"Anne Will" on Brexit countdown: "Then it gets dark in Europe"

United Kingdom and Gibraltar European Union membership referendum

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There is an insider tip for people who are feeling too well. With general cheerfulness, contentment or even the absence of existential worries, it is advisable to resort to the "Le Monde Diplomatique". The magazine is published in several languages, is part of the "taz" in Germany, and reliably prevents any kind of trusting look into the future, even if the headlines fly over them. So bad it is all about everything! A similar effect had on Sunday "Anne Will".

The first half of the theme "The Brexit Countdown - What's left of Europe" proved to be still a relatively sunny discussion of a subordinate issue. The problem in the negotiations is the future external border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, but above all the British desire for the free movement of goods, but not of persons and services.

The latter would, so the former Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) "model people like Salvini in Italy" and other nationalists "on the silver platter," what they wished. Earlier, Sir Sebastian Wood, British ambassador to Berlin, had rejected all hopes of a referendum re-election.

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For nationalisms, Wood believes, the Brexit would even be an issue. This is vehemently contradicted by both Gabriel, who calls the example of the AfD, and "world" correspondent Dirk Schümer, who experienced exactly this in Italy. The Briton has so little to oppose that he completely shuts off for the rest of the program.

Gabriel still makes the humorous suggestion that in the UK it may be possible to vote on the final outcome of the Brexit negotiations. But he also says that Brexit is only a building block, more "an expression of the crisis than the crisis itself".

"The first referendum was an incredible example of how ignorant the political class of England has been with its population," says @sigmargabriel at #AnneWill. #Brexit pic.twitter.com/lkd0jwuSBr

Schümer agrees. "Leaving England" was "a huge European disaster", so to say "the first nail on the coffin of the EU". However, the union is in any case "on the whole unstable". It worked as long as it was worth it for everyone. "That this is no longer the case is shown by the influx of populists.

But what does populists mean? Free movement of persons, for example, is viewed in this country only from a wealth perspective. In Romania, on the other hand, "in the country, the doctors are all gone, they are in England." To call people troublemakers who are worried that this is a "bourgeois" attitude, "I would almost say a slave-keeper mentality".

Gabriel nods, he agrees: "At the moment it is more the case that the wealthy - like us - are getting more and more wealthy and the poorer are getting poorer". In addition to peace, prosperity for all had been the main promise of the European Union - and broken.

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Sean Gallup / Getty ImagesBrexitWhy the EU should make concessions to the British now

One must be hellish, "that the thick block in the middle," Germany, the situation on the edges not further sharpens. And just as Berlin is currently embarrassing Emmanuel Macron with his proposals for EU reform "on the outstretched arm", show that "our national issues are more important to us than Europe".

Annette Dittert also has no good news, least of all. The ARD journalist has lived in London for ten years, previously from Warsaw. She says: "What is happening in Poland" is "far more dangerous" for the cohesion of the EU than the Brexit, with which one will be able to live.

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Although the majority of Poles are "fervent supporters of the EU". However, Jaroslaw Kaczynski and his PiS party strongly fueled anti-European resentment with the aim of preparing a dictatorial system. Democratic structures have already been eroded, and soon the country is following the example of Hungary: "Why does the EU still need a country that so obviously disregards fundamental values?"

Dirk Schümer agrees and recalls the collapse of the Yugoslav dinar. If Italy's new course, "even if it's just because of sloppiness, because they demand too much", would bring down the euro, "things will get dark on the continent".

Anne Will tries to cushion this apocalyptic prognosis with a smile. As a final word, she must still leave it.