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Travels in Euroland with Ed Balls

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Ed Balls discovers how the divisions exposed by Brexit are reflected across the EU.

Ed Balls heads to Europe to discover how the divisions exposed by Brexit are reflected across the EU. He meets voters to find out what the future of Europe holds for its citizens.

Series 1

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Travels in Euroland with Ed Balls: Series 1: Episode 1

Episode 1

BBC Two - Travels in Euroland with Ed Balls, Series 1, Episode 1

Ed Balls explores national identity and the rise of right-wing populism across Europe.

Ed Balls heads to Spain and Holland to explore national identity and the rise of right-wing populism across Europe. In Melilla, Spain, he works a shift with the local police.

Following on from the success of Travels in Trumpland, Ed Balls heads to Europe to discover why so many people are rejecting mainstream politics. He immerses himself in the lives of ordinary voters to find out what is behind this populist revolution and the potential consequences for Europe’s future.

In this episode, Ed travels in Spain and Holland to explore the role that national identity and pride have played in fuelling the rise of populism. The first leg of his journey takes him to Holland and the fishing towns of Den Helder and Scheveningen. Here he meets two fishermen, Dirk and Willem. Dirk takes Ed out for a day of trawler fishing. In the Netherlands, the fishing industry is important to the country’s national identity. Ed hears how the impact of EU law around fishing practices is affecting their livelihoods and why it has driven Dirk and his crew to vote for a politician who has promised to stand up to Brussels.

In Scheveningen, Willem shows Ed around the local fish factory and invites him to join his daily ritual - a bracing dip in the chilly North Sea. Willem tells Ed that he believes in a vision for Dutch politics which puts ‘Netherlands First’ and restores pride to the people of Holland. With Willem’s words ringing in his ears, Ed journeys north to Ede, where he meets with Harold, a Black Pete actor and entertainer who has found himself in the midst of a culture war. The tradition of Black Pete involves the Dutch daubing themselves in black paint to portray the helper of a Santa Claus-like figure called Sinterklaas. Despite finding what he sees uncomfortable, Ed attempts to learn more about this custom, which has come under fire for being akin to blackface. In recent years, campaigners have called for it to be banned, while populist politicians have supported it.

The second leg of Ed’s journey takes him to Spain where, unlike Holland, populism is relatively new. In Andalucia, the Vox Party- the first far-right party since the days of Franco to win seats in the parliament - has pledged to stand up for the controversial practice of bullfighting. Ed spends time with a famed local matador and his family to try to understand why.

Finally, Ed travels over the Mediterranean Sea to the tip of Morocco, to visit the Spanish enclave of Melilla, for a shift with the local police, the Guardia Civil, whose responsibility it is to stop migrants jumping over the 11ft fence separating Africa and Europe. With populist politicians increasingly claiming that national identity is threatened by the numbers of migrants that are coming to Europe, Ed wants to know the reality of the situation.

Travels in Euroland with Ed Balls: Series 1

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