people in the west simply go to the grocery store to purchase their food. little spot is given to the source of where that food comes from, even less to the people who grow that food or raise the live stock that end up on our plates every day. and perhaps that's why they're fuming mad farmers leaving their crops behind and taking the capital cities in their respective countries. the netherlands, germany, france, spain, poland, even taking their tractors in the brussels belgium, the home of the european council to make their voices heard. so what exactly are they so mad about? joining us to explain is elijah maga. he is a veteran war correspondent and political analysts. now, based in brussels, you can see more of his work at e. j magnate dot com and follow him on twitter at e j mall ry. that's m a l r a. i thank you so much for being with us,

elijah. thank you so much for having me. so the e u presidency is currently held by belgium, where you live. recently, there was a massive demonstration by farmers and their supporters, which saw roughly a 1000 tractors, blocking that whole area around the european council building. and they sprayed police with liquid min, newer they unleashed bales of hay all over the street. i mean, the, the scene was really chaotic. can you tell us what that was all about? indeed, yes. so the 27 european nation has agree on a specific green, the environment policy that was not compatible with the demand of the fall. so although they have weaken some of these re policy as to fit with the farming emission of its 2040 climate road,

the u. m. still struggling with meeting the family's health way. so what it's old about in the fall is often texting because at the they have a little farm incomes because his dad and thomas are quick deciding the school that is forwarded by the e. u. a euro cried in brussels. and because they don't re, with the foreign policy that they have adopting every nation. i gotcha. so they demand then because they have supermarkets, photos, and fruits and vegetables at the price match low. well, then the local production and all that comes inevitably in the 1st place from your price. because the european union wants to help you frame and wants to end to ease the settings of its product. so it is creating a domestic process in all the nation. so form farmers of producing food

that doesn't make that exhibit because the free trade agreement is causing them a can addition that they know up to the process of below the. busy us and the comment agriculture policy that to vendor them from using subsidizes is not compatible with the product that they all buy from ukraine. and they have such as i this with different of the, you know, so that is one of the actually, the 2nd aspect is the you is introducing kind of the rock i see for the farmers that they need to spend almost between 5 to 7 hours a day on sitting up documents and papers every single day, and that takes up almost a 3rd of the time when 2 sides of the time is invested in the fall. so they don't

have any time to rest. so they again say you have to reduce the, the rocker, see that you're asking us. and then to the 2nd most important box, either you stop the import from your brain and you find them, they've done that, the market for it. if you want to support your grade or you, we allow it to raise the price, but raising the price is becoming really ridiculous. we go to market, we used to pay a salad for a few sentences that we pay for 3 years. 10 aquinos finished at the reach the us when it was around 3 to 4 years. so all these practice of closing not only reactions, reactions from the owners, but also the population is on the badge of exclusion because of the policy of the you one day. so much money to invest on foreign policy in particular,

supporting ukraine in this ridiculous war, but not investing in more toward the european population. so there's some level of under cutting and that's causing inflation of prices. then you get another sacrifice for a you farmers in the name of ukraine. now let's not forget a or slow bonder land has invited ukraine to join the you with the old war between the west and left by the united states against ukraine, a resulting and destructive of the european ca. com. and now let's play. first of all, the americans are very happy with the outcome because they saying that all duction and say is boomy. so there is a part of the american industry that is making a lot of money. secondly, because the americans have decided that we should own in the west,

those sanctions on russia. then we find those says buying b or the guys treat times or full times more expensive, then the price with that you, we used to pay to russia. so what we found out at the end of the day is the americans offering facilities to all the european industry to come to america with 5 years without paying taxes and where the energy is very cheap in surprising to what they pay today. you're so we have again, the migration of the european industry to america because of this war. so what we have gain, we have gain inflection. we have gain the valuation of the euro. we have gain bit is that we cannot afford to pay, i mean, electricity, when the electricity has been for an individual,

goes from $8.00 to yours and month that is more or less 90 dollars to 370. and that's without counting how much restaurants up a and talking about thousands of years, nobody can afford these prices. but because you're a seasonal orientation to was foreign policy, which is not the reason why the european leaders have been lifted. they feel that they, according to that domestic agenda, but not to that for the policy was they can drain the entire country to missouri. well, europeans today are looking for eh, finding job and investing either the names. yeah, absolutely. because there is no uh, opportunity. ready invest your everything is very expensive, the taxes are increasing and you pay everything. they are a dealing up on everything that is related to income. and there is no increase of

income to compensate the cost. that's right, because inevitably you raise the income to raise the prices. so if the price of the transport is full times hire, someone needs to pay. and the one who's paying is the end user, which is the us, the people who are living on the european continent and paying the price of $2.00 of wrong european policy, one at the beginning of the war. several europeans either said this is not our war . and we will not be engaged, that's why decision. and then we find, oh says, or default in the war to the point that we have president and the french president amendment my whole say that i would need at the end of the day to send some folks to and some people and sizes to ukraine to continue the war because ukraine who's doing very bad. so the, the, the guns, so out of their way,

and completely disconnected from what's happening in europe, to the point that they think they can be part of this war. that is not our role to increase the negative consequences on new european population. yeah, very scary escalation indeed. so the dutch farmers protest that was the 1st one that began in europe that sparked off in 2019, that movement has since spread across the continent over the past year. first, can you begin by explaining to us what sparks that initial pro test and what the situation of that protest looks like today in 2024 over in the netherlands. yes, i remember when in october 2009 over 2000 tractors at close defined way and that's and then a 1000 kilometers. i know that because i was stuck in by some new study in the

netherlands. so that was a long time way. and they even says the way on the north sea beaches, there is no just on that if you want to escape and find a way for the city. so the problem and then that, that then comes really from the got. so the government add one today, drastic measures to reduce the mission of nitrogen. this is exactly the same as you also in france and in brussels, in the bedroom. but the french have found another way to spend down a bit to bates and performing this uh plan, but for the, for the internet. and then they, the government consider buying for the largest share its nitrogen. that was it on bench, then comes from a boot. gotcha. so these measures that are taken by the government are supporting as the climate change and the support of the track. however,

the full, the offices century, the government's policy was encouraging all the time. the farm is to expand, to buy more land, to have more items, and that to borrow more money into with us. it's still it, these bank facilities for farm is to have access to those. like nobody has been. they discovered that a good that you was responsible for 80 percent of the emission of one says it's nitrogen pollution. and because the farming and the diary had gone 50 just one percent of the d g d p. then the government said was it is the good if we come back on the production and that's not really affect the cost. oh is a that so the farm is will have expanded that business. they found themselves step

. of course, there is an issue that the 9th or just in the sphere is harmless because we've read $78.00 point something of nitrogen and at $21.00 on something of oxygen. however, the reaction comes with other names. and because the name is like ammonia and that's on the right side, that's we fine. we, we find in the is set to sizes, then this combination it'd be, it'd be coming to the wary for the government to try and reduce. so for, for the last 5 years at the farm is as being stocking their, uh, their animals and the production and indulging the properties and the gods as a happy again at the same time skyrocket. so the band need the fuel

and the emission of maxim date size creates much for pollution. however, chemical set the licenses that the ukranian are using and now your opinions on not allowed to use, but effect why the, the production of the vegetables is something that the farmers again often begins. so the same if we cannot have enough food for the members to eat, the gross and we need to keep them in. then they is a production of full then 13 to 90 percent of the time to get the government to say, okay, what i can buy, the land that you don't want because you have bought a new expended. and i can give you bought the land o. i can't buy all of your but then this is not the solution because as and again, the farm, as i said. so what do we do? this is the only

a business we have nothing to do. and this is this pain that we be doing. the doings in decades from generation to generation and we haven't done another job or a to do some other uh business. so this is the, the bank that continue on going between the farm is and the governments with the farmers are saying, well, we don't want you to buy our lands because we don't know how to invest the money. and there is no guarantee today for any investment, because of the devaluation of the euro. because the and stability in the market, the increase of the price of the go, the increase of the price of the be going. and the increase of the price of the or what, why, but then if it's just 2, i think it's you never stay but so what do they do? they don't know that this, this is the name of that. all right? coming up next. what happens when those who are traditionally outside of the game

of politics decide they want a seat at the table? that's exactly what happened in the netherlands. we're going to discuss it when we return with elijah and mega is to type them all will be right back the the world's largest democracy votes, the rest of the planets, watches in an emerging, multi polar world, india as voice matters. but who will be the power behind watches, almost 1000000000 people decide and billions more, react the when i 1st moved to rush i, one of the most amazing things i found was to moscow metro. in fact,

at the very 1st phrase that i ever learned and nothing was powerful. so what makes this place so specially what secrets is of hiding to find out deep under the city with alexander pop off. give it a story and who studies the wonders of the moscow metro, the welcome back to them. oh, i'm vanilla chan. traditionally in the world of politics, we see a certain type who enters that field, right? they usually come from high society, attend elite universities and mix and mingle amongst themselves, sometimes referred to as the ruling class. but in the netherlands, dodge farmers have ditched the fields and are now disrupting business as usual in parliament by creating their own political party. a political analyst and veteran

war correspondent elijah maga, is back with us to discuss the turning of the tides of a new politics. so elijah, in the last couple of years, dutch farmers began their own political party called the b, b, b. in english. it translates to a farmer, citizens movement. so in 2023, the b, b, b, one, several seats in the parliament disrupting the plans for the pm mark, route, as cabinet who would no longer have the majority. by the summer of 2023. the entire dutch cabinet collapsed. do you think we will soon see other countries in the follow the dutch lead and launch their own parties and, and how might this disrupt business as usual, politics and the you? what do we have soon? the european parliament election. we have 710 you. ready being members of the. ready being ottomans, philosophy in europe,

and deciding what to do and what role they can forward to the leaders of the 27 european nations. and we see a movement in different countries. and you, people imagine we've seen that in the u. k with joy that awaits winning the election and driving the hard establishment of the battle because it's something completely thinkable. and there we see also a breach in the, in different your parliament's members in different european countries. when there is a change, say the shift of the tradition, not only because the new people are all set because people have you. but they did just, i just had enough of a, the usual peaceful dominate the establishment. and the concrete in order to be your and so we don't need to have always the same people. these are

the, the conservative or the neighbor policy, the right thing or the left wing, the social there's all the green at the end of the day that to be more, the fascist and the right, clean the walkways. so there is a need for change. and this new just change is not going to happen very fast and very quickly because any change and each time it's exactly like the what a jimmy today, we stayed up the americans as well as the gemini. however, most countries around the world agreed that the strip stuff, because of the way the americans are reading the what the w stand it and the pharmacy particularly do with the wall and gas and the war and you great and the compassion. ready the stand of the what between both rules. so all that is giving out the full support for the european people to think about the necessity to

introduce changes and remove fetus if you're to. for example, today, at the dealership in france, you have a leader. and then when my coal with 23 percent of voters will voted for. so he is really over less than a quarter of the population where people voted for him because they didn't want to try the far right. we mounting the bank, which is after a year in the office 2 years, it's no longer the case if there were elections today. mounting the bank, we want tomorrow by 70 to 80 percent will than any other time to because people have enough of the old faces and, and will talk to you. they don't want to try something new. i don't think the changes are going to take your dramatically everywhere, but the all the to be increased there is going to be an increase of changes

everywhere in europe because there is a new narrative that is coming in, which is the benefit of the population. the interest of the population and barry, the size of looking up that the interest of the people, but not the interest of another country. we cannot in your function with leaders law, say america, 1st people in your allow the american to say america 1st in america. but not the, your, europe, you should go back to europe. but again, these designs, if we lose the vitamins, this is a big problem. and because we are using our basses, the new faces that imagine in different part of it. but they need time to form a logical industry to now stay in the world of politics. i've seen much of the main stream media refer to them the b, b, b as an extreme and right wing populist right. even white nationalist

over their concerns of migration. same for the f, b in germany. is this a fair or accurate description of these parties? and does this even speak to the rising populism across europe? that's a very good question. so we see today across europe popular just especially those on ideological right. so they have been really loud shares the votes in recent stages evictions. so for example, if it 8 the right wing corporate, his brother city a secure the highest vote. giving one single box the support of jo jimmy though, the ed who became a prime minister in sweden for example, the sweden democrats imagined as a 2nd most popular in the country and then in the recent election. so they, there's some performance is the result of a steady growth in the last,

i think 5 or 6 fundamental elections and why they have double that vote since 2014. again, as you rock you said in spain, the shell that those going to pop or the spot these they have again the between 201520192021. at the, the rising is gone from 20 to 30 percent to 25 percent in hungary, for example, it was at the store all been re elected edit. that is where the rock tween properties gain and the election and in the last election in the end, the so button has been polishing 20 pins. so that gives him is a solid place in the society where people wants him to continue implies again the ruling below. and just as far as the pool times increased,

the go to share between i think 200120192020. so in these countries, we see the rise population in, in measure, for example, in for us also the same. imagine we've seen how the far the far, right, the flemish poppy is one around more or less 12 percent of the bedrooms out in 2019. but that's we also work at office of badger at the increase a. so say when not, not doing as good as far right. is going from 9 to 10 percent, but it's not doing very bad. but in flows, that's the biggest surprise when people did not want the bed. and then suddenly they discovered that day she is the one estate is standing face to face with an ebony. why my homeless connection. and then my one because people didn't want

really to try and marine defense, but now they are very keen to allow her to become the new president if face continue to isaac this today. however, we've seen in other countries that way i fuck with this at all. no, really like germany and in greece in these countries we've seen a decrease all the the support for properties. so we can see the growth of all do yes, properties. all right, be because they is in need of try different people and tried different people who are speaking to the people, the speaking to the population, talking the language addressing the can sense all these going to abide by what they say during the election or before the election once they are elected.

if, if we take the example of judge, i mean literally, she did not go to the same agenda. she was advertising for any before the election . when she became prime minister, she changed the policy in particular to address that in the ukraine. and so it's, we need to wait, but there is a strong appetite amount of the european population to seeing you faces and to change people under any type of representative sense. all right, unfortunately i got to make that the last word, elijah, thank you so much for that and an inside and be sure to follow elijah on twitter at e j mall. right. and check out his work at olaja mega dot com. thank you so much, elijah, because my pleasure, any time. all right, that is going to do it for today's episode of modus operandi the show that digs deep into foreign policy and current affairs. i'm your host manila chan. thank you so much for tuning in. we'll see you again next time to figure out the m o,

the the, in the 18 seventy's, the colonial expansion of the british empire and the nile valley, increased. the british decided to get complete control over sudan. however,

the deeply religious people of that country did not want to obey 4 laws. the unceremonious intervention of british officials led to people's discontent. it's spokesmen was the theologians mohammed off thought. the frog blamed himself demonte the design. he began to gather an army against the invaders. by 1884, most of the sudanese cities were in the hands of the modern great britain decided to intervene directly. but the troops of ahmad gave the invaders of drubbing in $1885.00. the rebels, the capital car to the feet of britain was totaled only by the very end of the 19th century. after the death of ahmad, the british were able to regain their control of sudan. unable to defeat the living body, the british took revenge on the dead one. these remains were drawn out of the mazda liam, and thrown away into the nile. ahmad said was brought to england as

a trophy. however, the victory of the modest revolt became the 1st successful action of the peoples of africa against the colonial afresh, and remained at dark stain on the reputation of the british empire. the hello and welcome to cross the full board. here we discussed some real in the i said when i 1st moved to rush i, one of the most amazing things i found was to moscow metro. in fact, the very 1st phrase that i ever learned in russian was careful. so what makes this place so specially what secrets is of hiding to find out deep under

the city with alexander pop off, give it a story and who studies the wonders of the moscow metro. the this hours headlines. stories on archie, india demands an explanation. after canadian prime minister justin through those appearance of a sick separatist event in toronto, delhi once in a booth cut rupture by law from britain section. also this hour, the french police crack done on students during a raleigh for gals, outside sort bone university, one. another part of his institution reaches agreement with both passengers, despite the local politicians, calling for severe measures that made demonstrations both for and against the so called foreign agents bill in tbilisi, they had

a gorgeous parliament. questions being.