IN THE CENTER RING - Brexit Off Ramp

"The EU approved Boris Johnson’s Brexit plan — but will Parliament?" PBS NewsHour 10/17/2019

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SUMMARY:  European Union leaders unanimously backed a Brexit deal with the United Kingdom on Thursday.  The next major hurdle is for British Parliament to approve the agreement -- no easy feat for Prime Minister Boris Johnson.  Nick Schifrin reports and talks to Chatham House’s Robin Niblett about how the deal would handle the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland and the outlook for passing it.

"Brexit’s fate unknown after vote to delay agreement with EU" PBS NewsHour 10/19/2019

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SUMMARY:  The fate of Brexit, Britain’s long-running plan to exit the European Union, remains unknown after an extraordinary session in the country's parliament Saturday that ended with a vote to delay a decision on Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s negotiated agreement with the EU.  Frank Langfitt, an NPR correspondent and author of, "The Shanghai Free Taxi," joins Alison Stewart from London to discuss.

BREXIT - Netherlands View

"As Europe braces for Brexit, the Netherlands sees benefits" PBS NewsHour 10/6/2019

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SUMMARY:  While many Dutch politicians say they dread the economic repercussions of the looming Oct. 31 Brexit deadline, the Netherlands is working to minimize the damage, in part by attracting some of the organizations and businesses that have already fled the United Kingdom.  NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Christopher Livesay reports from Amsterdam.

BRITAIN'S CLOWN ACT - Brexit Hardball

Act of a dictator.

"In Britain, Boris Johnson’s Brexit ‘hardball’ prompts protests" PBS NewsHour 9/2/2019

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SUMMARY:  Great Britain's political drama is intensifying this week, as the fallout continues over Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s suspension of Parliament in advance of the October 31st deadline for Brexit.  In response, some Labour Party lawmakers are trying to push emergency legislation that would prevent the UK from leaving the European Union without a deal.  Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports.

"On Brexit, British PM Boris Johnson stymied by rebels from his own party" PBS NewsHour 9/4/2019

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SUMMARY:  With less than two months until the deadline for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, the course ahead for the separation appears no clearer.  On Wednesday, British lawmakers passed a law to prevent Prime Minister Boris Johnson from executing a no-deal Brexit -- a measure supported by members of Johnson’s own party whom he had exiled.  Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports.

BREXIT - Political Consequences

"After years of Brexit turmoil, UK’s May to step down" PBS NewsHour 5/24/2019

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SUMMARY:  Britain's ruling Conservative Party is in search of a new leader, and the country in search of a new Prime Minister.  After less than three years in office, Theresa May announced her resignation Friday, acknowledging that the time for her to try to usher in Brexit had concluded.  May’s turbulent tenure was defined by the UK’s struggle to withdraw from the European Union.  Judy Woodruff reports.

EUROPE - Migrant Crisis Update

"How this Greek island proves European migrant crisis isn’t over" PBS NewsHour 5/21/2019

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SUMMARY:  Right-wing nationalists are expected to do well in upcoming elections for the European Parliament, in part due to voter weariness over mass immigration.  The European Union says the migration crisis that began four years ago is over, as new arrivals have dwindled dramatically.  But as special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports, on the Greek island of Samos, the problem may be worse than ever.

BREXIT - The British EU to Vote

"With Brexit looming, Britain will vote in European elections" PBS NewsHour 5/18/2019

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SUMMARY:  As Britain's departure from the European Union remains on hold, the country will participate next week in the European Parliament elections.  Britain's new Brexit Party is forecast to win a majority of the United Kingdom’s seats in the EU's 28-nation legislative body.  NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports.

TRUMP DIPLOMACY - Meeting With Hungarian Prime Minister

"Why Trump’s meeting Hungary’s Orban is a ‘bit controversial’" PBS NewsHour 5/13/2019

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SUMMARY:  President Trump welcomed controversial Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to the White House Monday, breaking with recent presidents who shunned the right-wing nationalist.  Like Trump, Orban has made restricting immigration a cornerstone of his agenda.  William Brangham talks to Charles Kupchan of the Council on Foreign Relations and Georgetown University about the significance of the alliance.

William Brangham (NewsHour):  For people who have not been following Viktor Orban's career or really appreciate where he sits in the orbit of European politics, tell us a little bit more about him.

Charles Kupchan, Georgetown University:  Well, as your piece said, he starts off as a disheveled liberal post-communist progressive.

He has one bite at the apple as prime minister from '98 to 2002.  And then he comes back in 2010.  And he's been there ever since.  And he essentially tracks from the left to the right to the further right over the course of his political career, and, in many respects, is a person that's ahead of his time, in the sense that he became anti-immigrant, anti-Europe, close down the borders, take over the media, compromise the independence of the judiciary, well before it became mainstream.

You now see it happening in Poland, in Italy.  The far right is gaining ground in Germany.  It's a widespread phenomenon.  He was in many respects the person who blazed that path.

William Brangham:  Former Trump senior adviser Steve Bannon once referred to Viktor Orban as Trump before for Trump.  Is that an accurate characterization of him?

Charles Kupchan:  There's no question that there is an ideological affinity between Trump and Orban.

There is, I think, an effort to create what you might call an illiberal alliance, in which Trump sides with Orban, Salvini the head of the League in Italy, Kaczynski the head of what's called Law and Justice Party in Poland, Alternatives for Germany in Germany, the National Rally in France.

They're trying to create a political movement that pushes democratic politics to the right and in the anti-immigrant direction.  I don't think it's any accident that this meeting today occurred less than two weeks before votes for the European Parliament.

It's a bellwether election.  No question that the far right, the anti-E.U., the anti-immigrant forces will gain ground.  The question is, how much ground will they gain?  How much influence will they wield in the new [EU] Parliament?

BREXIT - Further Down the Rabbit Hole

"In the UK, Brexit supporters feel their will is being thwarted" PBS NewsHour 4/9/2019

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SUMMARY:  Prime Minister Theresa May is seeking an extension for the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union, after failing three times to get Parliament to agree to her proposal.  Now some Brexit supporters are afraid their country’s separation from the EU will never happen.  Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports on the mood in Gravesham, a district south of London, which voted to leave.

"EU may offer a Brexit extension, but political complexities remain" PBS NewsHour 4/10/2019

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SUMMARY:  With the United Kingdom’s initial extension for Brexit expiring Friday, the pressure is on for a gathering of European Union officials to come up with an alternative.  Nick Schifrin talks to Amanda Sloat, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and former deputy assistant secretary of state, about breaking news of a possible reprieve for the UK and which EU leaders are taking the hardest line.

BREXIT - Britain Going Down the Rabbit Hole

"Prolonged Brexit impasse causes rising angst in the UK" PBS NewsHour 3/25/2019

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SUMMARY:  European leaders agreed to delay the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union for at least a few weeks, but there is still no deal for how the withdrawal will occur.  As the impasse drags on, protesters take to the streets and it's clear that “Brexiters” and “Remainers” alike are growing increasingly impatient and uneasy about their country's fate.  Malcolm Brabant reports from Yorkshire.

"On Brexit, Parliament’s only consensus comes as rejection" PBS NewsHour 3/27/2019

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SUMMARY:  British Parliament voted Wednesday on eight proposals for how the United Kingdom should handle a stalled Brexit, yielding no consensus beyond disapproval for exiting the European Union without a deal.  As a result, is the outlook brightening for Prime Minister Theresa May’s plan, which Parliament has rejected twice?  Nick Schifrin talks to Allie Renison of the Institute of Directors for analysis.

"After another failed vote, what’s next for Brexit?" PBS NewsHour 3/29/2019

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SUMMARY:  Parliament rejected Prime Minister Theresa May’s proposed Brexit deal for a third time Friday, though by a smaller margin than in the prior two votes.  While May vowed to keep trying to secure her deal’s approval, both the UK government and its people remain divided.  Judy Woodruff talks to Robin Niblett, director of Chatham House a London think tank, about the lack of consensus and May’s outlook.

BREXIT - On the Brink

"How ‘Brexit paralysis’ is damaging the British government" PBS NewsHour 3/21/2019

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SUMMARY:  The political divide in the United Kingdom continues to grow fiercer as the deadline for Brexit nears.  While Prime Minister Theresa May is seeking an extension for the UK to leave the European Union, every option the country currently has on the table is likely to exacerbate the tensions that have already boiled over.  Nick Schifrin reports.

BRITAIN - Brexit, You Bought It and You Own It

"With May’s plan defeated, could a no-deal Brexit be ‘ruinous’ for the UK?" PBS NewsHour 3/12/2019

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SUMMARY:  Britain's Parliament soundly rejected Prime Minister Theresa May’s revised Brexit plan.  May had secured some concessions from the European Union over the most contentious parts of the agreement, but they weren’t enough for opponents.  With less than three weeks until the scheduled date for Brexit, the UK’s trajectory remains unclear.  Judy Woodruff talks to special correspondent Ryan Chilcote.

"‘Political meltdown’ grips UK after Theresa May’s Brexit defeat" PBS NewsHour 3/12/2019

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SUMMARY:  The United Kingdom continues to face political turmoil over Brexit, as Prime Minister Theresa May failed to find enough support in Parliament for her amended agreement with the European Union.  Judy Woodruff talks to Sir Peter Westmacott, former British Ambassador to the U.S., about the most likely courses of action now, May’s “extremely fragile” majority and why Brexit matters across the globe.

"Parliament wants to delay Brexit, as May vows 3rd vote on proposed deal" PBS NewsHour 3/14/2019

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SUMMARY:  The United Kingdom's political crisis over how to exit the European Union continues.  This week, Parliament rejected the option to leave without an agreement, and on Thursday, it voted to delay Brexit for three months.  If the EU grants the extension, will it offer Prime Minister Theresa May a "lifeline?"  Foreign affairs correspondent Nick Schifrin talks to Peter Spiegel of the Financial Times.

NORTHERN IRELAND - No Border, No Brexit

"Will Brexit jeopardize 21 years of peace in Northern Ireland?" PBS NewsHour 3/7/2019

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SUMMARY:  As the Brexit deadline looms, the United Kingdom and the European Union are both feeling uncertain.  Ireland faces an especially complex dynamic; It will remain part of the EU, but it shares a border with the UK's Northern Ireland, which will not.  Twenty-one years after the Good Friday Agreement, what does Brexit mean for peace in a fraught region?  Special correspondent Jane Ferguson reports.

BREXIT - Scotland's View

"Scotland’s Sturgeon on why failure to reach a Brexit deal would be ‘catastrophic’" PBS NewsHour 2/4/2019

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SUMMARY:  The United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union in just seven weeks but still has no plan for the departure.  In fact, Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's first minister, says the UK is “not remotely prepared” to extricate itself from the EU.  Sturgeon sits down with Amna Nawaz to discuss the dire implications of a so-called hard Brexit and why she is advocating for a new Scottish independence vote.

PERSONAL COMMENT:  Love her Scottish accent.

EUROPEAN UNION - Helping Iran?

"Why the EU is helping Iran avoid U.S. sanctions" PBS NewsHour 1/31/2019

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SUMMARY:  U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 meant that Iran didn't receive some of the billions of dollars of economic benefits it was promised when it entered the agreement.  Now, France, Germany, and the U.K. have formed a company intended to direct funds and goods to Iran, bypassing U.S. sanctions.  Nick Schifrin talks to David O’Sullivan, EU Ambassador to the U.S., about their motivation.

BREXIT - Britain's Biggest Mistake Update

"After contentious Brexit vote, May to return to EU in hopes of a better deal" PBS NewsHour 1/29/2019

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SUMMARY:  Another contentious debate over Brexit concluded in Parliament Tuesday with an agreement to send British Prime Minister Theresa May back to the European Union to renegotiate terms of the UK's withdrawal.  The plan May proposed earlier this month was decisively defeated, and the deadline for Brexit is now only two months away.  Judy Woodruff talks to special correspondent Ryan Chilcote, in London.

UNITED KINGDOM - Brexit Goes Down in Flames

As I've said before, Brexit was a very bad idea promoted by extreme nationalism.

"Parliament rejects Brexit deal, leaving May to scramble for a plan B" PBS NewsHour 1/15/2019

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SUMMARY:  Just 10 weeks before Britain is due to leave the European Union, Prime Minister Theresa May vowed to press ahead despite the overwhelming rejection of her Brexit deal in Parliament on Tuesday.  If the UK leaves the EU without an agreement, many worry it could plunge the economy in recession or worse.  Special correspondent Ryan Chilcote joins Judy Woodruff for more.

EU POLITICS - Italy and Spain

"Italy and Spain shake up EU political landscape with new leadership" PBS NewsHour 6/1/2018

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SUMMARY:  Nearly three months of post-election turmoil in Italy ended with a quiet swearing-in on Friday, as Western Europe's first populist government took power.  Meanwhile, Spanish lawmakers voted to oust the conservative prime minister and replace him with the leader of a center-left party.  William Brangham gets analysis from Heather Conley of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.