74 Story #8: The European Union After Brexit “I chose as the campaign logo a blue rose, which means ‘make possible the impossible.’ I think the British with Brexit, then the Americans with the election of Donald Trump, did that: They made possible the impossible.” –MARINE LE PEN The 2017 European Elections The year began with the establishment on both sides of the Atlantic in a panic that the Trump phenomenon would spread across Europe during the 2017 elections. That did not happen, with Wilders losing in the Netherlands, Le Pen losing in France and Merkel holding on in Germany. Merkel’s challenges became one of many rea- sons we were glad we recommended the Danish political drama Borgen. You cannot understand politics in this environment without understand- ing the tricky business of building coalitions. Wilders loses in the Netherlands • Dutch Liberals Defeat Wilders’s Party in Blow to Populist Surge Macron Wins in France • Macron Elected French President: Estimates Merkel Squeaks By • Germany Election: Merkel Wins Fourth Term, Nationalists Rise • The Danish Political Drama Borgen Is the Hottest Show in Europe: Here Are 5 Thing to Know May Negotiates Brexit Deal Across the English channel May tried to nego- tiate a Brexit deal with both her British and EU counterparts, made much more difficult after a disastrous showing at the polls in June. • May Has Got Her Brexit Breakthrough, Now For the Hard Part In December, EU leaders announced an agree- ment to begin the next phase of Brexit negotia- tions to begin in early 2018 and discussions on the future UK-EU relationship, including trade and security, to begin in March 2018. EU Proposes to Consolidate Military In the meantime, the EU grappled with the question of how to ensure the Euros future in the face of possible wavering in the US commitment to NATO. As we all know, central banks all require their “warfare” partner. • The EU signed a “Historic” Deal to Inte- grate 23 Armies to Shake Off its US Depen- dence The Immigration Crisis Continues The immigration crisis continued with a number of countries in Eastern Europe – Poland, Hun- gary and the Czech Republic – taking a hard line on border control. • UN Report Reveals Nations Producing Most Refugees Were Targets of US Inter- vention • Goldman Warns Italy Has The Lowest Ca- IV. NEWS TRENDS & STORIES