There is a direct connection between the three core elements of Europe’s deepening calamity. Those would be (a) the failure of the EU leadership to prevent the Greek financial crisis from crippling the EU economy as a whole; (b) the popular backlash in a worsening economy against refugees; and (c) the rise of the far right; and in the case of Britain, the interminable mess that is Brexit. What connects all three is the utter default of leaders to lead.
Happily, the BBC is out with a superb three-part documentary connecting all of these dots, and it is the best explainer I've seen or read on what actually occurred. The documentary, which I’ve previewed, will be shown in the U.S. tomorrow (Thursday) evening on the Smithsonian Channel.
The series producer is Norma Percy, whose trademark is getting every major player in world events to talk for the camera or to use rarely seen footage that does the job as well. This documentary features original interviews with everyone from French President Sarkozy to the radical Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and dozens more.
It's not a happy story, but a cautionary tale full of insights. Disclosure: Norma is a longtime friend, and a friendship I cherish.