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Debate en The Ring: ¿Es una Europa global la respuesta a las alianzas cambiantes?
En esta edición del programa de debate semanal The Ring, Damian Boeselager (Volt/Verdes) y Helmut Brandstätter (Renovar Europa) debaten sobre si Europa puede liderar en un orden mundial cambiante.
MÁS INFORMACIÓN : http://es.euronews.com/2026/05/15/es-una-europa-global-la-respuesta-a-las-alianzas-cambiantes-eurodiputados-debaten-en-the-r
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En esta edición del programa de debate semanal The Ring, Damian Boeselager (Volt/Verdes) y Helmut Brandstätter (Renovar Europa) debaten sobre si Europa puede liderar en un orden mundial cambiante.
MÁS INFORMACIÓN : http://es.euronews.com/2026/05/15/es-una-europa-global-la-respuesta-a-las-alianzas-cambiantes-eurodiputados-debaten-en-the-r
¡Suscríbete a nuestro canal! Euronews está disponible en 12 idiomas
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00:08Hola y bienvenidos a The Ring, Euronews' weekly debate show broadcasting from the European Parliament here in Brussels.
00:16I'm Stefan Grobe.
00:18On The Ring, members of the European Parliament go face-to-face on some of the biggest issues facing Europe.
00:23Today, we want to talk about how greater Europe is coping with global instability and shifting alliances.
00:31Luis Alberto has more.
00:35The European political community's first meeting in the South Caucasus reflects the stretching contours of Europe, geographically, politically and strategically.
00:45The meeting in Armenia was a response to global instability, of which increasing trade tensions with the United States are
00:52a familiar part.
00:54Donald Trump's threat of 25% tariff on European cars has left Brussels scrambling to save a fragile transatlantic deal
01:01negotiated last summer.
01:03As global alliances shift, Europe is becoming a space others may want to join, align with or orbit around from
01:10Canada to the United Kingdom, from Iceland to the Balkans.
01:14Is Europe truly becoming an independent global power?
01:18Should the EU respond to external pressure with deeper unity?
01:21And is Europe ready to lead?
01:26A lot to unpack here for our debaters, and here they are.
01:31Damian Böselager, a German MEP from the Greens European Free Alliance Group and co-founder of VOLT Europa.
01:37He is the vice chair of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and a member of the Delegation for
01:43Relations with Canada in the European Parliament.
01:45A strong advocate for deeper European integration, he said that national politics are not enough to handle crises that don't
01:55know of or care for borders between our nations.
01:58Helmut Brandstetter, an Austrian MEP from the Liberal Renew Europe Group.
02:03He is the vice chair of the delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee and a member of the
02:08Committee on Foreign Affairs in the European Parliament.
02:10A strong supporter of transatlantic cooperation, he argues that Europe must respond to growing geopolitical instability with greater coordination, saying,
02:20free trade and open societies are part of the same liberal democratic project.
02:27So let me welcome to the ring, Damian Böselager and Helmut Brandstetter.
02:32Great to have you here. Good to see you.
02:34Now at the ring, we want to offer our viewers a glimpse of how members of the European Parliament debate
02:40each other.
02:41So you should feel right at home.
02:44And let's get started.
02:46Helmut, I want to start with you.
02:47Why should anyone see Europe as a hard power rather than simply a regulatory power?
02:54There's a lot of talk about geopolitical power and we should be strong or something like that.
02:59That doesn't really interest me.
03:00What's important is security and wealth for people living in Europe.
03:05And there's one thing is for sure.
03:07There is no sovereignty of one nation.
03:09So we only, or as Henry van Spack said, in Europe there are small nations and small nations who don't
03:15know yet that there are small nations, like, I'm sorry to say, the Germans.
03:19So that's the way it is.
03:21So we have to cooperate for the security, for the wealth of our people.
03:25That means common defense, common trade.
03:28These are the basics.
03:29And of course, a better cooperation between the nations and less nationalism.
03:34Damian, he mentioned Germany.
03:35Is Germany ready for this new task?
03:38Yes, Germany has a huge issue.
03:40We have a chancellor that always said he wants to be, you know, the foreign chancellor, but also the europe
03:45chancellor.
03:46And he hasn't yet understood that running around in the world as basically a foreign policy chancellor, while not strengthening
03:52Europe, while not using his chance to make his additions to European integration, as his predecessors, for example, Helmut Kohl
03:59did, that's a problem.
04:00And I think Germany hasn't understood that they're a very small nation.
04:03Sadly, we often have national egos of people that lead nations that maybe stop them from strengthening Europe.
04:11And is there a discrepancy between hard power versus regulatory power?
04:15I think they're a bit different.
04:18So regulatory power often looks at the internal market and how companies can operate.
04:24We can, of course, talk about whether economic strength translates into foreign policy strength as well.
04:30Whereas the question of hard power is really is Europe able to have its voice heard basically across the world
04:38as well, especially in a world that is getting more insecure.
04:40So I think hard power is more questions of, like, what is Europe's military capacity look like?
04:46Do we have one united voice in foreign policy?
04:48Are we even listened to when we speak to partners outside the European Union?
04:52Good point.
04:54That brings me back to this conference in Armenia a few days ago.
04:59Was this the beginning of what we could call global Europe?
05:03I think the most positive and the greatest event was that the Canada Prime Minister Carney was there.
05:09Because what he said was very clear.
05:12We have to cooperate.
05:13We are no superpowers.
05:14But if all the middle powers work together, we can be very strong.
05:18Again, not to be a superpower, but to do everything for the security of our people.
05:24And that brings me, because it was said, I'm pro-transatlantic.
05:27I used to be pro-transatlantic.
05:29But if you listen to Mr. Trump, you are not even sure, does he mean it seriously?
05:34He really wants to take Venezuela as the fifth of our first.
05:37He wanted Greenland.
05:38What else?
05:38He wants Canada.
05:40That's thinking of the 20th century.
05:43It's not about borders.
05:44I mean, Putin is, I mean, of course, he's a war criminal.
05:48But it was stupid enough to think, I have a few more square meters, and then I'm more powerful.
05:52No, it's the brains, it's research, and it's cooperation.
05:57Putin doesn't understand it.
05:58Trump doesn't understand it.
05:59We understand it.
06:00And the Canadians understand it.
06:02So we have to work together, of course, with a mania, because we know there's a lot of pressure,
06:07again, from the Russians against the democracy there.
06:10So global Europe, is that a feasible, reasonable concept?
06:16I mean, first of all, Europe is a continent, so it's difficult to make it global.
06:21I think what Europe shows is that when nations work together, they can be more successful
06:26if they actually transfer some power to a higher level, which is, I think, a great example
06:32also for other regions of the world, if it works.
06:34And that's why it's so important for us to show that this idea that nations can only be strong
06:39if they expand their territory, if they subdue their neighbors, that this is a wrong notion,
06:43and that in the end it's about cooperation and agreements in a house like this, like the
06:49European Parliament, basically a democracy that is a bit supranational.
06:53And I think this is where we need to go.
06:54But our global voice, again, will only be strong if we are a good example of cooperation
07:00and of success.
07:00So the world order is shifting, obviously.
07:03A lot of things are happening that were unthinkable a few years ago, like Sweden and Finland joining
07:08NATO, Norway and Iceland now considering joining the EU.
07:14Is Europe becoming the last beacon of hope, the last beacon of democracy in the world?
07:20I mean, we know there are less and less democratic liberal countries.
07:23And Europe is a hope for many people.
07:27That's the first thing.
07:28And the second thing, that's, again, it's not about power, but it's about our future.
07:34We should talk more about Africa.
07:37If you see how strong the influence of Russia is there, just talk to an African journalist,
07:42and he explained to me how they organize migration from Africa to Europe just to destabilize.
07:49And it's the Wagner Group, you know, they organize it.
07:51They want to destabilize it.
07:52But Russia is also China.
07:52Russia and China.
07:54China is interested, of course, in the raw materialists.
07:57Russia to destabilize.
07:58Where's Europe?
07:59And here is one strength of Europe.
08:01If you think about Austria, small country, even Germany, we don't have a strong, we don't
08:05have a colonial past like the Brits or the Holland or even, of course, France.
08:13So we should be stronger there and explain to them we don't want to grab anything.
08:19We want to cooperation because Africa is very close to us and we should cooperate with them.
08:24Again, it's not about global power.
08:26It's about better life for people in Europe and secure life.
08:30Would we be at this point, would we be at this point, Damian, without Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin?
08:36It's true that sometimes, let's say, instability in the world can help us understand how precious our stability is in
08:43Europe and our living standards are good.
08:45But I hoped always that Europe would just be a project that integrates further and further, that builds a foreign
08:54policy that is actually coherent and that we understand that this is not a project that is done.
08:59This house here is not readily built.
09:00It's not done.
09:01It's not finished.
09:02It's a hybrid between, let's say, an intergovernmental situation and parliamentary European democracy.
09:09And I think we need to finish the pieces.
09:11I do think that some crazy leaders outside of the European Union are accelerating this process or, to put it
09:16differently, they put in front of us a challenge.
09:19And either we live up to this challenge and actually build a Europe that is able to live in the
09:23future or we will fall apart because we are unable to actually come together as one.
09:29So, Putin and Trump, the drivers of European integration, and are we, in addition to that, are we ready for
09:37this?
09:37Is Europe living up to this ambition?
09:40That's the point.
09:41That's the big question.
09:42I think we've understood it.
09:44But now it's about doing something.
09:46And when I saw Ursula von der Leyen, you know, with Trump and then the shake hands, she should have
09:52known that he doesn't take it seriously.
09:54So, it's not about shaking hands.
09:55It's not about talking.
09:57It's about doing.
09:57So, now with the 25% on European cars, we have to react immediately.
10:04And we know they are soft apart.
10:07And that's the platforms.
10:09You know, that's the reason why Musk is friend and why they're all friends with Trump, because they are afraid
10:16of us.
10:16We could be much stronger against them.
10:19We have to explain to them, if you want to make business here, you've got to follow European laws.
10:25So, we have to be more, not more outspoken, more outdoing.
10:29You know, it's, as Schumann said, Europe will grow in the solidarity of action.
10:37Not of words.
10:38Very good.
10:39Let me stop you here, as we're just getting warmed up.
10:47Now it's time for our viewers to get a real flavor of the European Parliament chamber, where members ask each
10:53other questions.
10:54That means it is time for you guys to challenge each other directly, just as you do in the hemicycle
11:01behind us.
11:02So, let's get started.
11:03Damian, I'm starting with you.
11:04So, the first question to you, Helmut, would be, your party was also in government and promised the United States
11:11of Europe.
11:11What have you done to actually make them a reality?
11:14That's a very good point, because, as you know, coalitions are very difficult to build.
11:20And with the social democrats, conservatives and liberals like us, there are a lot of differences.
11:26But what we have done, we have a very strong foreign minister, and she, her first trip was to go
11:31to Ukraine.
11:32She explained to the Austrians, it's important that Ukraine also defends us.
11:37We were always part, as a neutral country, always part of supporting Ukraine.
11:42And we expressed that and did much more than the others.
11:46So, is it enough?
11:47No.
11:48But there were very important first steps we did take.
11:52Are you happy with this?
11:53I mean, I think the realities are what they are.
11:56It seems like we all, all of us, all the different nations have to do more to actually push for
12:02more European integration.
12:03I think what I'm missing from all the members of the councils of the 27 national governments is to take
12:08actually up the challenge of the European Parliament to change the treaties of the European Union.
12:12So, I was just wondering if there were any initiatives coming.
12:15No.
12:15Short answer.
12:16Going to the past, there was a European Parliament, and you can see it in the Austrian Parliament.
12:20It was the old Reichsrat of the Habsburgs.
12:24And why did it fall apart?
12:27Because of nationalism.
12:29Nationalism first killed Europe and then killed many, many people.
12:33And that's, we have to explain again.
12:35So, I invite everybody to go to the Reichsrat in Vienna and visit it.
12:39There you see a European Parliament.
12:40But you are right.
12:41We have to do more, yes.
12:43Yeah.
12:43I remember François Mitterrand in Strasbourg saying nationalism is war.
12:46Yeah.
12:47The nationalism is la guerre, oui.
12:48I have another question to Damian.
12:50Can I ask another one?
12:52No.
12:52First him.
12:53My question is very simple.
12:56What I hear in Austrian companies is bureaucracy.
12:59There's the Austrian bureaucracy and there is the EU bureaucracy.
13:02What did you do?
13:04And people, and you know, the companies, especially SMEs, they are drowning in bureaucracy.
13:08What do you do for more competition and less democracy?
13:11Yeah.
13:12My dream would be is that we are actually following small entrepreneurs in different sectors to understand how much is
13:18actually communal, how much is regional, how much is national, and how much is European bureaucracy.
13:23And how can we put that on a matrix of, like, the most annoying and most useless ones that we
13:28can actually look at?
13:29What I did personally is that in almost all the laws I negotiated, I tried to include the minimis clauses,
13:35meaning for smaller companies, SMEs, startups that are starting off, that they excluded from many of the rules that we
13:43write.
13:43Because it's always an issue with regulation that it hits the smallest companies first, because they don't have the big
13:50legal departments to deal with it.
13:51And the second thing that I really want to underline is, because this is missing in the debate, we often
13:56talk about simplification, reducing the regulatory burden.
13:59What we don't talk about is harmonization.
14:02We need to finish the internal market, meaning there shouldn't be any sectoral legislation on the national level stopping us
14:09from growing from one country to the next.
14:10I want startups and scale-ups in Europe to be able to grow across borders as if there was no
14:15border, and I don't think we're there.
14:17Why? And this is something you actually mentioned earlier, because there are hard choices to be made.
14:21And I'm unhappy at the moment, because there's only a fake single market program at the moment in the European
14:27Union, whereas harmonization would be the solution.
14:30One law can replace 27, and we should do that.
14:33And we need a capital market.
14:35This is luckily something I work on in the Econ Committee.
14:38How lucky you are for this.
14:41Now it's your time to ask Hemund another question.
14:44Yes, there's a range of questions.
14:46Maybe I'll start with one on nationalism again, because I had a panel with Robert Menasse, who is an Austrian
14:53writer.
14:53And it was very interesting, because I felt he was much more against the nationalism and the nation-state as
15:00a whole.
15:00He was much more for regional identities, whereas for me, I think there can be regions, nations.
15:06But what's really important is that the European Union functions well as an actual democratic government elected by the European
15:13Parliament.
15:13So where do you stand?
15:14Do you think the nations need to be abolished, or you don't care?
15:17No, that's interesting, because I know Robert Menasse since our Common Times at the University of Vienna, and we discussed
15:22it before the last elections.
15:24And he said, I'm against your program, because we said United States of Europe.
15:28And he said, no, no, we don't need United States.
15:31We only need one Europe.
15:32And I said, you see, in the United States, it's also United States, and there are regional identities, as we
15:39know, between Texas and Massachusetts, great difference.
15:41But it's foreign policy, it's the dollar, it's defense.
15:46That's important.
15:47So I think there is sometimes it's a regional identity.
15:51There is also national identity.
15:53I don't fight national identity.
15:55I just want to explain chauvinism, so one country thinks or one nation thinks they are better.
16:00That's the problem.
16:02Plus, I think that what Robert says is a little bit of a dream.
16:06I think we should think in steps.
16:07And the next step is more likely to be the United States of Europe than only one European state.
16:14All right.
16:15We have heard the views from our guests.
16:17And at this point, I would like to introduce a new voice.
16:25For our quote of the week, let's bring in Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was mentioned already.
16:31He participated in the conference in Armenia.
16:34And here's what he said.
16:35Take a listen.
16:36We're here because of the moral and security imperatives of our cooperation in the Caucasus, in the Baltics, in Ukraine,
16:45across Europe,
16:46and also because of the immense potential for our partnerships to build a better, more prosperous, sustainable, and just world
16:53for our citizens.
16:54And I'll close with this.
16:55It's my strong personal view that, as the international order will be rebuilt, but it will be rebuilt out of
17:05Europe.
17:05The international order will be rebuilt out of Europe.
17:09Do you agree?
17:09I think we have a potential.
17:12I think the world is looking at this block right now, seeing how we react to this challenge that Donald
17:17Trump and that Putin actually confront us with.
17:21And we have a chance, especially if we follow Mark Carney's advice and start building real relationships, deep relationships with
17:29other partners to diversify our trade away,
17:31but just make it more resilient, but also to work with partners on eye level.
17:37And I think we have the opportunity, we just need to do it, and I don't see it happening right
17:41now.
17:41It's interesting that this comes from the Prime Minister of Canada, a country of British political traditions and French culture.
17:48What can this country bring to the table?
17:51British tradition, French culture, and...
17:53And German immigrants.
17:54German immigrants in danger from the US, you know, because what Trump said about Carney and also about Canada is
18:01also very important.
18:02So that's probably also part of it, that he thinks cooperation will help us.
18:06But I want to add one more thing.
18:08We didn't talk about migration yet.
18:10When I talked to the Canadian ambassador in Vienna about migration in Canada, they said, okay, we also have a
18:15problem.
18:15So we developed a system that if there is a family coming, we find another family and they have to
18:22be, you know, like a partner family and they have to do something for them.
18:25And I think that's a good idea.
18:26And what I would say is, for me, one of the most important things is Europe, we learn from each
18:31other.
18:31There are some things better in Germany, in France, in Ireland, wherever.
18:35And there's something which is better in Canada.
18:37So if we cooperate as far as that's concerned, if we learn from Canada, wonderful.
18:42And I think if you listen to Carney, you have to love him.
18:44He's wonderful.
18:51Thank you very much.
19:15But it's also true that at the moment we need to understand we have an over-reliance on the United
19:19States, and we need to diversify our reliance.
19:21Which means more trade relationships with different geographies, more deeper ties with others, a functioning European defence.
19:28y luego también tenemos que trabajar con los Estados Unidos
19:33como productively como pueden,
19:35pero en el momento con los tarifes que también le mencionan,
19:38estamos en una situación que es bastante negativa
19:40y que nos debemos tener un amigo que es un poco más recto
19:44desde el lado de la izquierda,
19:45más que con los abiertos.
19:47All right, let's take a break here on The Ring.
19:50Nos vemos con más, después de esto.
20:01Bienvenidos de nuevo a The Ring, Euronews' weekly debate show.
20:05Soy Stefan Grobe y estoy acompañado por dos membros del Parlamento de Europa.
20:08Desde Alemania, Damian Böselager, representando VOLT Europe,
20:13caucusing con el Greens.
20:14Y desde Austria, Helmut Brandstetter, desde Renew Europe.
20:18Quiero darles la voz del sovereigno de la gente que envió aquí.
20:24Es el último Eurobarometer, votando en la satisfacción general de los ciudadanos con la Unión Europea.
20:31Y aquí vemos que casi tres cuartos creen que su país ha beneficiado, en balance,
20:37de ser un miembro de la Unión Europea.
20:40Más de media, 57% de los ciudadanos, están satisfechos con la manera que la democracia funciona en la Unión
20:46Europea.
20:47Y 51% de los europeos confieren la Unión Europea.
20:5251% de los ciudadanos, ¿es ese número demasiado bajo?
20:55Sí, claro, es demasiado bajo.
20:57Nosotros no estamos bien suficientes.
20:58Nosotros no estamos bien suficientes en explicar lo que estamos haciendo.
21:01Pero, claro, también la democracia no es perfecta.
21:04Creo que el sistema, que los estados de la Unión Europea son demasiado fuerte, es un problema.
21:09Pero la segunda cosa es que hemos aprendido mucho acerca de la información de la desinformación de Rusia.
21:13Y los grupos de la Unión Europea son los papeles de Putin.
21:17Y ellos dicen las mismas cosas, como los padres.
21:21A veces su propaganda es mejor que nuestra verdad.
21:24Tenemos que trabajar en eso.
21:25La primera pregunta que siempre me pongo es, ¿es lo que hay que hacer en el nivel europeo?
21:30Y todos dicen algo, la defensa, el mercado interno, el clima, lo que sea en su mente.
21:36Ellos entienden que necesitamos cooperar.
21:38Y luego me pongo, ¿cómo le gustaría cooperar?
21:41¿Tú crees que deberían ser los 27 líderes nacionales en una sala como en los tiempos medievales?
21:45¿O o crees que deberían ser un gobierno funcionario?
21:47Y muchas personas son felices con un gobierno funcionario.
21:52Y tenemos un número en el Eurobarometer, que lo mencioné,
21:54que hay 90, creo que es 80% de las personas, que quieren más integración europea.
22:01Ellos pensan que podemos hacer más en el nivel europeo juntos.
22:03Entonces, ¿cómo funciona con el número de distrustadores que mencionabas?
22:07La verdad es que no estamos explicando bien.
22:10La verdad es que alrededor de 60% de las las las que ya vienen del nivel europeo,
22:14que va a través del Bundestag, por ejemplo, pero la gente no sabe.
22:19Y la razón por eso es muy simple, son las partidas nacionales.
22:22Entonces, es nuestra propia culpa como las reglas nacionales,
22:28es nuestra propia culpa que la gente realmente no entiende cómo funciona el Brasil,
22:31porque no estamos fijando.
22:34Helmut, ¿está el público europeo en general listo para un gran aumento de la visión europea?
22:41Nosotros mencionamos la Europa global en el principio.
22:43No creo que todavía.
22:44Y hay una razón.
22:47Los enemigos de la Unión europea son muy fuerte emocionamente.
22:51Nosotros somos muy fuerte aquí, y ellos están aquí.
22:54Tenemos que ser mucho más emocionados sobre la Europa.
22:58Por supuesto, no estamos siempre hablando del pasado, pero la generación de mi padre o su padre,
23:04estaban en la guerra o en la resistencia.
23:06Ellos tenían que lucharar por su vida.
23:36Nosotros vivimos en paz aquí juntos.
23:49No, no estamos hablando de los europeos explicanos a todos lo que está sucediendo.
24:17No, no estamos haciendo el paso de explicar por qué Europa necesita integrar más adelante.
24:37No, no estamos hablando de la guerra.
24:40No, no estamos hablando de la guerra.
25:07No, no hay una respuesta a la segunda vez por la segunda vez como el candidato de su partido.
25:11No, no está en la sensación de que no se puede cambiar.
25:13¿Qué importante en los electos?
25:14El sentimiento de ser capaz de cambiar el futuro.
25:16Esto es algo que no se conectan.
25:18Ellos voten por un partido regional en Alemania en la parte de la electoral de la europea parlamentaria.
25:23Eso es absoluto.
25:24Eso no tomará sentido.
25:25Ahora, es hora de movear a nuestro cuarto y final round.
25:33Quiero hacer algo diferente aquí.
25:34I'm going to ask you a set of questions and you can only answer with yes or no, okay?
25:42Damian, has Europe for a long time confused moral leadership with geopolitical power?
25:50No.
25:53Yes.
25:54Yes.
25:55Should Europe create a joint European army?
25:58Absolutely.
25:59Yes.
26:00By the way, in what language is that army going to operate?
26:04English.
26:07Just a thought.
26:09I mean, which language are we speaking here?
26:11Should defense spending rise above 3% of GDP across Europe?
26:18At the moment it seems necessary, yes.
26:21Look, if we would actually pool the money, we would have much more and we could potentially spend less, but
26:25we are spending it very inefficiently.
26:27Okay.
26:28Is the EU currently capable of acting as a true global power?
26:32No.
26:32No.
26:34Has Europe become too risk-averse to act like a great power?
26:39Yes.
26:40We never tried.
26:42Okay.
26:45Will Canada join the EU someday?
26:47I absolutely hope so.
26:50I hope so.
26:52Okay.
26:53And in European elections, should voters across the EU vote for any candidate anywhere they like?
27:00Yes.
27:02There should be list elections, so no.
27:04No.
27:05So I could not vote for somebody I like in Italy, for example.
27:08Look, there should be two votes, one for a European list for the party you like and one for a
27:12regional representative.
27:13So it's a bit of a yes-no.
27:16Okay.
27:17That final answer brings us to the end of this edition of The Ring.
27:21Thanks again to Damian Böselager and Helmut Brandstetter.
27:24Thank you.
27:24For a very interesting, lively conversation here from the European Parliament.
27:29Thanks to our audience at home.
27:30If you like, you can continue the conversation by sending us your comments to theringateuronews.com.
27:37That's it for today.
27:39I'm Stefan Grobe.
27:40Take care and see you soon here on Euronews.
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