by spanish authorities they were arrested for their role in organizing an independence referendum deemed illegal by the country's constitutional court hundreds of probably independence supporters gathered outside the courthouse in the regional capital barcelona to demand their release tensions between madrid and catalonia are increasing as the vote planned for october the first. madrid has said it will deploy more police in the region to maintain order and to act if the banned referendum takes place. a conciliatory speech in the italian city of florence the british prime minister trying to kickstart her country's failing bragg's at negotiations against a backdrop of growing confusion when i'm stressed of a spring this is the day. the

success of the e.u. is profoundly in national interest of the wider world. but having made this choice the question now is whether we are the leaders of britain and the e.u. member states and institutions can demonstrate that creativity that innovation that ambition that we need to shape a new partnership for the benefit of all our people i believe we must and i believe we have a right i'm here because that vision i live in and i'm really really down that night at the brits and it. is another year that you can call me the hand. over here we really should we are trying to well if america but when you listen to the whole speech there's very little new and mostly it's a reemphasizing some of the things he had said before. there are some signs.

concessions are possible in areas like payments into the financial perspective. but in the end it is still very very without any concrete offer on the table. also on the program as germany enters its final day of campaigning ahead of sunday's federal election we asked how the country's angry of voters might affect the final outcome. now turning to that brags that speech it was a console your tree speech aimed at bray breathing new life into the stalled brags that negotiations speaking in the italian city of florence british prime minister tourism a trying to cost the process of separation in a positive light she made concessions proposing a two year transition after a break said during which britain would continue to abide by e.u. rules and contribute to the blocs budget she also sought to calm the fears of

europeans who live in britain and brits who live in europe. denied a vote denied a voice the u.k. prime minister to resign may's visit to florence has brought these british citizens together the majority live in italy and their concerns are plentiful pensions their future status in the european union and the u.k.'s relationship with the e.u. just a few of the major points to dog regs at negotiations. but yeah i think it's just to clarify what's going on. how it's going to affect everybody. you know and even luke a bit. of europe as well and i'm really really a fan on the brits and it. was another year of the you know the hammers going on. over here we've been there we are a priority well it's wearing a bit of a nearby and amid tight security may arrived for what would be a lengthy attempt at breaking the deadlock in bragg's it talks which are set to

resume on monday since u.k. voters cast their ballots in june twenty sixth dean and decided to leave the union london has been in a boxing ring with brussels both sides throwing punches over a range of issues migration being one of the most divisive to the six hundred thousand italians in the u.k. and indeed to all citizens who have made their lives in our country that we want you to stay with al you and we thank you for your contribution to our national life . and it has been and remains one of my first goals in this negotiation to ensure that you can carry on living your lives as before. may address to range of issues notably her hopes for a strong bond between the u.k. and the e.u. but let's think creatively let's be on bishops about what we can achieve because as i said we start from an unprecedented position in terms of our current relationship with you we remember we're coming out but that enables us to build

a different sort of partnership for the future may speech has been met with a cautious welcome in the u. the iconic flag of europe punctuated with gold stars is still very much a symbol of unity democracy and freedom for many british citizens march twenty nine thousand will signal the beginning of the end for britain's e.u. membership. and with me now in the studio david charter who reports for the london times here from berlin and you also based in brussels a little bit earlier just been telling me david i want to look at content first in the speech it is being criticized as a bit low on detail what's your take on the speech. well as you know the talks in brussels have not been going very well between britain and the european union about the divorce deal which is why of course the europeans were hoping for some more detail proposals exactly and they are scheduled to resume next week and so this speech was probably the wrong place to look for very very granular details of what

reason is done as address the three key issues in the talks but only briefly so the subject of the irish border she said she doesn't want a physical border and that was it no further detail the subject of the payments she said britain will honor its commitments but that's a bit vague you know that was defined a commitment in a new direction exactly and then the status of e.u. citizens in britain and british citizens in the e.u. she said actually use the word guarantee that e.u. citizens would be able to continue living their lives as they do now in britain which again is very warm and welcome words but not really the fine detail any and exactly how it's going to happen in the many complications that arise around that you know such as family reunion and travel and once you really get into the detail but that's it wasn't the place for that that that now has to be delivered in the talks next week so this speech is more about mood about building bridges to

brussels it was very much about mood but it was also we learned several important things and absolutely crucial was this two year transition periods which you mentioned that's absolutely vital for all those businesses who are totally unclear about how this brics it is going to work out for them as going to canada nervous virgins knows and yes so if the brussels side agrees then the brics that process effectively takes four years rather than the two years that's planned in the official treaty britain will leave the european union in march twenty ninth teen but will effectively remain in all of its programs for. trade in the single markets and free movements of people for another two years just a quick word about reaction in britain you know how are the hardliners the brig's it is reacting to the speech are they screaming blue murder well i think they were

prepared to i think i've seen some early reaction which suggested well it's a betrayal of people who voted to leave because they want to leave right now but i've also seen some more thoughtful reaction from some very hard line breaks it is peter bone a conservative backbench m.p. was a very tough bricks a to m.p. he's content with the plan that's been laid out because it gives an assurance of some stability during the leaving process but that britain is leaving on march twenty ninth twenty nineteen david i want to focus on something that may was saying in terms of the trade relationship between the u.k. and the e.u. she talked a lot about being creative that was a word she used a great deal she called for something that goes beyond anything that already exists for instance the recent free trade agreement the e.u. sealed with canada which is going to listen to her argument how she builds her

argument listen to this as for a canadian style free trade agreement we should recognize that this is the most advanced free trade agreement the e.u. has yet concluded and a breakthrough in trade between canada and the e.u. but compared with what exists between britain and the e.u. today it would nevertheless represent such a restriction on our mutual market access that it would benefit neither of our economies not only that it would start from the false premise that there is no preexisting regulator the relationship between us and president suggests that it could take years to negotiate. we can do so much better than this. david we can do so much better you know don't you think there are people in brussels who are saying this is the exactly the kind of delusional thinking that is getting in the way of progress in these negotiations or britain britain wanting to

leave the e.u. but still retain all the advantages of being a member well it would be delusional if britain as you said wanted to retain all the advantages with none of the responsibilities or the financial costs but that's not really what i heard today and i think the position is becoming a bit more realistic of course britain's deal with the e.u. has got to be better than canada's we have been in the single market for over forty years we're right next door with a we're going to be the biggest trading partner so it's going to be a deal which has to for the be better than canada because canada doesn't have a very good access for services it's not in the european single sculler of course it's not it's in north america and and british airlines would like to be able to fly around the european single skies so there are many things which currently exist that have to be replicated which are way beyond the kind of the deal ok now expert

reaction in brussels has been quite caustic we're going to listen to one of those experts fabienne zelig head of the european policy center that his reaction. i think it will disappoint and frustrate the leaders certainly in the briefings would you leaders have received in the runup to the speech there was an expectation that more would be served but more signals of concessions would be coming so i would guess that in the end this just cements the view or for the e.u. leaders the u.k. is no longer able to come to a coherent position on that. ok so one very disappointed expert speculating about some disappointed you leaders will have to see whether they really are disappointed but do you think that to resume may's speech will have a serious effect on energizing effect on the brakes and koshi asians i think it was a step in the right direction but not

a huge step and it really depends on what happens in the room next week when david davis the minister in charge of negotiating the brics deal with the e.u.'s lead negotiator in the shell body when they get together next week there has to be some more detail on these warm words but as we've discussed not a great detail amount of detail from the prime minister so there has to be now a breakdown of exactly what course we're going to pay to leave when we leave the european union ok david many thanks for that background david charter from the london times. turning to germany now where voters are gearing up for sunday's federal election both candidates for the post of chancellor have been making a final push for votes the latest polls have been encouraging for challenger martin shorts and his center left social democrats they're trailing chancellor angela merkel's christian democrats by of wide margin surveys suggesting her conservative

bloc is likely to take around thirty six percent of sunday's vote. well as the campaigning draws to a close our correspondents have been out and about covering the final rallies. because the cousineau monitoring events in munich for instance where chancellor merkel has been speaking i asked her about the choice of venue and the mood in the bavarian capital. i think this is to do this in between the c.d.u. c.s.u. of the consumptive system was easy enough to see the german sponsor even though i mean what is very much and usually get me to sever you is this going to. find us that there are several thousand people turning out to support the germans also at the same time we see people taunting. way with machall we see that we're saying that happening that is so you become the fog of this campaign that it won't do the campaign of the job and saw the recent weeks these are very few people i must say

just a couple of dozen have you know with whistles who are clearly identifiable as honestly the this is. going on i must say making a lot of us not also you know it was the night of the c.s.u. paul to you was the part of the magazine brings us a couple of minutes ago ignore the sunset then that this was about democratic debate the sudden be about the word just sounds around but it did sound once again the germans the base is basically one of you know is trying to get across the message went over the many undecided voters who syrians i'm an atheist i'm less than twenty four we actually know how this election played out in. detail these mckayla cusco reporting from munich and one of our other correspondents political correspondents has been all over germany. on the campaign trail with various

candidates five in front of mock with me in the studio. a wall of noise mccain though was talking about that we've been seeing that rallies. over the last few weeks really you know is that typical of the mood that you've been encountering on the campaign trail as well. it is quite typical in the last couple of weeks and months and it was actually quite surprising to realize that this is the mood outside this burdened bubble where we as corresponds normally are and the campaign started rather normal almost boring some people said and then we realized that if america goes somewhere to the countryside on the marketplaces meet the people that there are those angry loud protesters and that was something that we didn't have in the last election comes again i mean that's pretty new really for german electioneering isn't it it is pretty new i mean back in the days of him

would cause we had protesters like that as well but they were usually from the left wing group but this time right wing protesters far right protesters this is something new we have to say would be good also said it's a minority the huge majority on these places square is still pro-american but it shows in the way a divided society with the percentage of people that are really angry ok well we're going to give our viewers a taste of that voter anger now a couple of voices that you recorded while he was on the campaign trail let's listen to what they have to say. he's done nothing for jim and just for announced. you know what i'm really concerned i want my country to be safe i want thank you will borders so we know he were letting in. so two german voters at chancellor one of chancellor angela merkel's rallies. expressing their

dissatisfaction you know tell us tell us more about what they are angry about. it's quite interesting actually that there is a core that brings these people together and that is the refugee policy of america but the two people that we just saw for example the woman with the red hair she was in the east she was an openly a f.t. supporting person i have to the also and to germany yes the. immigration party anti islam party exactly that this party and she said when i continue talking to her that was just like a part of our conversation is that the germans we have to wait for furniture or for for flat if we need something that they could pour germans they have to wait forever and the foreigners they come and they are treated like kings and that was basically what she was saying so they left felt left out and not as well treated as the refugees for example the other woman she was rather unsatisfied with the way the anglo american has treated the refugee policy for her that was

a car take style with opening the borders without really checking who is coming into the country and she said that she felt insecure but this is really. reoccurring pattern this refugee policy is. still a problem for america they're coming back to the f.t. they will turn to for germany the right wing populist party there have been reports that the f.t. have been organizing groups of hecklers that travel around to angela merkel's rallies is there substance to that yes that's true i mean there were many different groups at the rallies not only from the a.f.p. but also from other far right groups and it is true that the f.t. has organized bus trips to the various rallies but it's not as if the same fifty people were just. drove driven around the whole of germany and been to different places they were also local people i have been to three of. the locations with

there were different people. and there were just also people that just lived there and came there to protest against genuine locals as they are not people who were bussed in and you know some commentators are describing the mood of germany's election as calm on the surface but scratch a little bit of the surface away and it's bubbling with anger underneath with is that accurate i think it's in a way true yes i mean in general you have to see that most germans are quite satisfied with their economical situation with the really low unemployment in germany more than seventy percent would say that they are satisfied with their situation but then there is this percentage ten fifteen percent hard to say how many are really who believe that there is an elite deciding among. the putting decisions. of deciding that they have to say there have been exactly

that they have also strongs you know for big feelings and that they also maybe because of the grand coalition feel that there is not really a no turn it if and pull it is they just do what they won and that's just one big kargil and particularly if you go for example to social media you find a lot of this anger and now it was also visible on these squares and when you talk to c.d.o. come painters for example they say when they go from door to door they experience a lot of these angry people that say i have voted for the c.d.u. but this time i will go for the a.f.d. for the far right protest party because i wasn't happy with anglo-american refugee policy and this anger in the countryside shall we say how do you think it's going to affect the final outcome on sunday you know us in the berlin bubble as you mentioned as you called it a few minutes ago are we going to are we in for a big surprise on sunday. it's possible i think it's still in both ways possible we

could still be surprised that maybe this group of people was now over we presented in the media and that the end of the day it is just a five to seven percent group that you have everywhere in every country basically or even bigger ones but it could also be that the a if do you would get twelve thirteen percent i wouldn't be really surprised that could happen many say that they would end up as the third biggest party and that would certainly be a huge change for the political culture in germany ok many thanks for that fascinating talking to you. now in the run up to sunday's vote here in germany there has been much discussion about the prospect of illegal foreign interference against that backdrop facebook has been stepping up its efforts to prevent foreign governments from meddling this comes after the company revealed that russian entities may have purchased thousands of political adverts

during last year's election in the us facebook's chief executive mark zuckerberg has pledged to boost the transparency of the company's paid political advertising here's what he had to say i wish i could tell you that we're going to have to stop all interference but that just wouldn't be realistic there will always be bad actors in the world and we can't prevent all governments from all interference but we can make it harder we can make it much harder we've been working to ensure the integrity of the german elections this weekend from taking action against thousands of fake accounts to partnering with public authorities like the federal office for information security to sharing security practices with the candidates and parties . we're also examining the activity of accounts we've removed and we have not yet found a similar type of interference effort in germany and this is incredibly important and we've been focused on this for a while. the chief executive facebook talking early on

a social media desk has been looking into this story for as calm as been with me now the good news from what he was saying that there's been practically no outside interference in the german election campaign that's what i think is pretty much right especially when you compare this with the election france the election in the u.s. we just haven't seen that big wide scale effort to disrupt the german election but that doesn't mean there isn't any interference we've seen some smaller efforts especially from the global far right community and we want to show you just a few examples here this is from an online bulletin board called four chan and here there's a large group of right wing activists and they are trying to boost germany's far right party the a f d this thread features an arsenal of weapons that could potentially influence the election there's links to videos and means that are meant to spread online attacks against the rival parties there's tips for creating a fake social media profile even a link you see it here to donate money directly to the f d a we've heard so much

talk of course about a potential russian link some russian meddling we even heard about a big hack of the buddhist tog computer system back in twenty fifteen we haven't seen any emails released we haven't seen any documents in fact according to many experts most of the online meddling so far in germany has not come from russia it's actually come from the u.s. and far right groups there having said that there is a different kind of russian connection that has been raising eyebrows isn't yes interesting germany actually has a large community of russian speakers around four million people and these german russian speakers are really being targeted actually by political parties here in germany especially. by the a.f.p. take a look at what i mean here there are many fan groups like this one of russian speaking a.f.p. supporters this is a twitter account it's not run by the a.f.p. but it is followed by the party's top candid alice vital not only that but the f.t. even appears to be running ads on russian television take

a look at this this comes from journalist sergey soon then he took this picture of his t.v. screen and you see there at the bottom there's an election banner it says choose a f.t. for your and our future that was aired on russian state t.v. but it was broadcast to russian speakers here in germany and the f.t. they're not the only ones targeting russian speakers the cd use sister party the c s who has a campaign there are a ming of russian language ads of potential voters you can see here the party head horse as a whole he's speaking out against left wing politics and multiculturalism but it's in russia this could make a difference as many as one point five million russian speakers are eligible to vote here in germany so you never know what effect that could have on sunday. to do social media many thanks for that background. and as the campaigning draws to a close ahead of sunday's vote why not join the conversation online you can get all our coverage on our web site t w dot com there's also plenty of content on our

facebook page and on twitter just look for hash tag germany decides and as mentioned do get involved in tell us what you think. feel free as well of course to join our conversation here on the day or find us saw on twitter as well either at g.w. news or at my twitter handle spring on the road and don't forget to use that hash tag a day we'll be back on monday with in-depth analysis all of the german elections but for now from all of us here in southern thanks for watching and have a good weekend. kitchens one city common area to our own berlin bureau max series is a very simple recipe but while neighborhoods like having. fifty international

dishes chefs. the recipes for cooking the dishes to join them in. fifty kitchens one city. your room next d.w. . germany decides the day before the general election on t.w. the day dedicated to democracy from its dramatically killings in germany on to the present day how is the nation of culture during election year democracy day september twenty third one g.w. . going to the weekend and another edition of your i might let things off with the lid.