You are watching the context. Now its time for europe votes 202a. Elections in the uk, elections in the European Union. Two weeks today, 400 Million People across europe will vote to elect their representatives to the European Parliament. They will choose 720 politicians from 27 countries in what many people consider the most pivotal vote the European Union has staged since members were first elected in 1979. And by the end ofjuly, there will be new parliaments in both the eu and uk, with implications for both sides, for those negotiations post brexit, and in a whole range of areas. Most notably security, migration and trade. Now, for those who dont follow politics in brussels, you should know there are the institutions involved in the legislative process. There is the european commission, that shapes policy, the parliament, directly elected, that debates and vote on those bills, and the council of european leaders, that have an equal say in what is adopted. And at the top of the commission, the presidency. The present day incumbent is Ursula Von Der Leyen of the centre right european peoples party. The epp is projected to win the most seats again. But von der lyon will need the backing of the full parliament and the council to win a second term. There are four others vying for her post. All of them were on stage this afternoon in brussels for the last debate before the vote. The key question for von der lyon, how will she deal with the parties some have labelled the hard right, the euroskeptics and nationalists, currently split within three groupings in the European Parliament. How would she approach the italian Prime MinisterGiorgia Meloni, who no doubt will remain Prime Minister, but is standing to become an mep, and is top of the list for her party, the brothers of italy. Then were going to see whether those who are pro european and she is clearly pro european, against putin, shes been very clear on that one, and pro rule of law if this holds, and then we offer to work together. Im speaking about members of the European Parliament. I want to see where they group themselves. And then we work with the groups that are clearly, clearly pro european, Pro Ukraine Against Putin and for the rule of law. Just to double check ms melonis policies on lgbtqi , for example, dont bother you. I have a complete different approach. Ok, but thats not a red line. Thats not a. Im not speaking im not speaking of groups. Im speaking of parliamentarians that will go to different groups. And we will see, as we have seen with the discussion of the candidates, that its not clear how the different groups will be composed and how they will settle themselves. And therefore, you have to choose principles and be very clear on these principles. Im joined by eddy wax, Political Correspondent for politico, focused on the European Parliament. Im sure he watched the debate this afternoon, how do you think she did, what stood out for you . I afternoon, how do you think she did, what stood out for you . What stood out for you . I think the only interesting what stood out for you . I think the only interesting and what stood out for you . I think the only interesting and fascinating only interesting and fascinating moment of words when she put on the spot and she struggled where you played that there where Ursula Von Der Leyen made the most clear comments that sheen has made to date that she is willing to have some kind of cooperation, whether informal or formal with Giorgia Meloni, who we suspect will be collected in great number in a few weeks time. Is collected in great number in a few weers time weeks time. Is very interesting. Im auoin weeks time. Is very interesting. Im going to weeks time. Is very interesting. Im going to bring weeks time. Is very interesting. Im going to bring in weeks time. Is very interesting. Im going to bring in something | weeks time. Is very interesting. Im going to bring in something that we got from one of those who was vying for herjob, the socialist and democratic candidate nicolas schmit, who says he would never work with the extreme right. And he critisized von der leyen� s coalition for refusing to sign a declaration ruling it out. Well, certainly i am ready to work with all the Democratic Forces but i do not consider that the ecr or id are Democratic Forces. Our red lines have been clearly exposed. They have been exposed in the berlin declaration. In the declaration that many other parties have signed. Unfortunately, epp did not want to sign and this is no alliance, no arrangement with the extreme right. This is clear and i would say that on certain issues, we need clarity and not ambiguity. The tricky thing is for Ursula Von Der Leyen because she is the favourite here, is that this is a significant voting block which could be a lot bigger in the new parliament so if you are trying to get policy through as the commission is, in a crucialfive get policy through as the commission is, in a crucial five year period where people are crying out, europeans are crying out for more integration, you need that blog, you need to find a way to work with them, dont you . Orare need to find a way to work with them, dont you . Or are we headed into a period of stagnation . I them, dont you . Or are we headed into a period of stagnation . Into a period of stagnation . I dont think so, i into a period of stagnation . I dont think so, i think into a period of stagnation . I dont think so, i think the into a period of stagnation . I dont think so, i think the signs into a period of stagnation . I dont think so, i think the signs have think so, i think the signs have been there for months that this particular section of the hard right witches Giorgia Melonis part of it is having warmer ties with Ursula Von Der Leyen. Ursula von der leyen has made many trips to italy and has made a Big Public Effort to reach out to her and build up those ties. And Giorgia Meloni herself in the European Council where the meet, is also a Bridge Building Figure with the Highgate Hungarian by mr victor orban. There is an alliance here or a nascent alliance, i think it is also important for Ursula Von Der Leyen because as you said at the top of the programme, she needs the first vote and when she will really care about in the next iteration of the European Parliament, is the vote confirming the next Commission President. Whoever that may be, as you say, the front runner is Ursula Von Der Leyen. They will need 361 meps in a secret vote to vote in favour of this commissioner, Commission President , rather. I think that is certainly top of her mind when she is thinking about who she can get on board and that is in a context where the socialist may not do as well as they currently are and the greens will certainly not really be a stronger force as they really be a stronger force as they really were during that green wave that we saw five years ago across europe. That we saw five years ago across euro e. � ,. That we saw five years ago across euroe. V. , that we saw five years ago across euroe. � ,. ,. , europe. Its a really good point that ou europe. Its a really good point that you make europe. Its a really good point that you make there europe. Its a really good point that you make there and europe. Its a really good point that you make there and bear. Europe. Its a really good point. That you make there and bear that europe. Its a really good point that you make there and bear that in mind i this up. Anders vistisen, from the far right who represented the id group in the lead up to the elections, took to social media to criticised the debate. This gathering of the eus elite for a debate does not represent the people of europe, and is not democratic at all. They have chosen to exclude the undersigned and the representative of ecr, the other right wing group, even though together we represent 20 25 of all eu citizens. One of the other candidates on stage this afternoon, also vying for the top job, the italian sandro gozi from the centrist, pro European Party renew. I spoke to him yesterday in brussels, on the side of the rehearsals, and i asked him how important he views this upcoming vote for the European Parliament. I see the risk that the European Union is going to disappear politically because we are in a time of power politics. So either you give yourself the power to sit at the table or youre out of politics. So it is a transformation period for the eu. It is the most important period after the Second World War because we, the world is in a new disorder. The eu must be part of the reorganisation of the World Without military power, without industrial power. It cannot do it all. When we look at the polls, we see a shift towards the hard right, towards the populist parties, the nationalist parties, the dutch centre right. The vvd, which is part of your renewed grouping, has just aligned itself with Geert Wilders party. This is a parliament that is expanding and yet your voice is shrinking. Well, i mean, first of all, lets see what is going to happen on the night ofjune, because i Never Campaign only based on the opinion polls. I campaign to look at the results in the European Parliament. I totally screwed we totally screwed as renew europe. And we have said very clearly and we put it on paper in our alliance pact, we rule out any coalition with extreme right. So, i mean, because. So the dutch the dutch vvd are out. Thats weve made a national decision. I cannot intervene on all the 27 National Regional decisions. I wouldnt have made the decision. I think personally the mistake, but i cannot decide for the dutch parliament. I can decide for our position as renew in the European Parliament and in the European Parliament, we say no to the extreme right to an alliance with extreme right. What about the Commission President . Ursula von der leyen has said that she will seek to accommodate the hard right if it comes to pass, that they take a lot of seats. Does she get your support . Well, she has to choose. If she wants our support, she cannot open to the extreme right. I would like to remind toher that there is no difference between the extreme right of vox, of the peace of kaczynski, of georgia, moroni, of the move and the extreme right of Marine Le Pen and Matteo Salvini is not because on certain issues, there are some groups of extreme right that made the right decision, like ukraine. Then we can open our door to them. They are the same. There are two former extremists and i really amazed and disappointed with this declaration of rousseau underlined. Declaration of Ursula Von Der Leyen the closer she gets towards meloni, the more far she gets from us. One of the things thats come up again and again in our series is investment in the European Union, within the European Union and spending. The eu says publicly that it wants to spend more on defence, on energy, on technology, yet it also wants to restrict the budget. How do you Square The Circle . You dont Square The Circle. You have to get rid of this dogma of a budget of 1 of european gdp and at the same time saying that you want a European Military power, a european power, you want to fill the gap in the innovation compared to washington or beijing. This budget has been conceived in 1988. I cannot remember what i was doing. I think i was a high school in 1988 and we want to go towards 2034 with a Budget Structure conceived in 1988. You cannot drive to the future looking at the rear view mirror. And this is why we have to keep the budget and we have to add new resources. It doesnt mean new taxation on companies or people, but introducing resources like we have done with the carbon tax or the external border of the European Union. We want to make those who want to sell their product to our market pay if they made the product without respecting the new green rules that we have introduced in europe. This isjust an example. We have revised the emission trading schemes, so we have to produce new resources which first give us new financial means. Second, help us to reach those common objectives that we have. We have decided together, such as the neutral Carbon Neutrality in 2015. This is the way, in my view. Eddy wax is still with me, eddie, this is a point that gordon brown the former british Prime Minister has made, he takes an interest in what is happening. He says that not all debt is bad debt and what the European Union is going to spend on defence, integration on infrastructure and technology, it cannot work to a budget that was set in the 1980s. He has a point doesnt he . ,. , in the 1980s. He has a point doesnt he . ,. , he . Some people such as Emmanuel Macron certainly he . Some people such as Emmanuel Macron certainly believes he . Some people such as Emmanuel Macron certainly believes so he . Some people such as Emmanuel Macron certainly believes so and macron certainly believes so and there has been this plan here, or not a plan yet, but an idea, which Ursula Von Der Leyen has been dodging, rather, about whether to have commonjoint debt, common dodging, rather, about whether to have common joint debt, common debts to fund defensive spending because defence and security is really the hot topic in brussels at the moment was dubbed it whatever it is talking about. There is no eu army but there is all this talk about how to do Morejoint Procurement is all this talk about how to do more Joint Procurement and find money for common European Defence shield, how to make weapons and sync up shield, how to make weapons and sync up than Different National armies. All of that will need money as a sandro gozi was saying and some people do want to mimic the post Covid Recovery fund which was called debt and was a watershed moment for the eu and now they want to do that with defence but there is urgency now with the euro war in ukraine and russia still continuing to stop i do not know if that is going to happen it does depend on what happens after the elections. It does depend on what happens after the elections the elections. Eddie, do stay with us, we the elections. Eddie, do stay with us. We have the elections. Eddie, do stay with us, we have plenty the elections. Eddie, do stay with us, we have plenty more the elections. Eddie, do stay with us, we have plenty more to the elections. Eddie, do stay with us, we have plenty more to talk | us, we have plenty more to talk about in these elections. I want to bring our viewers some breaking news. We arejust bring our viewers some breaking news. We are just getting some reports from spain that a building has collapsed on the beach in Palma De Majorca which is very popular with british tourists, killing at least two people and injuring at least two people and injuring at least 12 in the tourism hotspot. This is the first picture that we have had on social media. You can see that it is actually a low building and we are told that it is a restaurant. Spanish media have reported that is a restaurant. The Restaurant Part of a hotel that has collapsed. Two people killed. Spanish services are saying that there are around 12 to 1a injuries of different severities. We will obviously bring you more on that when we have it. A Building Collapse there in majorca, in a resort that is very popular with british tourists in Palma De Majorca. Coming up. What does all this mean for uk eu relations . And what if it labour does win the election here on the lithjuly would that open the door to a rapprochment . We will get into that after the break. Welcome back. When it comes to foreign policy, the two parties sound remarkably similar there is full throated support for ukraine, a nuanced but careful approach to china, and there is support for israels right to defend