Summits: in the secrets of European negotiations (3x52')
SUMMITS: IN THE SECRETS OF EUROPEAN NEGOTIATIONS (2x52'+90')
INFORMATION
BE-FR / 2021-2024 / 2x52’+90' / HD / French, English
Check Productions / RTBF / LCP / France Televisions / Directed by Yann-Antony Noghès
Stand-alone episodes / More to come
TAGS
House of Cards, covid, war, deal, crisis, environment, debt, platforms, internet, data
SYNOPSIS
"Summits" is an exclusive series set in the privacy of the negotiations of the Twenty-Seven Member States. Between Brussels, Paris, The Hague, Warsaw or Madrid, the film tells, like a political thriller, the development and conclusion of major agreements negotiated behind closed doors. An unprecedented immersion behind the scenes of European power with the testimony of the incumbent heads of state and government.
"We have the Champions League of European negotiators around the table."
(Charles Michel)
"In 30 years, I have never seen a television crew have such access. I can't wait to see your film!"
(Pino, press service of the European Council).
"Strain, struggles, vanities and a good helping of thriller in this documentary, which is just as good as an episode of House of Cards"
(Telerama)
"So for the folks that suggested there isn't democracy in the EU, this is actually democracy supercharged." (David Herszenhorn, Politico Brussels Correspondent)
Europe's Battle To Rein In Big Tech (90' / 2024)
Nothing seems to be able to stop the GAFAMs in their conquest of the world. They have managed to make themselves indispensable and to win people over with their high-performance, often free, services. Google accounts for 90% of Internet requests worldwide and Apple sucks up 66% of the profits from the smartphone market.
From the height of their monopoly, all they had to do was sow terror among companies in the "old economy", who were obliged, for example, to buy advertising from them or risk being delisted. Just as they never imagined they would find themselves at the head of such cash machines, Mark Zuckerberg and the other bosses of GAFAM could not have known at the outset that their baby would become consubstantial with our democracies. The platforms themselves seem overwhelmed by their impact on society. They know everything about us, and we know almost nothing about what they do.
Having been unable to bring about the emergence of digital champions, unlike China, which launched its BATX thanks to a protectionist regime, Europe is dreaming of becoming the world leader in regulation.
In this behind-the-scenes documentary, we take a close look at the process that led to the regulation of GAFAM, from the presentation of the project by the Commissioners to the final vote in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on the Andreas Schwab and Christel Schaldemose reports, and the implementation that is now underway.
Climate: Time for Action (52' / 2021)
For his very first European Council as President in December 2019, ambitious Charles Michel wants to hit hard. He suggests that the Twenty-Seven commit to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent on the planet by 2050. The vast majority of the Member States are willing to back it. But Poland, 80% dependent on coal, is blocking and demanding significant financial assistance. Going capital to capital to convince everyone and after a seduction operation in Warsaw to prepare for the negotiations, the President of the European Council feels confident for his first big test. But nothing will go as planned ... Although he looks shy, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will prove to be a formidable negotiator. We will learn how life taught him to be tough and not intimated by threats...
Covid: Europe’s Hamiltonian Moment (52' / 2021)
When the virus struck Europe in March 2020, everyone watched masks confiscations on airport tarmacs, border closures without dialogue and a lack of mutual aid such that Italy had to rely on Chinese aid. Like this health chaos, the negotiation of a European recovery fund to deal with the economic consequences of the virus would be terrible. On the one hand, the struggling Southern countries dramatically impacted by the virus and on the other, the so-called "Frugal Four" of the North. Provocations, insults, alliances: all means are good. The twist comes when Germany reverts itself to save Europe and accepts the principle of shared responsibility for some of the debts. But Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte becomes the "Monsieur No" of Europe. After 3 months of virtual discussions, the Twenty-Seven meet in Brussels to start a 92-hour power struggle over the amount of the recovery plan leading ultimately to a historic agreement described as a "Hamiltonian moment".