User Reviews

Why is it so hard to operate the European Union? For sure, there are real problems: economic austerity, migration, and national conflicts of interest. But what this documentary, which has obtained an extensive set of interviews with most of the major politicians and bureaucrats shows, is that the real problem is that what everyone wants in negotiations is less any particular concrete outcome, but to be seen to win. Instead of agreeing, and selling, the best solutions for Europe, or even their own countries, the various national leaders care most about obtaining what their populace will consider to be a victory over their supposed allies. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the story of Britain's relationship with the E.U. My opinion of David Cameron has fallen after watching this, as it became clear that his major problem with Europe was arguably the absense of irreconcilable differences: that he went out of his way to find points of disagreement, for the sole purpose of being able to claim he had won the fight. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this cynical approach led not to preserving Britain's relationship with the E.U., but ending it. But in some ways, Britain's Conservatives are only the worst example of a widespread approach we see from leaders of every countrt throughput this series, which by contrast actually raises one's opinion of the Brussels bureaucrats so often painted as the villains of the piece. Of course national leaders have to fight for legitimate national interest; but the best deals are struck when you don't mind losing face to secure what's important. If face is all that matters, then the dream of Europe will die, although the problems the E.U. was created to address are as live and as pressing as ever.

I actually thought this three part documentary was the story of how Brexit came about.

In fact it's nothing to do with Brexit, although the buffoons who triggered it, specifically the Bullingdon Club Pig fiddler himself, do make appearances, mainly in episode 1 (of 3).

It's a colossal achievement in storytelling, forensic research, casting and filming of pretty much all of the characters you'd want to hear from as we look at the financial crisis, the near collapse of the Euro, The Greek, Italian, Irish and Spanish crises, the rise of populism, the refugee crisis (although most of the key players refer to the 2 million or so displaced people as refugees the BBC VO insists on calling them migrants - why is this? my only gripe in an otherwise peerless political documentary.)

We meet and hear from, sometimes in great detail, Tusk and Junker, Matteo Renzi (Italian PM) Mark Rutte (the Dutch PM), Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu extensively from both Hollande and Sarkozy, the idiot that is Yanis Varoufakis and fellow fools; Cameron, Osborne, Darling, (maybe not Darling) Clegg and Hague.

It's breathtakingly exciting as deals, counter-deals with the IMF, The European Central Bank, Barack Obama, The Japanese Stock Exchange all feature.

But the star of the show for me, the goliath of European politics with a huge humanitarian heart (who knew?), an ear for listening, a mind for turning, a brain for evaluating is the one and only Angela Merkel. At one point we actually see her weep, she cares so much about doing the right thing.

It's electrifying.

Merkel stands out in this like only one other politician in this timeframe, Barack Obama. The two together are utter class and her steady hand at the tiller and her unerring attitude towards compromise and bargaining makes Theresa May look like what she is - a one-track, narrow-minded buffoon.

It's so sad that her humanitarian management of the refugee crisis has led to an upsurge in German right wing populism and the decline of her own party and her personal status. Not in my mind though. Not in the minds of good, caring human beings.

Me? I'd give her the Nobel Peace Prize.

It was brilliant from start to finish and is must watch TV.