Since i had a pool of you our european guests. Eleven years ago in two thousand and seven i have joined to putin i mean the deal police peace in you can kill place in view we must take all that many challenges ahead of us and make euro for the future stop being the ability security prosperity. Its for us and to us to say thank you. If not you can rise to this difficult task to achieve. The bargain voice to be heard locally and prominently in you tonight and in the next six months and beyond. Also coming up tonight britain and brags it calls to rethink the exit just got louder as breaks its ears but their hopes and i bask. Jan from scotland by the way that could of course be stopped with you in terms of how much you appreciate is that what weve got from why fantastic english cheeses that that which im sure will appreciate because weve got a huge market in cheese and what were trying to do hey we show that once we leave the European Union youll have some great products european style never before has an e. U. Country which is being monitored for corruption and unlawful policies by the e. U. Been asked to run part of the e. U. Well that is until tonight European Union leaders met tonight in the bulgarian capital sofia as the country takes over the helm of the e. U. s rotating presidency its the first time bulgaria has held the post since joining the e. U. Back in two thousand and seven the balkan nation in South Eastern Europe is hoping to use the chance to improve its image garia is the e. U. s poorest member state and it is rape by Transparency International as having the worst corruption in the e. U. So who would want to stay there were despite slow but steady Economic Growth many of vogue areas young people there packing their bags to find a Better Future outside ball game. The nine hundred centuries garion writer constantine off appears to gaze with confidence into the future but the mood in sofia could hardly be more different. Crime corruption and financial mismanagement make regular headlines in the European Unions poorest country. Thats the reason many younger bulgarians have left to seek a better life elsewhere. One of them is Nikolai Nichol of a medical student who is finishing his training this year. He wants to pursue his career as a specialist in radiology but not in bulgaria in germany. I want to work in my field in germany because of the access to modern medical equipment conditions for further training are much better than to. Others his age have similar intentions low wages and pervasive corruption are the two main problems driving young gary into way. This new direction bribery thats the usual situation here we hope these problems will be eradicated thats the only way bulgaria can move forward. Victoria wants to get away as soon as she finishes high school her parents both scientists have advised her to continue her studies in another country possibly germany where she might go into microbiology. This draw the ball here in government doesnt provide any funding for research and development i want to follow a part similar to my fathers so ive decided to leave the country. And thats why victoria has been studying german for more than a year at the good to institute in sofia. About twenty three thousand left their country and twenty sixteen but a new trend suggests others whove already spent time abroad are returning home with higher qualifications some eleven thousand did just that in the same time period one of them is christian after finishing his Business Studies in dusseldorf he founded a tour company in sofia that took off when he started taking visitors around in an old tub bundt or trabi the car once manufactured in communist east germany. With the tools to show people what life was like in the old days. I. Chose the trouble because its the car that sort of symbolizes communism. Idea found an audience. Today he own six months and has a staff that serves about twenty five thousand customers per year. Meter of sees his future right here he wants to invest in bulgaria. There are many more opportunities to start a business and than in germany. There are plenty of ideas that would work just as well as they do in germany and other western countries even in employment. One example is gorm a cookie from a sofia rooftop this big kitchen has a staff of fifty plus fifty more working in the adjacent restaurants that serve one thousand customers per day this New Enterprise at the top floor of a high rise building has an impressive view of the city and its all run by twenty four year old gonna monologue who earned her masters degree in business in vienna and london. Half a year ago she took over the management here thats a rarity in the male dominated Food Service Sector and bilge. Area. They came back immediately on their universities because there was a great Business Opportunity that they thought couldnt wait and so the country has seen them in you are too nitty is the need to begin to like. The opportunity to say i have been proud. Even though shes been successful in this venture and got him on a nova has other plans at some point she says shell leave dont care you tina her reason too much diggnation here like so many others her age she has her sights on the rest of europe. Well im joined now by daniel kohn and he is director of the frederick Nauman Foundation for freedom in sofia and its good to have you on the program this evening daniel i understand you were not at that ceremony big you know to mark the beginning of the six months presidency for bulgaria you were at a protest event what was going on they are. Actually there have a lot of protests going on in the last couple of days on the one hand that the government decided to build to allow building in and that youre a National Park on the other hand we have seen very but i call it twenty times threshold. That is allowed you in the European Union was a reach but in the end of the day its about corruption the fight against corruption formal rule of law and so the protests those took the opportunity to take it to the streets and i thought the pull that. Well whats your opinion about this six month presidency i mean weve got a country that is being monitored by the e. U. For corruption im all for governance and yet they are heading the e. U. Presidency now i mean that has never happened before b. Does this insanity mind the e. U. Or is this a stroke of genius by helping bulgaria well its a bit of both off at the same time we have to say its their turn more or less with rex its that term current era six months early so its just their turn out but indeed we have a big problem but my book area since two thousand and seven the one thats on the European Union has been monitored by the European Commission and three key areas that is a rule of law fight against organized crime and the fight against corruption and unfortunately as has been said earlier on your program bulgarias to come to europe with the highest level of corruption just in the recent days we have seen some killings of people who are allegedly connected to organized crime here so it will shed a lot of light on bulgaria that in the end of the day might be a good thing that the forums that have been postponed the last ten years before finally pushed through and obviously it is going to be more tension in the country because of this do you think at the end of the day he can a six month term running the presidency can it really make a difference though to these coup or problems in organized crime and corruption and theres growing you know xenophobia and euro skeptics in the country as well well i would agree with the with statement theres a growing euro skepticism country over sixty percent opel guerrier are still very much pro you all the e. U. Institutions have higher rates of confidence than any book garrets. However indeed the time is very short but its a crucial time because now for Civil Society it is the time to go on the streets and the Bulgarian Government always had a key interest and showing that its that pro european country so it might actually be high time now that it will be pushed for a full however we have seen on the second of february that the president got if veto at the new anticorruption law so without a big push from brussels at the same time without strong observation from the media like yourself there is not going to happen much if we have the attention there is that a certain seed of hope there is also the concern was europe then and. Its political elite are somewhat more for russian influence in the e. U. How concerned are you about that i mean how big of a problem or a threat is that well you have to understand that over ninety percent close one hundred percent of the Energy Reserves of area that includes fossil fuels but also Nuclear Energy is directly tied to russia look at Oil Refineries here in bulgaria most of gas and gasoline comes from from russia so it has a tremendous leverage over the company at the same time as we have seen with south stream will get areas rather looking into what what the Commission Says what brussels says so i wouldnt be overly worried about the russian influence in the end of the day however that very much trying to get a hold of bulgaria ate my energy and be political influence for instance there are allegations that the right wing parties here bill gary are just as in Central Europe i have found that by russia there is having the russian propaganda like russia today like sputnik who is me who is news are directly transmitted via the bulgarian yes sure. Daniel conic director of the frederick Nauman Foundation for freedom in Sofia Bulgaria joining us tonight we appreciate your time thank you for being on the day thank you very much. And from one extreme and extremity of europe to another from bulgaria to britain and weve got used to those brim owners calling for a new referendum on braggs it but for many breaks and tears that would be nothing short of treason more now the man who many thought of as mr briggs it himself he has waded into the fray accusing Prime Minister theresa may of selling breaks it short you know who im talking about heres mr nigel for iraq. They will go on winning and whining and moaning all the way through this process so maybe just maybe i reached the point of thinking that we should have a second referendum on because in a lot of membership the whole thing yes of course of course unless you want to have a multiple choice right now no i mean im a nice thing if we had a second referendum on e. U. Membership we could offer a generation the percentage that would vote to leave next i would be very much bigger than it was last im right i i may just finish the whole thing off im black and disappear off to a total obscurity well its not just one of raj a close ally of his is the millionaire who bankrolled the leave dot edu campaign you see it aaron bain she said if we do not act radically now we will sleep walk into a photo in name only true park city years have been backed into a corner and the only option now is to go back to the polls and let the people shout from the rooftops their support of a true bricks that leave would win by a landslide. Well now the last thing the British Government under theresa may want to see is another referendum and there was a terse response from her press spokesman in downing street we will not be having. A second referendum what we are doing is working for the best deal for the british people for bracks it i think you would have seen from the fact that we achieved that sufficient progress decision in december you know that by working cooperatively by sitting down and negotiating and being clear about what we want to achieve we can achieve arrangements and agreements with the European Union and im confident that we will be able to achieve a good deal but with very clear that thats what were a thats what were working full to resume a there will in times like these its best to consult the best and that is he was with me at the big table right now David Charter he is the go team and on all things breaks and he is the author of at least what is it three books now on bikes its hes the times germany correspondent its good to have you back on the show happy new year thank you meant thank you i do they have i didnt think we would see each other this year this early in the year but before we dive into this two thousand and eighteen breaks at bonanza lets take a moment to remember how we arrived at this point will the bricks it talks be finished in two years as theyre supposed to be yes i think they will be i think but since leaving the e. U. On the first of april twenty ninth saying alright well brics it really ever take place i dont think its happening but were going to have this discussion i guess held for a feeble theres a lot of yeah in this one. Yeah and were driving down the road again any resolutions for this year at the top i think ive got to get you to tell you. What do you think i mean were going down that no brakes a path arent we or are we. The thing is nigel farage as colorful accounts or is he is. As good as he is a grabbing headlines and he has been accused by many on this side as ukip side of just how playing a big stunt just as they stay in the headlines stay in the public debate it doesnt carry that much weight really in the in the british debates it has allowed a whole can of worms to open and maybe he has kick started a debate for once but really his his voice alone doesnt carry that much weight and the whole of the ukip movement apart from ara banks who you identified has really accused him of selling out. By what he said this morning but you may be aware that what hes trying to do now is to finesse his words and say what he was actually trying to do was to warn the brick city is that a second referendum is coming and they should be preparing for it is dont like the british version of steve bannon a little bit if you will i mean just trying to twist his words around but forget about him for a second. What are the chances for a circuit reverend and the numbers tell us that the british would say stay in the well there has been one poll in december where there was a very decisive lead now for remaining in the e. U. But i have to say the folks to leave the European Union was in june twenty sixth run for nearly eighteen months there hasnt been a great shift in british opinion now the big question everyone in britain is asking actually is this this poll in december which showed for the first time an absolute majority fifty one percent of british people want to revenge is a rogue poll or a real shift and this kind of debates about what not. Just saying may bring you no further discussion and polls to clarify the answer as to whether it will lead to another referendum i still dont think so you dont because the labor party the one in opposition is still very much against having a second referendum they dont smell a political opportunity because i think because the polls havent changed much their position could shift if we see a series of polls and i believe there would have to be half a dozen that show the tide is really turning in britain and there is a there is a clear absolute majority of british people now want to remain on the chance to say that you know i have to let our viewers know and you know ive read your two of your books on breaks it and you would be able to draw up a blueprint for the British Government if you had to and it seems that there is no leader in the u. K. Who has done that or is capable of doing that and thats part of the problem how is that possible well theres a fantastic debate still going on inside the Ruling Conservative Party about exactly how to handle the brics it negotiations and how to draw up a plan for britains future they have made some very Big Decisions theyre going to leave the Single Market theyre going to leave the Customs Union we want to make our own trade deals around the world but there are some there are still some Big Decisions that have yet to be made about exactly how close we stay to the European Union whether we accept what isnt going to be inevitable demands for them to for britain to pay a lot of money and you have to stay very closely engaged in the markets for our services for our Financial Services which is the one of the Biggest Industries in britain so theres still a debate raging inside the conservative party which is only just kept itself together thus far and its amazing though this taken this long ok and i have to ask you this which we do every time what do you think what are the chances now for briggs it not happening. I still think that is happening on march the twenty ninth twenty eighteen no ones so far to go now but the chances of it not happening lightly increasing guys leaving so will it slightly towards your view that perhaps this wont happen all right however i think it will ok you still think it will ok David Schardt of the man with the orange tie and all the knowledge about brakes that we appreciate you being on the show thank you david thank you. But we may know by friday morning whether or not the Iran Nuclear Deal will survive u. S. President donald trump is expected to decide yes or no to reimpose saying sions on tehran of sanctions would violate the Nuclear Agreement and that is not what the European Union wants that wa