Europe, The Year Ahead: Debating The European Model; David Rennie, NPR (US National Public Radio)

Transcript of the NPR interview with David Rennie

David Greene talks to David Rennie of The Economist magazine about the year ahead for Europe.

Extract (conclusion):

DAVID RENNIE: "What I would say to those voters is if you vote for those policies that sound like they will be kind of emotionally satisfying, that sound like they punish your enemies, you can do that. You can vote for that. That's your democratic right. But understand that that could come with costs. Understand that perhaps some of these demagogic leaders in some countries are promising you things that A, they can't deliver and B, will have costs that you don't yet understand. Because, you know, you can thump the table. You can be selfish. You can be much more aggressive. You can raise barriers, build walls, but there are costs behind those actions".

DAVID GREENE: "And what's the number one cost you would bring up if you were having a conversation with a voter like that?"

DAVID RENNIE: "Your job. If - I mean, the number one thing that all those voters bring up with all of us reporters who cover politics is good jobs and a better future for their kids. And that's exactly what I think is imperiled by this false promise of closure and closed borders and walls".

*****


A different opinion, Ros Coward, The Guardian-  "People voted Brexit. But Cameron, Blair and other flawed leaders made it possible"


Kathimerini in Clacton-On-Sea, Brexit England


The Spectator, Bryan Appleyard, "How Brexit gave us a different class of snob - The losing half the population now regard the winning half with arrogant disdain!"


A Europe of two narratives, Euclid Tsakalotos, Open Democracy - "the rules-are-rules agenda will sooner or later lead to the break up of Europe".