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Episode 01
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00:02Europe I would not want to miss this rich in history and culture absolutely beautiful for
00:13centuries this continent has played a central role on the world stage but this is Europe's
00:22most perilous moment since the second world war this is the bunker it faces an aggressive
00:29Russia an ambitious China it's quite shocking to hear you say that it is much closer right now to
00:37Beijing than it is to Washington and Europe's most powerful ally can no longer be fully relied on I
00:45said if you're not going to pay your bills we're not going to defend you I'm Katya Adler and after
00:53years of living and working in Italy France Spain and Germany I've got to know them really well you
01:01said that Germans don't have an excellent sense of humor so how are these four countries with mainland
01:08Europe's biggest economies responding to this turbulent new world there are a lot of police
01:15lands behind us what strengthens them oh wow it looks like a shark and what weakens them
01:24in this episode I'll begin my journey in Italy this is not a face of Italy for its government
01:33wants people to see before continuing on to Germany this country is having a bit of an identity crisis
01:57Italy it's a country really close to my heart it feels so good to be back in Italy it makes
02:07me happy
02:07my mum's best friend is Italian and over the years I have spent a lot of time living working and
02:14visiting
02:14here I'm in Siena in the middle of the country it's stunning architecture and rich history draw
02:26millions of tourists every year and there's one age-old tradition that pulls in the crowds more than any
02:35other paleo time in Siena and they're off and so we'll have the jockeys be soon it's the first
02:40horse home that wins for more than 300 years twice every year the city's central square has been turned
02:48into a racetrack the different neighborhoods of the city compete fiercely against each other in a
02:55bareback horse race called the palio the porcupine is one his district supporters go wild with joy
03:04this is where the palio the horse race takes place and now's the best time to come here actually I
03:11have seen the palio many times it is so packed for the 90 seconds the race lasts you cannot see
03:17a thing
03:20and that's why this time it's not the actual race I've come to see it's the build-up when the
03:29passion
03:30for the palio can really be understood since medieval times Siena has been divided into 17
03:37miniscule neighborhoods called Contrade it's these areas sometimes made up of just a few streets that
03:45compete against each other during the palio rivalries are so fierce the teams keep their horses closely
03:53guarded in the days leading up to the race so this is dragon territory but I've been allowed a sneak
04:00peek
04:00at the horse from the dragon Contrada laura bonelli is one of the leaders here
04:12and there's been a guard with the horse and that's as far as I'm allowed to go so as not
04:25to spook the
04:26horse it's almost impossible to overstate how seriously each Contrada takes this event and how much a Contrada
04:36matters to its members the Contrada is much more than the palio can you explain to us what it means
04:44in in your life my car closer to the amore a car closer to the amicizia to a legami et
04:51a con unentita
04:54diciamo una una comunità each Contrada has its own colors with which they deeply identify
05:25in the days leading up to the race the horses leave their stables for various rituals chaperone's
05:31by members of the Contrada here comes the horse there he goes so the Contrada will all follow behind
05:54sometimes different Contrada and their horses come face to face
06:07ten Contrada are competing and each one is just bringing their horse out for show
06:14and singing the song of their Contrada so that these guys over here and they are singing
06:22against another Contrada over here there are police here because later tonight it can come to fisticuffs
06:40each Contrada is so desperate to win the palio that some even call on higher powers for help
06:47so this is a very somber moment we're going to have a blessing of the horse
06:55the palio is colorful and intense but it also reveals so much about this country and that is
07:04the real reason I'm here so much about the palio is about ritual and tradition it is peculiar to Siena
07:11but the divisions that you have here the strong bonds between very small groups that tells you a
07:18lot about Italy and Italians that you need to know if you really want to understand this country
07:30on the evening before the race I've been invited to the highlight of the preparations
07:36a grand feast in celebration of the dragon Contrada
07:42wow this is quite something
07:48and you know what it's really rare for outsiders to be let in
07:54the whole Contrada is here around 900 people and across this city other Contrada will be having similar celebrations
08:03in the audience
08:04it's the first time I'm at dinner
08:10with a Tarah
08:11that is an important opportunity for us because most of us our parents
08:17is a very difficult thing to understand but it is a strong sense of identity
08:38In some ways, it's even more than family, stepping in where the Italian state doesn't.
08:45There's often been a sense here that the authorities are absent,
08:49not looking out for the welfare of their citizens.
08:51So, Italians have learned to build their own local networks of support.
09:07Can you imagine life without your contrada?
09:12Possibile.
09:21Well, that was quite something, wasn't it?
09:24And that's the reason I wanted to come here to Siena, not just because that is spectacular,
09:29but because it is a vibrant illustration of what Italy is all about.
09:36This is not a strong united country.
09:40It's actually made up of self-contained units of trust, just like the Contradi.
09:51I'm leaving Siena now and heading south to Calabria.
09:58Calabria is the toe of Italy's boot and the only region in Italy I've never visited before.
10:06It feels a long way from Siena and the wealthier north.
10:11It reminds me of how Italy was when I was a little kid.
10:15It's just delicious.
10:18Even by many Italian standards, Calabria is off the beaten track.
10:24So much so, that even my sat-nav can't help me with directions.
10:35It's great they're going to lead us the way.
10:37It's too complicated.
10:48We're being shown the way by this fantastic vehicle.
10:53Listen to that motor.
10:55It's too good.
10:57This is what I love.
10:58I love, I love, I love, I love.
10:59I love that I get lost and then these guys just go,
11:02I'll show you the way.
11:04Brilliant.
11:12You're a hero.
11:17Ciao.
11:17Ciao, ciao.
11:20That is the best tourist guide I have ever had.
11:23Fantastic.
11:27Calabria's coastline is stunning.
11:30But it has far fewer tourists than most other regions in Italy.
11:39I'm not going to stay dry for very long.
11:44I have always wanted to come to Calabria.
11:47The thing is, most Italians haven't been to Calabria either.
11:51And you'd think with beaches like this, it would be stacked with visitors.
11:57Oh, my God.
12:03OK.
12:09There are good reasons why fewer tourists come here.
12:18It's less accessible, for one, but also, for generations, this part of Italy has been dominated by the Mafia.
12:27You see a lot of poverty in Italy's south.
12:30You always have done a lot of neglect.
12:32And historically, that has opened the door to Mafia clans to come in here and form states within the state.
12:41They offer protection or justice, maybe a bank loan for a new home, but always at a really high price.
12:53Italy has four major Mafia clans.
12:57The one that's active in Calabria is the Ndrangheta.
13:02It's one of the most powerful criminal organisations in the world.
13:07And its control over local politics and business has made Calabria hugely corrupt.
13:15Before coming here, I was told very clearly by locals there were certain areas I shouldn't go and definitely should
13:23not film.
13:26I've come to a courthouse where there's a Mafia trial involving the Ndrangheta.
13:42In 2016, Maria Kindamo was murdered.
13:46A man is on trial accused of disposing of her body.
13:51Antonio Cozza is the lawyer acting for Maria's family.
13:56So how did it go in there?
13:58Processes are always delicate, any kind of process.
14:01But absolutely, when we talk about Mafia, when we talk about Ndrangheta,
14:06we have to make sure that it's a more difficult process.
14:11Because Ndrangheta imposes dignity.
14:15The case of Maria Kindamo is testimony.
14:18Let's say that there was absolute silence.
14:26The Mafia has a reputation for violent retribution against those who speak out.
14:32But Maria's brother, Vincenzo, wants to tell me about his sister and what the Mafia are alleged to have done.
14:39He's asked to meet me at the farm she ran with her husband and where she disappeared.
14:45It feels strange for me doing interviews like this because I know I'm going to be poking at somebody's wounds.
14:53But Vincenzo said he wants to speak.
14:57The more we talk about the Mafia, he says, the easier it is to beat them.
15:06Ciao, Vincenzo. Ciao. Ciao.
15:09What are you doing?
15:11Aggiustiamo lo striscione che è caduto.
15:14This is Maria, your sister?
15:15Si.
15:16Ok.
15:17There she is.
15:18Una.
15:21Penso a Maria, penso al suo sorriso e penso la sua forza, la sua determinazione.
15:31She's so gorgeous.
15:34Quanti sogni, quante speranze.
15:35She looks so happy.
15:44Maria had three children with her husband, Nando.
15:47They ran his farm together.
15:49But they separated.
15:51And soon after, Nando took his own life.
15:56His family has been linked to the Mafia.
15:58And after his death, the Mafia allegedly wanted revenge, as well as the farm.
16:06Maria wouldn't give it up.
16:07And on the 6th of May 2016, a farm worker called Vincenzo to tell him his sister had been attacked.
16:28Do you remember what was going through your head?
16:40You found her car with blood on it.
16:42But you didn't find her body?
16:51Oh, my God.
17:03Oh, my God.
17:09The idea of destroying a body and feeding it to the pigs, it just sounds to me unimaginable.
17:41It's now ten years since Maria disappeared.
17:44And so far, no one has been convicted.
17:46Of her murder.
17:48The trial continues.
17:58I still can't quite believe that there are chunks of Italy that still live in the world of the Godfather
18:06films.
18:06And Calabria is fighting back.
18:09But in the meantime, the Mafia has infiltrated politics in Italy and absolutely the economy.
18:17And yet this is a G7 nation, a big power in the EU and in NATO.
18:24It's an astonishing weakness in a major European country.
18:28And ultimately, it leaves many Italians feeling vulnerable, like the authorities just can't look after them.
18:42My next stop is Venice.
18:47For many, this is the most beautiful city in the world.
18:53I love the crumbling grandeur of Venice.
18:59And especially that in all the faded glory, you have your knickers hanging out on a line.
19:08Like so many of Italy's great cities, Venice used to be a powerful city-state.
19:14At one point, an empire in its own right.
19:17It only became part of Italy in the 1860s.
19:21It's days like today, I feel like the luckiest person alive to be doing my job.
19:28Whoop!
19:30Hi.
19:35But I'm not here just to see the sights.
19:38I'm here to see how Italy's unique character shapes its outlook and its role on the European stage.
19:51Murano is a little corner of Venice that's famous worldwide for its glassware.
19:59Luciano Gambaro runs one of the more than 60 glassblowing workshops here.
20:05La tradizione del vetro di Murano è una tradizione secolare.
20:10E noi tuttora siamo riconosciuti come la patria mondiale del vetro artistico.
20:18But glassblowing is an energy-hungry industry.
20:23Ecco.
20:25Vedi?
20:25Qua, come senti, fa molto...
20:28Oh, yeah.
20:28Eh, molto caro.
20:29It's like a hot wind hitting you in the face.
20:32Ci sono attualmente mille, cento e dieci gradi.
20:36The furnaces need to stay on 24-7.
20:39And that means they use a lot of gas.
20:43Much of that used to come from Russia, because it was cheap.
20:47But when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022,
20:51sanctions against Moscow cut off that Russian gas.
20:54Energy prices spiralled, along with Luciano's bills.
21:00Noi lo pagavamo 20 centesimi al metro cubo.
21:05E questo succedeva a settembre 2021.
21:08A agosto 2022 siamo arrivati a 2,80 euro al metro cubo.
21:1414 times more expensive.
21:16Esattamente.
21:17Oh, my God.
21:18Quindi un periodo in cui si rischiava di mettere in gioco
21:22filiera produttiva del vetro di Murano.
21:26Ecco perché tante volte noi ci carichiamo.
21:29Oltre la preoccupazione non è dovuta solo a quello che succede a noi,
21:33ma anche a quello che succede, può succedere anche a chi collabora
21:36e lavora con noi.
21:37E le loro famiglie.
21:39So in the end, what's more important?
21:41Where the gas comes from?
21:43Or the fact that you get gas that you can afford?
21:45Per noi non è importante tanto da dove prendiamo il gas.
21:51Non importa che il prezzo sia un prezzo che ci permetta di lavorare.
22:06No.
22:11No.
22:25No.
22:26No.
22:30No.
22:44No.
22:53No.
23:01No.
23:02No.
23:05No.
23:10No.
23:13No.
23:20No.
23:22No.
23:23No.
23:24No.
23:24No.
23:25No.
23:34Soldiers from seven different countries, including the UK, are taking part in this exercise.
23:51Okay, sit. You can be quiet.
23:56I'm not usually described as discipline, but I'll try.
24:07The Italian paratroopers are landing in the forest, and we need to find them.
24:17The exercise lasts for three weeks. The paratroopers have to gather information
24:22about the other soldiers operating in the area.
24:28I can see them.
24:30This unit is made up of paratroopers from Italy and Japan,
24:34a NATO partner country.
24:36It's seen as crucial to get NATO allies used to working together.
24:52In case you have to do it for real?
25:08Right, we've got to switch to infrared now so that we are not responsible for this unit
25:15being discovered, right?
25:16Okay.
25:20Our lights could give away the unit's location, but with infrared, we can film in total darkness.
25:31In order to keep scouting without being spotted by other units,
25:35the team are staying put by day and moving by night.
25:42And it's the reason why we're trying to keep the maximum silence and to make a plane,
25:48just to not reveal their position, which could compromise the entire operation.
25:57So we're having to move speedily now. The paras have to have to get to their next objective.
26:04They've only got a certain amount of nighttime hours with which they can move.
26:11Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022,
26:15NATO's been conducting more and bigger training exercises in order to prepare to defend itself
26:22against a Russian attack. But now Europe faces another huge challenge,
26:28posed by what's supposed to be its greatest ally, the US.
26:36These kind of exercises, they are increasing in their frequency, but also their importance.
26:41Basically, for decades, NATO has been bankrolled by the United States, which has
26:49secured peace in Europe, essentially. But with Donald Trump, all of that has changed.
26:56He said he's demanded that European countries pay more and do a lot more for their own defence.
27:03If they don't, he's threatened to walk away from NATO altogether.
27:08While these paratroopers continue to their objective, NATO's future seems a lot less certain.
27:15After decades of having its security subsidised by the US, Europe now feels it can no longer fully rely
27:22on what's supposed to be its most powerful ally.
27:31What you might be surprised to know is that suspicion of the US is deep-rooted in parts of Italian
27:37society.
27:39I've come to a town called Varese, and I'm heading to a party.
27:43I can hear the murmuring, the bustle.
27:47Sounds like the party started.
27:57That's so good!
27:59This is a Festa dell'Unità, a festival of unity.
28:10These events happen across the country, and they used to be fundraisers for Italy's Communist Party,
28:16which was once the biggest and most influential in Western Europe.
28:20Nowadays, it's more about cheap food and a lot of fun.
28:29Although hardline communism is no longer mainstream in Italy at all, its legacy here means many Italians
28:36view Russia and the US very differently to how they're seen in the UK.
28:41Are you from this part of Italy?
28:43I was born and bred here, yeah.
28:45Is it right that Italy, along with other European countries, sends weapons to Ukraine?
28:51I think that's definitely wrong.
28:53I mean, you want to make peace and you keep selling weapons, they should stop doing that.
28:59You want Italy to stop?
29:00Yeah, I would want them to stop, yes, immediately.
29:07What do you think of NATO?
29:21What do you think about Italy's decision with other European countries to spend a lot more on defense?
29:28What about Russia? Can you see having relations with Russia again?
29:37No, I think that we are more close to Russia than what we think about it.
29:43Because many companies in our area, in general Italian, have relations with the Russians.
29:52At the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, only just over 50% of Italians blamed Moscow for
30:00it.
30:01In stark contrast to most of Western Europe, there's a lot of understanding in Italy for the Russian perspective.
30:09That doesn't normally translate into direct support for Vladimir Putin, with one very notable exception.
30:18Italy's longest-serving modern-day Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had a soft spot for so-called strongman politicians.
30:26And he was famously friendly with Russia's president.
30:29Even after leaving office, Berlusconi visited Putin in what had been Ukrainian Crimea, after Russia grabbed it in 2014.
30:43So, I followed Berlusconi right from the start when he first became Prime Minister, back in the mid-90s.
30:50And, essentially, he was a showy, wealthy businessman who said,
30:57I made a huge success of myself, I'll now make a success of our country.
31:01He was strongly anti-immigration, pro-what he called Christian values.
31:07And he was the first Italian Prime Minister to jump into bed with the post-fascist far-right since the
31:14Second World War.
31:15And that opened the door in Europe to making those kind of parties more acceptable to voters.
31:27Attitudes once labelled far-right, like being anti-immigration, are now more widespread across Europe.
31:34So, what it means to be far-right is being re-examined.
31:40There are huge differences between Europe's now very popular nationalist parties.
31:46Germany's AFD has been classified by German intelligence as extremist.
31:52While in Italy, Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni leads a government that's managed to woo both the EU and Donald Trump.
32:00The goal for me is to make the West great again.
32:06One big reason for Meloni's success in Italy is public concern about immigration.
32:16I've travelled to Italy's northeast, to a small town on the border with Slovenia.
32:24I think it's fair to say this country is one of a lot of fast drivers, and it always tickles
32:30me when I look at the traffic lights.
32:32The red is red.
32:34It's bigger than the other colours, so it tells you to stop!
32:43Mon Falcone has grown around one of Europe's biggest shipyards.
32:49Vast cruise liners are built here, mainly by migrant workers who've come here legally, to fill jobs Italians no longer
32:56want.
32:59Almost one in three people here come from abroad.
33:07I'm going to have to pretend I understand cricket.
33:15A lot of these players work at the shipyard.
33:19Sani Buyan has lived and worked here legally for two decades.
33:24Hi, Sani.
33:25Hello, nice to meet you.
33:26Would you like to try?
33:27I'll have a go.
33:28I'll always have a go.
33:34This team are the Mon Falcone Tigers, but they have to train outside Mon Falcone.
33:42The situation is very ridiculous in Mon Falcone because cricket is banned in the village where we live.
33:49Cricket is banned in Mon Falcone?
33:51Yes.
33:55In 2023, the local authorities made playing cricket in Mon Falcone punishable by a fine.
34:04So, Sani, do you feel that the banning of cricket in Mon Falcone is a form of discrimination, racial discrimination?
34:10I think so.
34:11But you've been there 20 years, so why is it now recently?
34:14Because when the right wings come to administrate this city, the situation is day by day getting worse.
34:22The authorities argue that cricket needed to be banned because it's dangerous.
34:27And it's not just cricket that's being clamped down on.
34:31There's no official mosque in Mon Falcone, and the local government has effectively stopped people from praying in the two
34:38Islamic centres in town.
34:39Because of planning regulations, they say.
34:44So, where do you pray?
34:46Everyone praying in their home.
34:48Some going to neighbourhood city, and some going to Slovenia to pray sometimes.
34:54Over the border?
34:54Over the border to pray.
34:56Wow.
34:579,000 people don't have one place to pray.
35:00Can you imagine the impact, social impact, because they're banned every places.
35:05It's a right to be able to pray.
35:07Yeah.
35:08So, it's very upsetting and very frustrating for us.
35:16I'm leaving here with really mixed feelings.
35:20Banning cricket is clearly extreme.
35:23But migration is one of the toughest issues that I cover in my job.
35:27It is on the minds of voters right across the continent.
35:31And in my career, I've never seen so many anti-immigration or so-called hard-right or far-right parties
35:40so popular here in Europe.
35:43But does that mean that all their voters are racists or extremists?
35:49Clearly not.
35:50Many of those voting for parties that are tough on migration say the political mainstream shut down the debate for
35:57years, rather than listening to and managing their concerns.
36:03The final stop on my Italian journey is the tiny island of Lampedusa.
36:11Just 70 miles from the coast of North Africa, this is one of Europe's front lines of illegal migration, where
36:19asylum seekers and other migrants try to enter without official permission.
36:26But for many Italians, it's a tourist destination.
36:30So, I've got myself a holiday hire car.
36:34So, the last time I drove one of these, I was 18.
36:39Just the other day.
36:46Go!
36:53Just a few thousand people live on Lampedusa, but during the summer months, its population goes up more than five
37:00-fold, with largely Italian holidaymakers blocking hair.
37:07I am loving driving this car now.
37:11She and I have become great friends.
37:17There aren't many places that straddle two opposite worlds, like this island.
37:22As well as the glamorous yachts here, nowhere else in Italy sees more small boat arrivals.
37:31This is part of what Europe calls its soft underbelly.
37:36So, it's open, it's vulnerable to people smugglers bringing over boatloads of migrants.
37:42And over the years, I've reported on tens of thousands.
37:47Italy has had hundreds of thousands of people arriving on its coastline, often to desperate and chaotic scenes.
37:58The boats come from North Africa.
38:01And sure enough, some are arriving right now.
38:07So, we've been told it's about 60 migrants that have arrived.
38:10You can see them coming on to their pier now.
38:13I can never get over this huge contrast.
38:17Those who risked their lives to come to Europe on the one side.
38:21And then right over there, Europeans in their bikinis frolicking by the beach.
38:36There have been times in the last few years when more migrants have arrived in one week than there are
38:42locals on the island.
38:44It's prompted the mayor here to describe Lampedusa as being in crisis.
38:50Locals aren't happy at all with the attention it brings from the media.
39:01Lampedusa's biggest source of income is tourism.
39:06And boatloads of migrants are bad for business.
39:11This is not a face of Italy that either its tourist industry or its government want people to see.
39:22In fact, Giorgio Meloni's government was elected on the promise of stopping these small boats.
39:28It's a pledge we've heard from leaders across Europe.
39:33Enzo?
39:34Hi.
39:35Hi.
39:36Buongior.
39:37I'm meeting fisherman Enzo Bilecci.
39:40Bella barca.
39:41What a lovely boat.
39:42Grazie.
39:50The Italian government says they're resolving the problem of illegal immigration.
39:54Sì, sì, infatti l'ha risolto.
39:56Ma in TV, non qui sul posto a Lampedusa.
40:02Right along the coastline are migrant boats that have been washed ashore.
40:24But despite all these boats along the coastline, Meloni's government has had real success in reducing numbers.
40:33Small boat arrivals to Italy are down almost 60% in the last couple of years, thanks partly to deals
40:40with North African countries to stop the boats from leaving.
40:46For any boats that do get close, the government has imposed restrictions on where they can be rescued and by
40:53whom.
40:54As far as Enzo's concerned, this more hardline policy has a human cost.
41:11Yeah, they made it illegal, no?
41:15Sì, certo.
41:15But that's been really difficult, because you were stuck not just with the humanitarian situation, but also you were in
41:21a legal bind, because at the time you could have been fined for helping the people.
41:28Did you feel alone?
41:30Solo, solo.
41:32Abbandonato, perché nessuno mi dava spiegazioni.
41:35E che devo fare io?
41:36Devo essere io a decidere chi deve vivere, chi deve morire.
41:39E io lo posso abbandonare per mare e me ne vado a casa tranquillo.
41:42E cosa dico a mie figli? Ho fatto morire 18 persone?
41:46No, io questi li porto a terra.
41:49E li ho portate a terra.
41:50A mio rischio e pericolo, va bene, ma ho salvato 20 persone.
41:5218 persone.
41:57But it isn't always possible to save people, and Enzo has seen firsthand the horrors that can unfold when migrants
42:04are left without rescue.
42:10E' una cosa straziante.
42:36E' una cosa che io non vorrei più vedere.
42:39E non lo auguro a nessuno di vedere.
42:40E' una cosa bruttissima.
42:43Bruttissima.
42:50Enzo is on the front line of illegal migration.
42:54For him, this isn't about policy, or even what's best for Italy.
42:59It's about people.
43:10The tension surrounding migration, it doesn't end here on the southern coastline.
43:16It seeps into countries, and it makes problems between European countries.
43:24In these times of deep international tensions, when European countries say they need to work better together,
43:32migration remains one of the biggest issues that drives a wedge between them.
43:41My next stop is Germany.
43:46This is the economic and political powerhouse of Europe.
43:51The economy here is almost twice the size of Italy's.
43:56In fact, it's the third biggest in the entire world, after global titans America and China.
44:03And traditionally, it's been driven by its exports.
44:09If there's one thing that screams Germans are good at making things, it's got to be cars.
44:16Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, Audi.
44:19They're seen as reliable, desirable, and really high quality.
44:27And where better to see Germany's world-class cars in action than the Nürburgring, home of German racing.
44:35It is busy.
44:37Petrolhead's paradise.
44:39This was once Germany's Formula One circuit.
44:43It's nicknamed the Green Hell, and it's one of the riskiest, toughest racetracks ever built.
44:51Luckily, I've got one of the track's best drivers to take the wheel.
44:55Hello.
44:55Hello, I'm Katja.
44:57Hi, Katja.
44:58Nice to meet you.
44:58Nice to meet you.
44:59What are we driving today?
45:01It's a German car, right?
45:02It's a proper sports car.
45:05It's very powerful.
45:06Are German cars the best?
45:08I think so, yes.
45:09I really like how they drive.
45:12What about the passenger?
45:14How am I going to feel?
45:15Most of the passengers enjoy it.
45:18Some not that much, but we have special bags in your door.
45:22Thanks.
45:25The car is called the Beast of the Green Hell.
45:29It's one of the fastest supercars in the world.
45:33OK.
45:34Jump in.
45:39Can I just share, at this point, I don't even like rollercoaster advice, you know, but maybe I should have
45:44thought about that before.
45:51You're ready?
45:52Um, I'm ready.
45:54If you're ready.
45:55Oh, yeah.
45:55OK.
46:01Curb stones.
46:02One or two.
46:03What's better not three?
46:06A little jump.
46:07Wait.
46:09This is my favourite part here.
46:11Look at this.
46:13This is the famous.
46:15Come on, Zellie.
46:16Oh!
46:24Driving over 150 miles an hour, we're really putting German engineering through its paces.
46:30Oh, my God.
46:31Oh!
46:44I could get a taste for that.
46:46Thank you very, very much.
46:48That was absolutely brilliant.
46:51Stay safe.
47:03And, of course, they're not all race cars.
47:09UW, UW, UW up ahead.
47:14This is Wolfsburg, but you may as well call it Volkswagensville
47:19because the whole town has grown up around the plant here.
47:25This is the headquarters of the Volkswagen Group.
47:29The factory's been here since the 1930s
47:32and it's one of the biggest manufacturing plants in the world.
47:36The factory is absolutely ginormous.
47:41It started all the way back there.
47:43It's still going.
47:45It's like a city within a city
47:47and it's not completely unusual
47:50to have three generations of one family working in there.
47:54Volkswagen is the world's second biggest car company
47:58and it's become a symbol of Germany's economic success.
48:03Oh, wow.
48:05Just stacks and stacks and stacks of cars
48:08in two glass buildings next to each other.
48:12Incredible.
48:13And I'm not a car person, but that is quite impressive.
48:22Volkswagen is still a family-run business
48:24with a reputation for looking after its workers.
48:29Hello.
48:30Hello.
48:30Hi, do you speak English?
48:31Yeah, I do.
48:32Oh, excellent.
48:34Can I please get Volkswagen part 199398500A?
48:43I will lock that up real quick.
48:45Give me a moment, please.
48:48OK, so this part is said to be the Volkswagen part
48:52that is sold most in the whole world.
48:54I mean, just last year alone, eight million of them.
48:58Oh, brilliant.
48:59Thank you so much.
49:00I do.
49:02And there you see it.
49:03It does have a part number,
49:05but it is the Volkswagen currywurst.
49:08And who said that Germans don't have an excellent sense of humour?
49:15The plant makes around 23,000 sausages a day
49:19to feed the VW workforce,
49:21and they in turn make up to 3,500 cars a day.
49:26All of it run on state-of-the-art German efficiency.
49:32This is great.
49:41Wow.
49:42So if I look right above me,
49:45it's just this huge tower of cars all around.
49:56These 400 cars are waiting for collection by their new owners.
50:01But only around 20% of the cars made here in Germany are sold here.
50:06Most are exported.
50:09All of this shiny success,
50:11Germany's economic success,
50:13it's all been built on three specific things.
50:17So cheap gas from Russia to feed energy-hungry German industry,
50:22including the car industry that the economy relies on.
50:25Also manufacturing and sales to China,
50:27and sales to the United States.
50:29But guess what?
50:30None of that is working anymore.
50:39After Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine,
50:43Germany largely stopped buying cheap Russian energy,
50:46and China's booming domestic car industry,
50:49and President Trump's tariffs
50:51have reduced crucial markets for German cars.
50:54In the last two years,
50:56the unthinkable has happened.
50:58The legendary German economy has been shrinking.
51:04Volkswagen means the people's car.
51:08And being an exporting powerhouse
51:11and having a recipe for a booming economy,
51:14that has long been part of the German identity.
51:18But now that it's not working so well anymore,
51:21I think you can say that this country
51:24is having a bit of an identity crisis.
51:33Unfortunately for Germany,
51:34when times were good,
51:36the government didn't invest enough
51:37in its infrastructure,
51:39its rail network,
51:40its telecommunications,
51:41even its famous autogons.
51:45Roadworks, roadworks,
51:47more roadworks,
51:48and massive traffic jams.
51:49There's been an awful lot of that
51:51as I've driven to Germany.
51:53The road network here
51:55was once the envy of Europe.
51:57But the cracks are clear to see.
52:02Literally.
52:05In 2024,
52:06a bridge in Dresden
52:08collapsed into the river below.
52:10And it's not the only one falling apart.
52:16Some are being demolished
52:17because they're unsafe.
52:25According to the Federal Transport Ministry,
52:28around 5,000 bridges in Germany
52:31are in urgent need of repair.
52:36Oh, wow.
52:38That is huge.
52:40The German government
52:41has now embarked on a massive programme
52:44to replace bridges,
52:45like this one.
52:47But somehow,
52:47it's kind of magnificent
52:48and impressive at the same time.
52:51But there are so many bridges
52:53in need of repair
52:54that government plans to rebuild them
52:56are deemed unachievable.
52:58And that impacts people's lives.
53:01So while German politicians
53:03for years
53:04focused on big industries
53:06selling abroad,
53:07what they didn't do
53:09was take care of things
53:10here at home.
53:12Mobile coverage in Germany
53:13is really ropey.
53:16People still use faxes here.
53:18I know that's hard to believe.
53:19And then you've got
53:20all of these crumbling bridges
53:21and roads as well.
53:23And over time,
53:24that's how Germans began
53:26to see their country
53:27as broken.
53:32The stagnating economy
53:33is far from Germany's only problem.
53:37As Europe's political powerhouse
53:39and a major supporter of Ukraine
53:41in its war with Russia,
53:43some here worry
53:44that Germany itself
53:45could soon be under attack.
53:58This is Christian Klaus
54:00and his family.
54:03I'm meeting them
54:04on the site
54:04of their future home.
54:06Our entrance area here is completely.
54:08Here it goes to the top.
54:10There are the rooms,
54:10the sleep rooms,
54:11the children's rooms.
54:12Here we have the bedroom.
54:14And the kitchen.
54:15This is all over the corner.
54:16We can go into it.
54:18Fantastic.
54:19This is the best view
54:20that we have.
54:21That is,
54:22it's so beautiful.
54:25Go down here.
54:26Go down here.
54:27Go down here.
54:27Show them the way.
54:30One of the most striking
54:31features of this house
54:32lies deep underground.
54:37So, this is the Keller.
54:38Okay.
54:39Just a second.
54:39And now we're going to
54:41another deeper.
54:42So, at about 8 meters deep.
54:44Oh, right.
54:44Okay.
54:49A little bit light.
54:50A little bit of light.
54:54Wow, where are we going?
54:57Wait, I have light.
55:01So, this is the bunker.
55:08Christian is building
55:09a nuclear bomb shelter
55:11under his house.
55:13Also, the outside walls
55:14have 45 centimeters.
55:16Okay.
55:17The deck also,
55:18the bottom also.
55:19Also, we're in a safe space.
55:21We're in a safe space.
55:21And we're in the military standard.
55:24This is the
55:26Panzer-Türe.
55:28Wow.
55:29What's massive?
55:31This is huge.
55:32Yeah.
55:32What's in the room?
55:33This is our
55:34Technic-Raum.
55:36So,
55:59at the explosion
56:10the bunker can accommodate
56:11Christian and his family
56:12for up to three months.
56:15He says it's an important
56:17insurance policy,
56:18given Germany's
56:19deteriorating relations
56:21with Russia.
56:23Germany doesn't have
56:24a border with Russia.
56:26So, I mean, in the UK,
56:27we don't think about
56:28having to build bunkers
56:29against Russia.
56:30You're not close to the front.
56:31So, why are you thinking
56:33about protecting yourself
56:34from Russia?
56:36Also, we're in Deutschland
56:37with a strategic
56:38point.
56:39Also, I see that
56:40through the relationship
56:41that we're doing,
56:42that it can escalate.
56:44And that's why
56:45we're working from today.
56:47And that's why
56:48we have the security room.
56:54Building a bunker
56:55in your family home
56:56feels really extreme.
56:58But unlike France
57:00and the UK,
57:00Germany doesn't have
57:02nuclear weapons
57:03of its own
57:03as a deterrent.
57:04And Germans feel
57:05very exposed.
57:08The government here
57:09has been looking
57:09at old Cold War bunkers
57:11to see which of them
57:13could still be used.
57:14And it's going
57:15to set aside funds
57:16for a new nationwide
57:18building programme
57:19for bunkers.
57:23German intelligence
57:24warns that Russia
57:25could launch an attack
57:27against a NATO member state
57:28as early as 2029.
57:36Next time...
57:37Wow!
57:39..I'll see a completely
57:40different side to Germany.
57:42It's the biggest
57:43single turnaround
57:44I've seen in this country
57:46in all my years
57:47reporting on it.
57:48..before continuing
57:49my journey to Spain
57:50to see how old wounds
57:52still cause divisions.
57:55I don't feel
57:56Spanish at all.
57:57At all?
57:58No, I don't think
57:59I belong to Spain.
58:04How the death
58:05of a young woman
58:06exposed a hidden
58:07criminal underworld
58:08trafficked in Belfast
58:10on BBC iPlayer
58:11while on sounds
58:12the devastating
58:13side effects
58:14caused by prescription drugs.
58:15listen to Shadow World
58:17available now.
58:18.
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