegro.

in the former yugoslavia, the border between the two regions was never defined. these boundaries that once had very little impact on day-to-day life are now creating new obstacles for the inhabitants. >> a landscape full of rugged beauty -- the rugova mountains in western kosovo. for generations they've been home to kosovan farmers like the dreshaj brothers and their neighbor drition. but these days they're worried. a part of this mountain range will be ceded to montenegro. that's the deal between the two states. the farmers are outraged. mr. fitim dreshaj: everyone here is against the new border. we're not going to accept it. it's bad for the rugova region and all the citizens of kosovo. there was never a border here in the past. that's the whole reason our parents and grandparents moved here.

>> back then, fitim dreshaj says this land was part of yugoslavia. after the bloody balkan wars of the 1990's, an exact border was never set. but now there are plans to place a new one between kosovo and montenegro. both states would like to join the e.u. for that, they need to have defined borders. the dreshajs' livelihood is at stake. the two brothers have invested all their money in vacation homes. they spent hundreds of hours building them. a border, they say, would spell an end to their dreams. mr. dreshaj: we live from tourism here. more and more hikers are coming -- germans, english, americans. but if we say, you're right next to the border, they probably won't come anymore. >> the situation is milar for the others who live in the region. zarife is another farmer who's afraid of losing her livelihood. her sole source of income, she

says, are her sheep and cows. she doesn't know where she'll take them out to graze in future. she's also afraid that the border will cause hostilities to flare. zarife: in the war, my father-in-law lost his hand up there. >> but despite the farmers' concerns, the kosovan government in pristina is sticking to its plans. without precise borders, spokesman bajram gecaj explains, kosovo will never be admitted to the e.u. mr. gecaj: the e.u. has learned a lesson in cyprus. they're not going to accept countries that have problems with their borders. so we need to do this. >> kosovan nationalists are up in arms. for months there have been violent demonstrations and street fighting outside the government building. even 20 years after the balkan wars, borders are an incendiary issue for kosovans. the political opposition is trying to exploit that.

mr. tahiri: playing with land and playing tempers is like when you play with matches. easily you can burn your fingers. this is no game here. there is a need to set, to revoke this -- this agreement, to start new process. >> we travel to montenegro on the other side of the rugova mountains. at the interior ministry, we can see the border treaty. revisions are out of the question. mr. paunovic: the matter was done and dusted when the treaty was signed. in article 12, the foreign and interior ministers of both countries explicitly state that the treaty has been concluded in mutual accord. the treaty is a done deal. >> but the treaty does also guarantee that all kosovans will

continue to enjoy free access to the fields and forests of the region. the dreshaj brothers don't believe this will be the case. the old wounds are open and mistrust of neighbors still active more than two decades after the balkan wars. michelle: should marijuana be legal? it's an issue being explored in a growing number of european countries. while the netherlands is known for its coffee shops and germany has recently legalized the drug for medicinal purposes, switzerland permits low-potency varieties to be sold in retail outlets for recreational use. you can even have the product delivered to your door. ♪ >> this shop is in basel is just like a regular store, except it only sells hemp and cannabis products. and it's all legal.

"and there's a big selection." urban is getting some advice about what's on offer here at hanftheke. he grew up in germany and moved to switzerland a few years ago. urban: it smells intense. you can't really tell the difference. >> it's all out in the open here. you don't have to buy it in some dark corner. people have a relaxed attitude towards hemp. cannabis products with less than 1% of the psychoactive substance thc are legal in switzerland. 5 grams cost around 60 euros. mr. bernasconi: we want to get away from the stoner image. we sell high-quality produce. >> which is grown in switzerland in greenhouses like these.

it's all legal, 100% organic, and scientifically tested. the growers know exactly what substances are in the plants and how much -- just a little thc, and plenty of cbd, or cannabidiol, which has a calming effect. swiss cannabis is a high-end product. >> it takes effect and quickly doesn't make you hallucinate. >> i'm hoping it will alleviate my pain. i also heard it helps you sleep. >> it has a calming effect, like drinking a beer. >> all kinds of people come to basel's hanftheke -- young, old, students, and business people. among them are stoners, sufferers of chronic pain, and curious people. many are german. few agree to be filmed. business is good. the shop even delivers. simply order 5 or 10 grams of cannabis or cannabis oil online, and it's delivered to your

doorstep. >> the process is really easy. it's just like ordering a pizza. you just tell them what you want, and it's delivered. >> more and more swiss cities, like lausanne, have legalized cannabis with less than 1% thc. but lots of research still needs to be done. some health experts say smoking cannabis is as unhealthy as tobacco. and legal cannabis also poses a challenge for the swiss police -- what's allowed and what's not. mr. monot: they're really similar. it's difficult for the police to tell the difference just by looking or smelling. >> the cannabis would have to be tested in the lab. that costs about 460 euros, and it's time consuming, which is why switzerland's police are now calling for quick roadside tests. that would be in the interest of many consumers, too. urban wants to try some

different products, like hemp blossom or oil. he thinks hanftheke could pave the way for germany. urban: it could really catch on in germany. and hemp wouldn't be demonized as much. >> but until that day, urban and his fellow cannabis enthusiasts will have to keep their business in switzerland. michelle: for many people in the european union, brussels is synonymous with excessive, if not obsessive, rule-making. e.u. bureaucrats are known for dictating everything from the size and shape of a banana to the dimensions of a farmer's tractor seat. but on the actual streets of the belgian capital, the authorities seem to prefer a more improvisational approach to rules and regulations.

>> this is what everyday belgian solutions look like, photographed by brussels-based artist david hbich. some of these improvised fixes are odd, others flat-out crazy. but all serve a purpose. mr. helbich: i think belgian solutions are great when they actually solve problems. but maybe they just create new ones. >> what helbich has christened "belgian solutions" are usually eyesores that you wouldn't find anywhere else in europe. but in brussels, you find them on almost every corner. mr. helbich: this looks likes someone's stealing electricity. then i looked at the cable and realized it leads to the street lamp. that means the city did this. >> helbich has a collection of over 6,000 pictures of unusual solutions like these. some pictures are sent to him.

others he takes himself. ♪ ingenuity or insanity? well, it all depends who you ask. we find out what the tourists think. >> no. you wouldn't see it in copenhagen for sure, no, not as much. >> you'd never see something like that in germany. >> in germany, people try to fix things properly, whereas here -- well, it's endearing. >> maybe these fixes are a result of the brussels mentality. it's typical for this region. it's belgian surrealism. >> it's improvisation, basically. when there's no other solution available, we improvise.

>> we belgians are pragmatic. >> the same is true for belgian state institutions. the city of brussels, for instance, offers free graffiti removal of an unconventional sort. mr. helbich: there used to be graffiti here. the state's answer to that was simply to paint over it with a grey stone-colored paint. they didn't distinguish between stone, plaster, and wood. and the taggers have now painted over that. it's an eternal dialogue. the city will come and paint over the tags. it's like a conversation. you have to ask yourself, who is the street artist here? they even painted over this pole, until exactly here, so at least it's not at eye level. >> to david helbich, these are simply creative solutions.

case in point -- with a little color, this no-parking sign was transformed into a no-driving sign. nothing lasts forever, so the quirky solutions will keep on coming. david helbich won't run out of things to photograph anytime soon. michelle: remember -- it's a fix, not a fail. that's it for today. thank you for watching. until then, goodbye from me and the whole team. and do join us next week for more personal stories from all over europe. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]