and hello, and a very warm welcome to "european journal", our magazine from brussels with storieall across europe. here ishat we he for you. whe jewish families are contemplating leaving france. spain -- while more horses have to be rescued from the slaughterhouse. informants on the church board.

france's jewish community is the largest one in the eu, and french jews are particularly shocked at the series of attacks in toulouse. the perpetrator first killed three french soldiers. in his eyes, there were los souls. then he shot dead three jewish childrennd a rabbi. the attacks have renewed public debate in france about immigration and fundamentalism. those topics are now dominating the election campaign, and the attacks have already changed the daily lives of jewish families in france. >> the knapsacks are packed. he accompanies his daughters to school. after the attack, french jews are more cautious than before. the rabbi wrs a cap over his yamulke. not everyone has to see that he is a jew. his children attend the state's goal, not the district jewish school. that already increases the

danger. >> we are careful, but a tax always come when you least expect them, so there is no point in driving yourself crazy. otherwise, you cannot live a normal life any more. >> many french jews stressed that they refuse to be intimidated, but in the past, antisemitic attacks have frequently been carried out at schools. the police hav now reinforced their ptection fo jewish schools. jewish life and culture are heavily guarded. in paris' jewish quarter, no one wants to barricade themselves. these young people dancing and singing jewish songs when they see the camera. they are french, but many also identify with israel. >> the murder of -- the murder toulouse said h wanted to enge the deaths of palestinian

children, but palestinian parents miss use their children as shields, and then we are depicted as murderers? them to the perpetrator was not much older than these young people. a confused radical islamists. and he is not the only one. hate crimes are increasingly committed against jews in broad daylight. many feel threatened. a climate of fear has spread. anna, another daughter of the rabbi, is afraid of gangs of islamist youths. >> i wear a star of david on a chain. i want to continue to wear it, but i keep an eye on who gets on the bus. when the gangs from the suburbs get on board, i quickly slip it under my sweater. >> islamist against jews, members of one minority against another. with the attack, terrorism has resurfaced in france. the french political parties

suspended the election campaign out of respect for the mourners. michelle, who conducts research on racism, says that the extreme right will use the attacks to further polarized french society. in this broadcast, the national party leader, says it is time to wage war against these politically religious fundamentalists who are killing our children. >> the big advantage just now is that it no longer stands for antisemitism but for a struggle against the muslims. but, of course, anti-semitism is still there. just a few months ago, the ball s stag by right-wing extremists. >> france is the home of europe's largest jewish community. jews felt welcome here, the in the past, french society has harbored concealed resentment of them. for a long time, france did not officially recognize that the regime collaborated with the nazis' persecution of jews.

now, the terrorism of a radical arab has the jewish community worried about whether it can protect itself. at a memorial event for the victims, this imam called on his fellow muslims to distance themselves from anti-semitism and to show unconditional solidarity with the jewish community. for his stance, he has received murder threats from radical islamists. >> i am afraid that the fundamentalists will grow ever stronger, and i am also afraid that muslims will also be launched in with fundamentasts. modera musms are caught between a rock and a hard place. radical islamists and french racists. >> more and more jewish families wonder whether they have a future in france. each year, about 2000 french jews to immigrate to israel.

in france, the family continues to celebrate the sabbath. they refused to leave their home country and, thus, face a challenge. >> we had the impression that nothing can happen to us because we were born after the show, and something that terrie simply could not happen again, but for about 10 years now, that has changed. now, i think that we, too, live in danger. every generation is in danger. >> sabbath candles and a prayer in the shadow of the attack the rabbi's family trust in god to protect its five children from extremists. >> can greece managed to implement reforms and get on its own two feet again, paying off its debts a rebuilding its economy? be honest, not everybody in europe is convinced, but those who have lost faith in the greeks are ignoring the fact

that it is not just the political elite who are hard at work. change is also happening at the grassroots level. many greeks have started rolling up their sleeves. for instance, in the country's second-largest city. >> the mayor, a political independent, is trying to turn things around in greece's second largest city. there is so much that needs changing. the reform plans pile up on his secretary's desk. >> it is already signed, but we still have a lot of process. >> reelected mayor just over year ago. before that, for 25 years one party, the conservatives ruled that city hall, watching cronyism and bureaucracy burgeon and the city stagnate. >> the typical greek

administration was nothing but obstacles placed in the way of the citizens. no clear structures, nobody in charge of anything. one task was carried out by seven different people, but none felt personally responsible. it seemed as if all the procedures of the administration had a single goal -- insuring that nothing happened. >> but now, a lot is happening. he says the most important thing is to make city hall's administration leade of its 32 departments, he already cut 10. >> a lot of people will curse me. we have 4000 employees where 2500 will be enough. they cannot be fired. they have tenure. but they can get further training and be made to do their job. >> he is 69 years old. for years, he managed one of greece's most successful vineyards. that experience is useful now.

he is running the city like a business. he is not relying on plic gid party politicians but on young specialists -- he is not relying on party politicians. it is a university city, and he wants to see students with modern professions stay here after their studies. immigration is a big problem in greece. >> younger people see that things are moving forward in the city. >> it is about time. so you are staying? >> who else is going to stay? >> to make the city more attractive for residents and tourists alike, it is expanding cultural offerings, but without spending more than expected revenues. >> we are creating a precise financial plan and considering how to use the meager funds we have. we do not want the money to trickle away. we've worked together with private enterprise and seek sponsors.

>> this here is the old roman market. >> the team woos tourists with the city's greco roman byzantine, jewish, and ottoman history. the city's poor relations with neighboring turkey have improved. the mayor was successful in getting a direct flight established to istanbul. the city is also grooming itself for taurus, trying to get its garbage problem under control. the first 2500 containers for a new garbage separation and recycling system modeled on germany's are alrea in use. >> we want to profit from the experience and know-how german cities have with waste management. >> is changing so much that he has provoked resistance from the city's traditional conservative establishment. during the 2010 election campaign, the head of the greek orthodox church refused to give

his blessing. the clergyman is still skeptical about the mayor. >> he has his dreams and ideas, but i do not think that are always in line with the will of the majority in the city. >> but the mayor is not worried. he is certain that the city's modernizers are growing stronger. >> without a tie in with my gold earring, i am not popular with the sleepy conservative men in suits who do not want to change anything, but their number is dwindling. >> because no one can fail to see that a lot must still change, he has to rush off to his next appointment. in the car,e will work on further reforms. the documents he needs are already at hand.

>> it was a bet on the wrong horse. the crisis in spain started when the real estate bubble burst and the era of cheap loans was over. building projects were canceled, and companies went out of business. the south of the country was particularly hard hit. nearly every third person is out of work. the region is famous for horses, but feeding and looking after horses is expensive -- too expensive for many people. they are now simply getting rid of the animals. >> extra let is gradually getting better. it was recently arrived in very bad shape of this recovery center. her honor had neglected her. they are now making sure she gets the care she needs. >> we had to rescue her because she was injured. her owner had put a chain around her leg.

>> estrella is not an isolated case. the santa maria recovery center has dozens of horses with similar stories. after the animals owners were unable to afford the roughly 500 euros a month needed for stabling, feeding, and caring for them, increasingly, forces arsimply being let loose. >> horses used to be a status symbol. anyone who had some extra cash bought a horse, but now, with the economic crisis, people are cutting out all the extras. >> the staff of the recovery center keep finding courses wondering free -- horses wondering free. many have been injured in traffic accidents. the two-lane highways are especially dangerous for the animals. alonzo go mess from the police department's environmental

protection division says they are drawn especially to the roads. >> the horses look for spots ere they can graze in peace, where they can find more food. that is often on the roadside. office -- also, the asphalt is warmer than on the fields, so the horses are looking for some comfort. >> forces are a traditional part of the region and horse breeding is a lucrative business, but prices are falling. three years ago, this purebreds dallin could have sold foup to4,00 euros. toy, his market value is 10,000 euros of the most. >> the crisis is affecting all of us, but you can still make money with horses. others were worth nothing before, and they are worth even less now. that is why most of them are slaughtered.

>> many end up at the slaughterhouse. >> some readers prefer to bring their fun wondered forces to the slaughterhouse said they did not have to sell them for less than their meat value, and so the image of their breeding program does not suffer. them the slaughter house pays 300 euros perforce provided it is microchip and approve for consumption. the slaughterhouse owner hopes the offer will keep forces from being abandoned. slaughter is not an option for the santa maria recovery station. concordia and virginia are concerned with the welfare of

the courses, not of their owners. they tried will the owners to account, but with limited success. >> sometimes we cannot find th owners. and even if the horse does has -- have a microchip and theres an official owner, often nothing happens because they cannot pay the fine because they are broke. >> in spain, abandoning horses is a misdemeanor, not a punishable crime. many of the animals at santa maria are awaiting adoption, but that is increasingly unlikely at a time when fewer people can afford to keep a horse. >> the communist dictatorships in eastern europe all have one thing in common -- each had a secret service.