Brussels, my love? Can EU capitals club together to defend defence?

Summary

This week on 'Brussels My Love', we delve into the EU's defense ambitions amidst increasing global tensions and the aftermath of Portugal's legislative elections, which saw a significant political shift. The EU aims to bolster its defense industry, moving towards joint procurement of arms in response to external threats, as exemplified by Sweden joining NATO. Meanwhile, Portugal's election results reveal a surge for center-right conservatives and the rise of a new right-wing party, reflecting wider European political trends. Our panel, including experts and MEPs, discusses the feasibility of the EU's defense strategy and the implications of Portugal's elections for the upcoming EU parliamentary elections, emphasizing the importance of European unity and resilience.

Takeaways

• 📚 The EU aims to reduce dependency on non-EU countries for defense supplies, looking to revamp its defense industry by promoting joint procurement of arms.
• 🌍 After eight years in power, Portugal's Socialist Party faces a significant loss in legislative elections, with a surge in support for center-right conservatives and a new right-wing party.
• 🔒 Sweden's accession to NATO, ending 200 years of neutrality, signifies a strategic shift and a stronger EU-NATO partnership in defense.
• 🧑‍💻 The European Commission's defense industrial strategy includes boosting Europe's defense capabilities through joint procurement, akin to the COVID vaccine acquisition strategy.
• 🛡️ The necessity of European defense integration is underscored by global geopolitical shifts towards a multipolar world and the challenges posed by aggressive states.
• 📊 There's a growing debate on balancing investments in defense with the need for public support, amid broader societal challenges like healthcare and the cost of living.
• 🛠 Portugal's snap parliamentary elections reflect a broader European trend of political fragmentation and the rise of far-right movements, with implications for EU policy and unity.
• 🎓 The European Parliament's discussions on defense and security highlight diverse opinions on the EU's strategic autonomy and the balance between military investment and peace efforts.
• 🌎 The impact of Russia's actions in Ukraine on European defense policy, with increased calls for EU solidarity and capability building, is a pivotal concern.
• 👍 The spotlight on Spain's women's football team at the European Parliament emphasizes the importance of gender equality in sports and beyond, highlighting ongoing challenges and achievements.

Q & A

What main topic was discussed in the show regarding the EU's future plans?

The main topic discussed was the EU's plan to change its reliance on defense supplies from outside the bloc to ramping up its own defense industry, including promoting joint procurement of arms.

Why has Sweden's stance on neutrality changed, according to the discussion?

Sweden's stance on neutrality changed due to a deep shift in the global context, moving from a unipolar world to a multipolar one, with an empire looking to expand on the European continent.

What does the EU's defense industrial strategy aim to achieve?

The EU's defense industrial strategy aims to promote joint procurement of arms, similar to the procurement strategy for COVID vaccines, and seeks political and financial backing for developing Europe's defense companies.

What were the outcomes of the recent Portuguese legislative elections?

The elections showed a big surge for the center-right conservatives and a new right-wing party, leading to the Socialists losing power after eight years of rule.

How did the EU react to Sweden's NATO membership and its implications for EU defense?

EU officials welcomed Sweden's NATO membership and began considering ways to develop Europe's defense companies further, recognizing the importance of building a stronger EU defense industry.

What financial measure is proposed in the EU's defense strategy to support Ukraine?

The strategy proposes using windfall profits from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, along with facilitating more cooperation between member states for defense procurement.

What are the challenges associated with joint procurement for defense in the EU?

The challenge lies in getting member states to cooperate on defense, as historically they have procured independently and prioritized national interests over joint action.

How does the current global context influence the EU's discussion on defense?

The multipolar world, with emerging threats and an empire seeking to expand in Europe, underscores the need for a robust defense strategy and enhanced EU defense capabilities.

What impact did the EU elections have on Portugal's political landscape?

The EU elections led to a shift in Portugal's political landscape, with the Socialist Party losing power and the rise of new right-wing and center-right parties.

What is the significance of joint procurement for arms in the EU's defense strategy?

Joint procurement for arms is significant because it aims to consolidate the EU's defense capabilities, reduce reliance on external suppliers, and ensure a unified and strategic approach to defense procurement.

Outlines

00:00

🗳️ EU Elections and Defense Strategy

The segment discusses the upcoming EU elections and the focus on defense strategies. The panel, including Maria João Rodriguez, Martha Muchnik, and Sandra Padic, weigh in on the importance of Europe's defense industry and the commission's proposal for joint procurement of arms. The conversation highlights the changing security environment in Europe due to Russia's actions and the need for a unified European response. The panel also touches on the recent inclusion of Sweden in NATO and the potential for increased defense cooperation among EU member states.

05:02

📢 Public Opinion and Defense Spending

This paragraph focuses on the public's perception and support for increased defense spending in Europe. The discussion revolves around the need for a common European industrial defense strategy, with a specific mention of a 1.5 billion Euro budget allocation for 2025-2027. The panelists consider the effectiveness of joint procurement for armament, similar to the approach taken during the COVID-19 pandemic for vaccines. They also debate the importance of building European defense capacity and the potential use of profits from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine and facilitate cooperation among member states.

10:04

🌐 European Security and Public Support

The conversation in this paragraph emphasizes the importance of public support for European defense initiatives. Panelists discuss the varying levels of understanding and perceived threats across different European countries, particularly between Western and Central/Eastern Europe. The discussion highlights the need for European leaders to convince their populations of the seriousness of the security situation and the importance of building resilience and defense capacity. The panel also considers the role of enlargement strategy and the importance of public opinion in shaping policy decisions.

15:05

🏛️ Portuguese Elections and Political Fragmentation

This segment analyzes the outcomes of Portugal's snap parliamentary elections, which resulted in a significant shift in power. The Socialists lost their majority after eight years in power, with the center-right alliance Democrática emerging as the largest party. The rise of the far-right party Chega, led by André Ventura, is also discussed. Panelists consider the implications of these election results for the European political landscape and the challenges of forming a stable government with a fragmented parliament. The conversation touches on the need for politicians to connect with voters' concerns and the potential impact on upcoming European elections.

20:07

👩‍🦱 International Women's Day and Gender Equality

The discussion in this paragraph centers on the significance of International Women's Day and the progress made in gender equality, particularly in sports. The segment features the Spanish women's football team and their advocacy for equal opportunities in sports. The panelists reflect on the importance of female representation in sports and other areas of society, emphasizing the need for continued efforts to address gender inequality and violence against women. The conversation also highlights the role of the European Union in promoting women's rights and the importance of having strong financial instruments to support these initiatives.

Keywords

💡EU Defense

EU Defense refers to the collective military and defense efforts and strategies of the European Union member states. In the context of the video, it highlights the discussion on increasing Europe's defense capabilities by promoting joint procurement of arms, similar to the cooperation seen during the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines. This concept is crucial as Europe seeks to reduce its reliance on weapons from outside the bloc and enhance its own defense industry. The proposal for joint procurement aims to unify European countries in strengthening their defense capacities in response to changing global security dynamics.

💡European Parliamentary Elections

European Parliamentary Elections are significant political events within the EU where members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are elected by citizens of the member states. The video touches upon the upcoming elections and how defense, among other issues, could influence the political landscape and party manifestos. It provides a backdrop for discussions on various political and social issues within Europe, including shifts in power and the rise of new parties.

💡NATO Membership

NATO Membership is mentioned in the context of Sweden abandoning its 200 years of neutrality to join NATO and how this affects the EU's defense posture. This move signifies a shift towards greater security cooperation and alliance-building in response to perceived threats, reflecting a changing geopolitical landscape. Sweden's accession to NATO is seen as a step towards strengthening collective defense capabilities in Europe.

💡Joint Procurement

Joint Procurement in the video refers to the EU's strategy to unify its defense purchasing efforts, akin to the cooperative approach used for COVID-19 vaccine procurement. This concept is vital for understanding the EU's push towards self-reliance in defense capabilities by pooling resources to achieve better bargaining power and efficiency in acquiring military equipment, thus enhancing the EU's strategic autonomy.

💡Defense Industrial Strategy

Defense Industrial Strategy is highlighted as the European Commission's plan to bolster Europe's defense industry. The strategy aims to promote joint procurement and development of defense capabilities within the EU. This initiative seeks to bridge the gap between rhetoric and action in European defense policy, reflecting a concerted effort to adapt to the evolving security environment and reduce dependence on non-EU suppliers.

💡Portuguese Legislative Elections

The Portuguese Legislative Elections are discussed in the context of the surprising outcome that saw a significant shift in political power. The elections are analyzed for their potential impact on EU parliamentary elections and serve as a case study of voter dissatisfaction with incumbent parties. This discussion sheds light on broader European political trends, including the rise of new parties and the changing political landscape.

💡Socialist Party

The Socialist Party in Portugal is mentioned as having lost power in the recent legislative elections. The discussion around the party's loss and the reasons behind it—such as issues with the cost of living and sectoral protests—provides insight into the challenges faced by traditional parties in Europe. It also highlights the dynamics of political accountability and change within EU member states.

💡Far-Right Surge

The Far-Right Surge in the Portuguese elections, symbolized by the rise of the party Chega, is analyzed for its implications on the broader European political scene. This surge reflects growing populist sentiments and dissatisfaction with mainstream politics. The video examines how these trends could affect the forthcoming EU parliamentary elections and the overall political climate in Europe.

💡Defense Capabilities

Defense Capabilities are a central theme, emphasizing the EU's efforts to enhance its military strength and resilience. The discussion revolves around the need for Europe to build up its defense capacities, accept common standards, and ensure joint procurement for armament. This concept is integral to understanding the EU's strategic response to global security challenges and its pursuit of autonomy in defense matters.

💡European Defense Fund

The European Defense Fund is mentioned as part of the EU's initiative to finance its defense industrial strategy, including a specific budget allocation for defense projects. This fund is pivotal in the EU's efforts to support joint development and procurement of defense equipment, highlighting the bloc's commitment to strengthening its defense industry and capabilities through targeted investment.

Highlights

EU elections around the corner with a focus on defense as Europe buys the majority of its weapons from suppliers outside the bloc.

After eight years of Socialist rule, Portugal sees a surge for the center-right conservatives and a new right-wing party in legislative elections.

The European Commission's defense industrial strategy aims to promote joint procurement of arms, akin to the COVID-19 vaccine procurement strategy.

Sweden's historic shift from 200 years of neutrality by joining NATO and the implications for European defense strategy.

The rise of multipolarity in the world and its impact on Europe's defense policies.

Discussion on the feasibility of the EU's new defense proposals and the political and financial support needed.

The importance of building a European defense industry to strengthen the EU's defense capabilities.

The potential use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine and promote cooperation between EU member states.

The need for a comprehensive defense strategy that includes building resilience, protecting citizens, and upholding democratic values.

Debate on the role of public support and understanding in implementing EU defense strategies.

Discussion on the possibility of sending European troops to aid Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict.

The implications of Portugal's legislative elections for the broader EU, particularly the rise of the far-right.

Analysis of the fragmentation in Portugal's Parliament and its potential impact on governance.

The significance of having female representation in leadership positions across various sectors.

Celebration of St. Patrick's Day as a global event and its cultural impact.

Transcripts

[Music]

hello there and welcome to Brussels my

love your news's weekly talk show about

the news bubbling here in Brussels and

Beyond I'm ma McMahan thanks for tuning

in coming up this week with EU elections

around the corner and party manifestos

being printed out one word coming up

more and more is defense today Europe

buys eight in 10 weapons from suppliers

outside the block something the

commission wants to change by

fundamentally ramping its industry what

does that mean in reality and is it just

a pipe dream and after eight years of

rule Portugal has said to the

Socialists last weekend's legislative

elections showed a big surge for the

center-right conservatives and for a new

right-wing fire brand we analyze the

frustration with the governing party in

the country of 10 million people and

check what all this could mean for the

EU parliamentary elections taking place

this June let's meet our panel this week

Maria jao Rodriguez the president of the

foundation for European Progressive

studies Martha muchnik senior EU Analyst

at the international crisis group and

Sandra padic project officer from the

Wilford Martin Center for European

studies thank you so much for coming

into to us it was pretty busy week for

MEPS especially as well over in

Strasburg B there was big votes on the

AI act on the media freedom but actually

what we want to zoom on zoom in on here

is defense which will be of course one

of the big themes next week at the EU

Summit despite the rign the mood was

euphoric last Monday as the Swedish flag

was raised in

Brussels after 200 years of neutrality

Sweden's Armed Forces now form part of

NATO as does its sophisticated domestic

defense

industry meanwhile EU officials have

started scratching their head for ways

to develop Europe's defense companies

the commission's recent defense

industrial strategy looks to promote

joint procurement of arms just like how

countries work together to buy covid

vaccines but the question is will it get

the political and financial backing it

needs to

work so Maria let's start with you how

realistic is this

proposal well I would say that first of

all is important to welcome Sweden um

membership to to Nato uh but we need to

ask how come a country which has a

strong tradition of neutrality decides

to ask for NATO membership and I think

this is because we are confronted with a

a deep change of the context so we are

coming from a moment where we had the

collapse of the the Soviet Union after

Cold War then we went to a unipolar

moment now we are in the multipolar

world and one of the polls is an

Empire willing to expand and it is in

our

continent this is the situation we are

confronted with and this is why we're

having this conversation on defense and

we're speaking about things that many

years ago perhaps would have been taboos

Martha from the perspective of the

international crisis group I know your

father following as well this um these

talks on defense every step of the way

did you follow the proposals from the

commission recently on their strategy

and what is your take on them uh yes yes

we we've been following these proposals

as well as all the debate on security

and defense and just to add to Maria's

comments I think it's it's uh security

and defense are really at the Forefront

of the eu's agenda right now uh Russia's

war against Ukraine of course has really

put uh these topics at the Forefront of

of of the European council's agenda you

see successive European councils

increasingly being dominated by Foreign

and security policy issues which wasn't

exactly the case until uh recently so

this has completely changed the security

environment of of Europe and this

strategy I think in a way is meant to

sort of bridge the gap between rhetoric

and action because one of the things

that uh many EU leaders have been sort

of uh accused of if you will is the

discrepancy between the stated rhetoric

of Russia's aggression and then the

capacity to act and I think this uh

commission's proposal uh sort of tries

to bridge that Gap um and we as crisis

group we of course support that uh we we

have been saying that Western Aid is

vital for Ukraine's Survival on the

battlefield and that the the choices

that Europe will need to make are

essential and will bear significant

impact on Ukraine successes uh in the

battlefield while also the commission

president Leander line in Her speech in

Strasburg recently she was calling on

MEPS to wake up calling on the whole

Block H to wake up in fact and security

and defense played a huge role at the

European people's Congress as well last

week um in Bucharest Sandra Pasar you

were there of course with the Wilford

Martin Center how do you weigh in here

on this debate well as a cow and

somebody who was born in 1991 during the

war for the independence war and

Serbia's aggression on my home country

Croatia a war was never a conract it was

something it was a reality and it was a

reality even that happened after the

second world war we had indeed a war on

the European continent so therefore I'm

very pleased that finally we're talking

about a common European industrial

defense strategy with its own cash part

of one 1.5 billion euros for it which is

the so-called European Defense

industrial uh program which is aimed I

mean we'll see now uh because this

commission is coming to an end but most

probably uh it should happen until the

next year 2025 and this should also be a

focus of the next let's hope uh the

fondel Lance Commission of the of the

next period 2025 so for that we'll have

to wait and see and of course for this

strategy because now it's just a piece

of paper on the table it's a proposal

and we can show you more in fact what's

in that proposal you already mentioned

the 1.5 billion Euro from the budget of

2025 to 2027 but also um there's an idea

there to use winful profits from Frozen

Russian assets to support Ukraine and of

course facilitate more cooperation

between member states but that's always

a tricky one isn't it for for member

states to cooperate especially on areas

like this where in the past they've

procured and only thought of themselves

really when it comes to buying arms but

look uh we just learned this with the

pandemics we invented something new

called uh joint procurement for vacines

now we need to have joint procurement

for Armament and is important to really

to build up European Defense capacity

accepting common standards because if we

put our capacities together this makes a

quite important uh total capacity and

the joint procurement also help and then

we need to build the industrial base for

for this nevertheless I'd like to

underline that if we ask what is war

nowadays war is not just a military

conflict this is in fact the

confrontation of two different choices

of uh Society on one hand we have one

Society uh which is in fact an Empire

trying to expand and uh base on

something which is not democracy uh

we'll have this weekend election of a

president which in fact uh will remain a

weak president because who can be strong

if he's elected on the basis of total

absence of

debate and on the other hand we have our

Democratic societies based on uh citizen

choices and we need to build our

resilience and Rel is about defense

capacity it's about financial capacity

is about protecting our citizens and

protecting our democracies so you're

very clear on we need to do and what is

at stake but are we to get there I think

in order for us to get there we need

public support and um uh I'm not sure

personally the extent to which there is

uh sort of an understanding or a public

support on the part of public opinions

in Europe and I say specifically Western

Europe uh I think there's a clear

understanding where that there's an

exential threat in Central and Eastern

European countries I'm not sure the

extent to which this is an existential

threat in Western Europe and I think

European leaders will need to do a lot

to convince their own populations of the

gra gravityy of the situation if that's

how they perceive it we're not obviously

in Strasburg but MEPS were this week so

we wanted to hear their take on this

proposal as well so we sent our reporter

Ida Sanchez to the corridors to turn the

your news microphone on them take a

listen well it is indeed a very

ambitious program uh but I think we need

that ambition right now we also look

around the world we look at traditional

partners that we've had which might end

up uh in in a logic of isolationism and

therefore European Union needs to be

able to stand on its feet when it comes

to defense it's a timely package no I

would say it's completely the wrong way

we are going on it's not right to uh

rearm all the time it's not right that

we try to build up a military Union we

should work on peace of the world on uh

peace uh in Europe and this is not the

case now so two very different opinions

there and oslam deir by the way she's

the vice chair of the security and

defense committee in the European

Parliament so you can imagine just how

heated the debates are on this topic

Martha would you agree with her or do

you think that's a bit

naive um I I think that the the right

answer is probably a middle ground of

course I think it's clear that Europe

needs to take greater responsibility for

its own security to act more as a

security provider uh for its own

neighborhood it can't depend on the

United States and it cannot depend on

what voters on the other side of of the

Atlantic decide to do regarding its own

security if it's an exist existen if

Russian aggression is an existential

threat as we as as many European leaders

perceive it to be then we need to ramp

up production we need to uh ramp up uh

defense capabilities and and work

towards that goal but at the same time

we need to keep uh open the possibility

of talks and dialogue uh with Russian

when the time with Russia when the time

comes uh to sort of when we feel like

there's enough signals from Moscow that

uh there could be that suggest that

negotiations could happen on terms

compatible to Ukraine security and

European long-term security as well

would you agree with that well those

statements that we just heard was from

the exiting Ms we are having elections

now in June and the European people's

party is even calling further not only

are we talking about this uh industrial

defense strategy that is very needed

we're also talking and calling for a

commissioner for defense and sec

security we're also calling for a

council on defense and security we're

also calling on common procurement we're

also calling on opening and Innovation

defense Innovation office in Kiev um and

the European people's party is also very

much aware that defense it's not only

about attacking or going into war with

sad is also about the the tance and this

is also very important point and uh this

is also a it's going to be a very

structural and central point of uh of

our election campaign defense migration

and climate as and also that was very

clear in your Manifesto but not perhaps

as clear in your Manifesto you were in

Rome of course on stage as the Socialist

Congress were meeting just a couple of

weeks ago what role will defense and

security play in your messaging to your

potential voters well uh you can be sure

that we are very clear on the need to

build up European Defense capabilities

we cannot be naive but let me say

something very

clear we European societies we are

peaceful societies we don't want to make

Wars on the others we don't want to

invade the others when Putin is saying

is under threat of being invaded we need

to say loud and clear for whatever the

Russian citizen listen to us today this

is completely wrong this is

fake and we have a war which is also a

battle of narratives and Putin's

narrative is completely invented so so

how will you cter that when you speak to

your

voters uh but on the other hand we

cannot be naive because in fact there

was an invasion of European country

abiding to our values and therefore we

need to have a a bold strategy and this

means to build up defense capacity to

build our resilience as Society so

protecting our CI and democracies but

also let me also underline a very

important Point enlargement strategy

because we have made a choice about this

and just but I'm sure our viewers are

looking on here saying who's going to

pay for this because they struggling to

make un meets they're worried about

Healthcare they're worried about issues

to their heart so what would you say to

them uh it's yeah it's a it's a very

good question I think it's what I've

already said I think it's about putting

this issue in the the campaigns of

national legislative elections for

example we just had Portuguese elections

and we are going to speak about that in

a moment but the those issues were

completely absent from the debate this

is just an example uh so it's about

clarifying the electorate of what it

means of the consequences of Ukraine's

defeat so uh those are the choices it's

about clarifying the electorate about

the choices that they have to make but

that those debates need to happen inside

European societies and just when it

comes to Ukraine the reason we're having

these conversations is of course because

the war is still very much ongoing

almost three years on and we all

remember a couple of weeks ago the

French President Emanuel mcon what he

said how he was willing to put all

options on the table how did you

interpret his comments well for me he

was just fishing for some headlines to

be honest because uh he wasn't really

reflecting uh the image and also the

position that France has because

according to Kel's um Institute for

World economy France is 22nd out of 27

EU member states that uh have eight

commitments made a commitments in

percentages of their national GDP to

Ukraine so therefore he's obviously

trying and France is one of the

countries that is spending the most on

defense in the so obviously according to

their equipment um they just want to

have a greater position but he doesn't

know how to how to express it so for me

it it was a complete nonsense was a

complete nonsense I mean look uh yes the

the words were not completely uh the the

the right kind of words

nevertheless uh a war means to put real

means on the table which is now underway

and on the other hand to keep

possibilities open but without

specifying and you went too far by

specify this is my critical uh comment

on this well the whole debate then

opened up about whether or not we should

be sending European troops to help

ukrainians who are clearly exhausted on

the ground there's a massive recruitment

plan over in Ukraine we've heard reports

as well of of young men just being taken

as they go to the supermarket and told

to go to the front line because they're

needed so desperately and there's also

the draft mobilization bill um we've

seen the Czech president wein Peter pavl

saying that there was nothing to prevent

NATO member states and European

countries sending troops as well as

civilians to help Ukraine uh fight this

war from your perspective what what

would you say

here um I think that ascending troops

Western troops to Ukraine is a very

premature discussion I don't think we're

there yet I don't think uh we as crisis

group of course we are we reject any

type of escalatory rhetoric that can

sort of contribute to escalation of

tensions and to bring a direct

confrontation with Russia uh so we

believe that this type of rhetoric is

not helpful uh in any way to bring an

end to the conflict and as much as we

support Western that you know Western

Aid uh to Ukraine should continue to

should be a priority for European policy

makers there's a big difference between

that and and uh and uh engaging in very

escalatory rhetoric at this point but

I'm sorry because I think the real

probably which is I hope on the table

for the European choices in the European

elections is on one hand we need to

build up European defense capability on

the other hand we need to have means to

conduct the green transition the digital

transition to protect our and all this

is costly so uh from my every point we

Europeans we need to be prepared to come

up with much stronger Financial

instruments uh combining uh joint uh

issue of uh European depth uh two

Finance very important priorities which

are unavailable that's a big debate in

fact that's coming up I've seen a lot of

editorials on that point would you have

a say I mean I agree definitely it's

about prioritizing and we'll see this in

the next legislative period but also we

need to be aware that we are already in

certain point uh and at a certain level

in a war with Russia there are cyber

attacks we're going to see also now

interference in the European elections

so there is a real opposed threat

because nowadays Wars are not only being

uh fought on on front in air on on the

Sea on the land they're also being

fought in cyber uh Spectrum uh and this

think should go from here from EU

countries they should mobilize no this

is far far away from saying uh no no no

this well just on something concrete

there was some good news this week for

Ukraine on um revamping their military

assistance and that was the 5 billion

euros European peace facility that was

agreed on on Wednesday by ambassadors

here in Brussels after months and months

of wrangling is this a good news uh yes

that's definitely a good news this was

something that was being withheld for a

long for a few weeks months due to

Franco German differences on the

modalities on reforming this Ukraine

assistance fund I I think it's

definitely news that should be welcomed

we don't know exactly how the fund is

going to work and uh and and uh I I've

seen reports that the fund is meant to

reimburse uh to not to reimburse sorry

to that the bilateral Aid uh donations

are going to be calculated and factored

in in this fund so uh I there's still a

question mark about what if this is

entirely new money for Ukraine but in

any case this initiative coupled with a

Czech Le initiative of buying ammunition

uh to deliver to Ukraine are very

positive signals and I think a signal

also that Europe is sort of going in the

right direction and before uh starting

discussing sending troops to the ground

these are the issues that we need to

focus on I this this is more concrete

and just on their differences the Franco

German differences there will be a

meeting this Friday between Emanuel mcon

and Olaf Schulz the chancellor but I'm

afraid we are out of time for that topic

but I'm sure we'll be hearing about it

of course much more in the coming months

but stay with us because after the break

we will have an update on the Portuguese

elections see you

[Music]

soon

welcome back to Brussels my love your

news's weekend talk show with me mave

McMahon now this week the European

bubble was digesting the outcome of

Portugal's snap parliamentary elections

that saw the Socialists wiped off the

map after 8 years in power the big

Winners the center right aliance

democratica then the Socialists and then

third place went to a newish party on

the scene chga an anti-establishment

nationalist group fronted by Andre

fentura a former football commentator

seemingly and aspiring priest Maria you

are of course a Portuguese politician

you represent the Socialist group what

went wrong how did you lose touch with

the people well uh Socialist Party lost

for a small margin two seats in the

Parliament and 50,000 votes but it

lost uh and so we need to take stock

seriously why from my viewpoint uh the

record has been positive in the sense of

uh turning the page of austerity after a

very painful financial crisis Euro Zone

crisis in Portugal and then start to

raise salaries creating more jobs

raising growth but at the same time

that's why the Portuguese Cas is very

interesting it was possible to reduce

public deficit public depbt to raise the

ratings so it was considered an

interesting case how can we have a

budgetary responsibility on one hand but

also improve people's lives nevertheless

then we are confront with cost of living

and uh several uh criticism and protest

coming from particular groups in the

health sector in the education sector

even in security Farmers okay and let's

bring in some more views we have two

Portuguese around the table we're very

privileged here well I know one of the

big headlines in Brussels from this

election was of course that's a very

divided Parliament as well I mean what

are the reactions have you heard around

here uh yes it's a it's a very

uh divided party uh Parliament a very

fragmented Parliament so I think we're

following the general European Trend

where sort of we're seeing a bit the

decline of the traditional dominance of

the Central right the cent center right

or the center left um so no stable

majorities uh we don't know if there

will be elections anytime soon soon

again because it's very difficult to

Envision how the government will be able

to how the new government will be able

to govern uh without a stable majority

and of course the rise of the far right

it's a serious source of concern uh for

Portugal it was a very rapid uh rise I

mean until 2019 this political party

shega was created in 2019 until then we

didn't have far right in in in Portugal

niandra Andrew fentura um is all over

the papers this week right from the

central perspective we could perceive

the elections with uh on a positive and

a negative side positive is obviously

that our candidate L Montenegro who was

also one of the key speakers um at the

Epp Congress last week he won the

elections and the Socialist they not

only did they lose by two seats by by

the margin of two votes but they also

lost around I think 74 77 seats in the

National Assembly and also those

elections were called after the

corruption allegations against former

prime minister Costas so um the good

news is that now from the from the

European parliament's perspective in

Europe you only have four socialist

governments and this is ahead of the

European elections on the other side um

Andre Ventura indeed he he is the I

wouldn't say the winner but he he did he

did win the the majority and he grewed

his support by 16% comparing it and he

won all the headlines I mean let's be

honest everyone's been talking about

Andre Fen through all week um but we

wanted to get more reactions as well

from Portugal so we spoke to the climate

analyst Dart Costa who told us what this

election could mean for the upcoming

European

elections this election in Portugal is

of utmost importance for the rest of the

EU we are three months away from the

European elections and what we are

seeing here is one of the strongholds of

European support we we know Portugal is

one of the most pro-europe countries and

when I say Portugal I mean the people of

Portugal this country is now being taken

over by the far right if we love Europe

if we love Brussels like your program

says we have to do something I think our

European EU bubble has failed in making

this European project that is so

important so beautiful so unique in the

world close to people's lives D the

Coster there making the point that

governing parties are far away from the

lives of ordinary people and he told us

he's so frustrated with the state of his

country he's actually running for

elections so you might see his his face

pop up a little bit more but I mean

you're all part of this EU bubble has

the bubble failed Martha to get the

message a I I think it's unfair to say

that the bubble failed I think National

politicians and mainstream politicians

also failed in addressing the concerns

of the voters in trying to be more in

touch with what the voters uh are

concerned about in their daily lives not

a lot of debate has been happening in

Portugal about what do this 1 million

voters that voted for Andre Ventura are

they all racists xenophobes far-right

are they voting for andent because of

ideological reasons not necessarily A

lot of them uh I mean we know that sheer

has been capturing votes also from the

farle so uh it's not necessarily because

of ideology of course we there are some

who who are voting we are also seeing a

normalization of the farri rhetoric but

I would also say Andre Ventura is a

textbook politician populist politician

he really used a very very simple

messages to get across to to reach out

to the citizens because also what is

very interesting for this elections is

that you had the biggest turnout in

since 1995 you had

66.2% and he reached out to the young

voters very young voters who really have

problems with youth unemployment who

have housing issues uh the renting

prices they're going up and we could see

this all all across Europe he's reaching

out to the young voters not only using

their media channels social media but he

also uses people who look like them he

also uses young people that are aged

from 18 to could you take some trips

from him perhaps uh look I think it's

really important to make a distinction

between the far right leaders on one

hand and people voting for them and we

need to understand people's concerns

because in fact they are people's

concerns and uh and uh my point is that

um the solution proposed by the farite

is not the good one why for two main

reasons one because far right argues

that we can meet people's concerns by

just uh changing National policies no

most of the problems need to have action

at National level local level but also

European level how can we deal with the

uh climate migration but their

communication skills are stellar and

they're obviously where the people are

whether that's they promise what they

cannot deliver and I'm afraid we'll have

to leave it there because we've run out

of time but it's a fascinating

discussion we will definitely come back

to as we get closer to those June

elections but thank you so much for

being with us and thank you so much for

watching take care and we'll see you

soon here on Ur news and of course if

you need more analysis urs.com

[Music]

welcome back to Brussels my love I'm

mave McMahan and along with mariaa

Rodriguez Martha mnik and Sandra pasaric

we're just taking a look back at the

news of the week and one image that

really struck us on the heels of course

of international women's day was that of

famous Spanish football Ballers taking

center stage in Strasburg you might

remember their met too moment last year

when the former Spanish soccer

Federation president Luis rubiales

kissed the midfielder Jenny hermoso

during the awards cermony this week the

ladies told the European Parliament why

it was so important for them to be

there for what has been achieved in

recent years to move forward for

progress

but what we should really be here today

for is not for the past but for the

future we have to push forward this path

hand in hand and it involves as with

almost everything else

education sport excites transforms and

educates we must know how to use it

correctly we must give girls all over

the world female role models in which

they can see themselves reflected and

I'll tell you one thing the next Alexia

pelus is out there the next Bon mati is

out there and the next diani is out

there they just want a chance and we

have to give it to

them strong message there that we

shouldn't perhaps just be focusing on

the beckhams the ronaldos of the

football world but also the pudas and

the Bon Mattis the famous Spanish female

footballers sander what do you think has

changed of anything since those World

Cup events well I have been indeed

following this in real time the the in

famous now kiss between rales and Jen

aroso and you could see really the

Spanish uh audience

the Spanish public divided so it was not

so much about that the Spanish national

team female team won the the World Cup

but it was more about this incident so I

would also say the images that we just

saw is one side of the coin so you see

there a perfectly Spanish team uh female

Spanish team winning the cup also female

European parliament's president but also

on the other side of coin there is still

a lot of domestic female violence also

in the public you could also see in um

condemning also Jen aroso that that she

was uh looking basically she was

consenting This Kiss so there is really

a long way to go and the European

Union's approach should be really

comprehensive uh and more aggressive

towards the the women's rights and

equality I think this episode was

deplorable but what really matters is

that when it comes Sports uh gender

equality means for women to have equal

chances to practice all kind of sports

and this team has won the World Cup and

they don't have the conditions to

practice soccer as as men because they

are uh working women in other jobs they

need to pay for their engagement in

sport so there is a lot to be done this

legislature was quite uh productive in

this sense because we could adopt

directives on equip pay on women's in in

boards in work life balance we improve

access to care services and many would

argue many would argue the reason was is

because we had a female Europe

commission president yeah

which bring in Martha on that I agree

with with what s both Sandra Mar have

said I I but I think it's key to have

female representation in key positions

of power whether in sports the private

sector journalism politics uh anywhere

and only then will things actually

change uh and will these issues of uh

sexual harassment abuse of power uh

gender pay gender inequality will be

effectively tackled when we have women

at the top deciding on these matters and

also regardless of the fam Committee in

the European Parliament there is still

not um not a definition of a conent

based definition of rape on the table so

there are a lot of uh women suffering

from this basic right of uh indeed but

I'm afraid we have run out of time thank

you so much Maria Rodriguez Marta mnik

and Sandra pasaric for being with us

here and thank you so much for watching

and I couldn't sign off of course

without wishing everyone a very happy St

Patrick's day although the 17th of March

holiday began as a Christian Feast now

it's a global week-long celebration of

all things Irish as usual if you have

any comments for us here please reach

out Brussels my lovey yournews decom

that is our uh email address you can

also catch us on social media and stay

tuned for next week we'll have a very

special edition we'll be live from

Brussels with the studio audience stay

[Music]

tuned