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British Prime Minister Calls Snap Elections; Mike Pence Visits Asia For Regional Talks; Turkish Opposition Vows To Fight Referendum Results, Say Vote Unfair; Far Left Candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon Gaining in Polls. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired April 18, 2017 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[11:00:17] THERSA MAY, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The country is coming together, but Westminster is not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LYNDA KINKADE, HOST: Britain's prime minister wants to sort that out, calling for snap elections in just a matter of weeks. And it comes just
months into the Brexit negotiations, but the French may be going on better in their elections with one candidate in seven different places at the same
time. We'll explain that story just ahead.
Plus...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE PENCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: We will not rest and we will not relent until we achieve the objective of a denuclearized Korean peninsula.
KINKADE: No more games as America's vice president lands in Japan he tells North Korea to do as its told. His exclusive chat with CNN just ahead.
We're in Tokyo.
Hello and welcome to Connect the World. I am Lynda Kinkade live from CNN's world headquarters here in Atlanta sitting in for Becky Anderson. Becky
has just been speaking to Turkey's president just a day after he claimed victory in Turkey's historic referendum.
We'll bring you that worldwide exclusive interview very soon, so stay tuned for that.
Well, first to a surprise announcement about a stunning change of the heart that means Britains could be heading to the polls soon yet again. Prime
Minister Theresa May set off shockwaves today by calling for early elections. She wants a stronger mandate for her plan to steer Britain
through Brexit and says the country must heal its own divisions before negotiating its divorce from the EU.
Parliament will vote tomorrow on her call for snap election to be held June 8. It's a big reversal for Mrs. May and a very big gamble. But she says
the only way to end the political bickering over the best Brexit strategy is to let the people decide.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAY: Division in Westminster will risk our ability to make a success of Brexit. And it will cause damaging uncertainty and instability to the
country. So we need a general election and we need one now, because we have at this moment a one-off chance to get to this start while the
European Union agrees its negotiating position and before the detailed talks begin.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, let's get right to our reporters in London. CNN International diplomatic editor Nic Robertson is outside 10 Downing Street,
and Isa Soares is steps away from parliament getting reaction from MPs there to this bombshell announcement.
First I want to go to Nic, looking at Theresa May's political calculations, how much does she stand to gain from this snap election?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, she potentially stands to gain a bigger majority in the house of parliament. Right now she
has a majority of 17. That would strengthen her hand when it comes to voting on any issues and any outcome of negotiations with the European
Union.
And it perhaps gives her - it strengthens her hand, as well, because looking forward to the next general elections as they were originally
planned. As Theresa May said that they would have been coming just as the tough part of the Brexit negotiations were underway, so she's sort of
delinked those two events that could have weakened her conservative party going in to what would have been the expected elections in 2020.
So, at the moment she stands to gain, because she stands to have a stronger political hand to deliver the Brexit that she wants to deliver, that's the
so-called hard Brexit, if you will.
KINKADE: And, Nic, no doubt she has given this a lot of thought, given that she rejected this notion at least six or seven times before.
ROBERTSON: She made it very clear and quite recently as well that this wasn't her intended path. She said that she's a rrived at this decision
after some reflection and thought. She was walking in the countryside in Wales over Easter.
But the reality is is that what Theresa May said she would do, which was to deliver Article 50, trigger Article 50 by the end of March. She did. She
would have known that there was an opportunity over Easter, a break from the rigors of parliament, an opportunity to reflect a little bit, an
opportunity to look at the polls, and an opportunity, as she has said here, to get in this election before the real negotiations begin which were
expected at the end of May, beginning of June.
So, the window of opportunity she will have known was there to make the calculation whether or not she wanted to do this, and if she did to go
ahead with the election the space and time was available.
So, this seems to be something that although this is a complete turnaround from what she has said in the past, the space to make this decision she
would have been aware that it was there all along if she chose to go for this option. And she has.
And this, as her critics say, is in her interests, not the nation's, because this will strengthen her party potentially because the polling for
the opposition party, Labour Party, looks so bad at the moment, Lynda.
[11:05:55] KINKADE: All right, Nic, just stand by for us. I want to go to Isa.
Theresa May needs support from about two-thirds of the House of Commons to approve the move to dissolve parliament. So will she get that tomorrow?
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, she is expected to get that from everyone I've been speaking to from Labour, from Conservatives,
from the Lib Dems, from the Scottish as well - the National Party - they've all been saying she will get it. We've never heard really of anyone
turning around and saying actually we don't have a chance of trying to win and campaigning hard, Lynda, this general election.
So, for everyone have been saying pretty much she will get the support, the votes tomorrow, the two-thirds that is needed for that election to be
triggered.
Of course, that then means they have as of tomorrow they have 50 days or so of hard campaigning ahead. But just I want to continue what Nic Robertson
was saying, you know, this tight - this is interesting timing, Lynda, because here we have Theresa May basically saying, you know, vote
Conservative if you like my vision for Brexit and that now what you need to - what we'll be seeing, expect to see, at least, from Labour as well the
Lib Democrats is their winning - what is their winning vision of Brexit, which way are they going?
We know that Labour Party, the opposition party, is facing major rifts within their own party. Can they unite behind Jeremy Corbyn, their leader.
They've lost a lot of ground in their heartland, northern heartlands of the country. Can they go back to those grass roots and trying to revive
the support, that's going to be crucial.
But they don't have much time left. So, interesting the timing that Theresa May went for it, called it at a time when perhaps opposition
weakest. But Liberal Democrats coming out today, basically saying, Lynda, we've got a different vision. We want to stay in the single market. And
we want to be part of Europe.
Interesting to see how the campaigning will continue.
KINKADE: Yeah, certainly very interesting times. And good to see you out there getting the reaction there. Isa Soares, thank you very much.
Just one final one for Nic, you mentioned some of the opinion polls earlier. The Labour Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn, now at its lowest,
historically low record levels apparently since the 1930s. What can Labour possibly do to gain ground over the next few weeks heading into this snap
election?
ROBERTSON: It's very hard to see that they can turn around the weak opinion polls right now, particularly for leader Jeremy Corbyn. This is a
position that the Labour Party more broadly speaking has been fully aware of. His face, you know, opposition in the ranks of his own party inside
parliament. And he's gone through a whole succession of shadow cabinet members of people have fallen by the wayside, because they quite frankly
don't support him. He's in a very, very weak position politically.
The proposition that he's put forward to fight this election on so far, it's been very interesting to see that the Labour Party has very quickly
come out appealing for funds to campaign on, because they say the Conservative Party relies on funding from multi-millionaires. The campaign
that Corbyn says he will fight on is one that sounds so familiar because it's the campaign that has been leading in the opposition so far, which is
that this government isn't delivering economically for the vast majority of the population, that it isn't solving the crises in funding for education,
in funding for health care. So, in essence, he isn't changing his message going into this election campaign. And it's a message that hasn't been
resonating with his broader base so far.
The challenge to Corbyn's leadership remains something of a sort of an ongoing revolt, if you will, for want of a better expression, within the
Labour Party inside parliament.
So, it doesn't seem at the moment that Corbyn really, and that Labour can really expect to pick up seats. It's just - it just seems improbable at
the moment. Not impossible, improbable.
[11:10:08] KINAKDE: All right. Nic Robertson, our international diplomatic editor outside 10 Downing Street, thank you very much.
Well, parliament's vote on snap elections tomorrow could have lasting consequences for years to come, not just for Britain but the European Union
as a whole.
We're joined now by Anand Menon, a professor of European politics and foreign affairs at Kings College in London. Great to have you with us.
Seven weeks so far until this snap election. A bit of a shock. And potentially very much a whirlwind campaign. What's your response?
ANAND MENON, KING'S COLLEGE LONDON: Well, I think it makes sense for her to do this for several reasons.
One, because the polls give her a commanding lead, over 20 percent in some cases. And politicians find that sort of number hard to resist.
Secondly, I think she's got to drive a lot of legislation through parliament over the next couple of years to make Brexit work and remember
she's at the moment got a very slim majority and several MPs on her side aren't keen on the sort of Brexit that she's talking about.
So this will, I think, give her some breathing space in parliament. It will also finally give her a popular mandate to pursue the sort of Brexit
that she wants.
KINKADE: Looking at the last few years, it was the Scottish referendum in 2014, the general election in 2015, the Brexit referendum in 2016. Now
this snap election, which will come in the same year as local elections. Are people there getting tired of voting?
MENON: Well, we'll have to see what the turnout is. But turnout will be a very, very interesting effect, because of course if you'll remember the
turnout for the EU referendum was higher than for any election since I think the 1990s.
So, there is a danger of that, yes. But I think what Mrs. May is counting on is her position is so strong, not least because as you have just been
hearing, because the opposition Labour Party is so weak that actually whatever the turnout she is counting on winning a handsome victory in this
election.
KINKADE: Now this comes in a year when France and Germany are also having their elections. How unusual is it to have so many countries in the EU
having general elections in the same year?
MENON: Well, it's unusual to have the big countries all having general elections in the same year. And as you said, Britain, France, and Germany
all having elections at the same is not something I can remember through the time I've been interested in politics. And certainly in France, the
election could have massive repercussions not just in that country, but for European Union as a whole.
KINKADE: All right, Anand Menon, good to have you with us. Thanks so much for your time.
MENON: Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, U.S. president Donald Trump has called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to congratulate him on his narrow referendum triumph.
Mr. Trump phoned the Turkish leader shortly after international monitors delivered a harsh verdict on the process, calling campaigning restricted
and media coverage imbalanced.
Trump is at odds with many European leaders and even his own state Department, which highlighted that monitor's quote, observed in
irregularities and vote on voting day an uneven playing field during the difficult campaign period.
Well, CNN's Ian Lee is following the fallout after that controversial vote and joins us now from Istanbul. Ian, the result was so close, Erdogan
winning just over 51 percent. Talk to us about the concerns on the voting process, whether it was fair.
IAN LEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, controversy is swirling around roughly 2.5 million votes, Lynda, which at the very last minute of
voting during the referendum, the rules were switched, which allowed these votes to be counted. And the opposition is saying that this - these votes
need to be recounted. They're crying foul. European monitors also saying that this many votes could have swayed the election.
We went to a neighborhood last night that had the largest majority of no voters. They say the fight will continue.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEE: Ida and Shukran say, they need a bit of retail therapy. The life-long friends have lived in Besiktas since the 60's. Yesterday's referendum left
them in a daze. Ida tells me: "Our souls are suffering. We were not expecting this outcome. We need to let it sink in, but we won't let it go.
This is for our republic, for our children." In this neighborhood, a common word you'll hear these days is "hayir," Turkish for "no." Something else
you should know, locals are as passionate about politics as they are sucker 17:12. Sunday's referendum proving no exception, 83 percent of voters here
rejected President Erdogan's proposal with the defiant "hayir."
This rally isn't just saying "no," it's saying "no, we won." People here believed the referendum was daunt, and they're saying they're going to keep
up the fight. Yes, it was a loss for the No campaign but the odds were heavily stacked against them, say European observers. While opposition
party's alleged voter fraud and the demand the Supreme Election Council, void the referendum's results. This marcher tells me: "We are unified, this
is the common fight across the political spectrum to defend our rights." But President Erdogan has planned this constitutional change for years.
With new presidential powers within reach starting in 2019, don't expect him to let any amount of protest stand in his way.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[11:15:53] LEE: Lynda, after any referendum, the goal of the government is always to bring unity to the people of both the yes and no camps. But
that's going to be very difficult with so many questions surrounding that referendum.
KINKADE: Yeah. It's certainly going to be very difficult.
And as I mentioned earlier, the U.S. President Donald Trump one of the few world leaders to congratulate Erdogan despite those concerns about how the
victory came about. How is that playing out in the region?
LEE: We've really heard mixed messaging from Washington. What you did have President Trump congratulating President Erdogan. They talked about
Syria. They talked about Iraq. President Trump thanks President Erdogan for his support and the U.S. strikes in Syria, but then you also had the
State Department say that they were very concerned from what the European monitors said they observed during this referendum. They also said that
rights need to be observed of all Turkish citizens.
As far as what this means for the region, you do have now - well, you will have when 2019 comes and this - these referendum measures take effect, you
will have a very strong president here in Turkey, someone who will have more power when it comes to making regional decisions as Turkey is very
much a regional power, Lynda.
KINKADE: Certainly is.
All right, Ian Lee great to have you with us from Istanbul. Thank you very much.
Well, just before this show went to air, Becky Anderson spoke to Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. And it comes just a day after he claimed
victory in Turkey's historic referendum.
We will bring you a portion o that worldwide exclusive interview as soon as we can. The whole thing will be right here on Connect the World tomorrow.
Well also still ahead tonight, Mike Pence talks tough on North Korea, but stops short of drawing a red line. What he's telling U.S. allies in he
region.
And just five days away and the race still too close to call. We're live in Paris as the election race reaches fever pitch. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:18] KINKADE: You're watching CNN. And this is Connect the World with me Lynda Kinkade. Welcome back.
Well, the Trump administration is doubling down on its message that it will no longer tolerate North Korea's provocations. U.S. Vice President Mike
Pence is in Tokyo for talks. He reiterated that the U.S. wants Kim Jong-un to dismantle his nuclear program. North Korea has responded saying the
U.S. is provoking a dangerous situation that could lead to war.
CNN's Dana Bash spoke exclusively with Pence about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE PENCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: What the president is concerned about, what countries that we've visited are concerned about, are the reckless and
irresponsible actions of the regime in Pyongyang, another failed missile attempt notwithstanding this weekend, an unprecedented number of ballistic
missile tests, testing nuclear weapons twice in the last year.
The time has really come for North Korea to get the message. As the president says, it's time for them to behave, to listen to the world
community and to set aside their nuclear ambitions, their ballistic missile ambitions and be willing to join the family of nations.
And for my part, in some odd way, it's encouraging that they're getting the message. And my hope is that they will continue to get the message, not
just from the United States, here in Japan and in South Korea, but on an increasing basis from China and countries all over the world that long ago,
committed to a denuclearized Korean Peninsula.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, Alexandra Field is in Tokyo and has more now on the vice president's trip.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: U.S. Vice President, Mike Pence is in the region for economic talks. Talking to officials here in Japan about how
to strengthen and deepen the economic bilateral ties between the two countries. But security is the top topic of conversation. Vice President
Pence called the North Korean provocation an ominous threat for the region. He's here to reaffirm the strength of the alliance that exists between
Japan and the U.S. There are currently some 50,000 troops who are stationed here. Vice President Pence went on to say that the U.S. is resolve in
confronting the North Korean threat is total and that the goal remains the denuclearization of the North Korean peninsula.
He said that a generation of efforts toward North Korea have failed and that they have resulted in continued provocations from Pyongyang. He has
said that all options remain on the table, including the military option. But went on to stress that work is being done with the allies in the
region, Japan, South Korea, and China to talk about how to further enforce sanctions and how to further isolate Pyongyang. Again, the goal being the
denuclearization of the peninsula.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also spoke from his residence after meeting with the vice president saying that Japan values the message that is being sent
by Washington. This end to an era of strategic patients. But the Prime Minister did say that he was pleased that Washington is looking at all
options when it comes to the North Korean threat. Which does threaten the safety of people here in Japan. He also said that it is important to Japan
to see that all actions are being taken to try and resolve the tension in a peaceful manner through diplomatic and diplomatic talks. In Tokyo,
Alexandra Field, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINNKADE: Well, we told you earlier about a call for a snap election in Britain, but across the Channel in France, they are in fullscale election
fever just five days away from the vote. And at this stage, it's anyone's game. For a lot in the race, the National Front's Marine Le Pen, centrist
Emmanuel Macron and Conservative Francois Fillon have been fighting for the top spot. But in the final few weeks, support for left winger Jean-Luc
Melenchon has soared, adding a layer of intrigue to an already unpredictable race.
Well, for more let's bring in our Melissa Bell, our Paris correspondent. Melissa, just days to go, very difficult to determine who will win this
first round of voting that Melenchon is spreading his message far and wide, using some cutting edge technology.
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He is certainly upsetting the playing field, already a pretty unpredictable field with just days to go before
this first round of voting, Lynda, because of course French presidential elections are extremely strategic. So, voters don't simply vote for the
candidate that they most like to see make it to the Elysees, but they can come, according to what the polls tell them is happening in that field,
come to vote for the candidate that might be best poised to prevent the person they least favor getting into the Elysees from getting there.
So, the fact that Jean-Luc Melenchon, this fairly radical far-left candidate has been doing as well and is now one of the top four contenders,
one of the top four candidates that the polls suggest might make it through to that second round really is changing the game a great deal.
Now, in just over an hour he's going to be speaking in a very particular way to the French people. Of course, feverish levels of campaigning going
on from all the camps. They've got until midnight on Friday night to convince those huge amounts of undecided voters here in France, a third of
the French electorate say the polls have yet to make up their mind.
Jean-Luc Melenchon will be speaking to the French in just over an hour in his own, very own way. Have a look, Lynda.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BELL: The last time Jean-Luc Melenchon was in several places at once was back in February.
JEAN LUC MELENCHON, FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (translation): So where am I, in Lyon? Or in Paris?
BELL: The far-left fire brand was the first French politician to ever hologram himself while delivering a live speech in front of two adoring
crowds he spoke for an hour and 1/2 about his radical left-wing platform of reform. Which includes a referendum on Europe, a rise in public spending,
and in taxes.
The technology was developed here in this Paris studio. This time though the challenge is even greater with Melenchon due to be in seven French
towns at once including one in the Indian Ocean.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The technology is such that it's not an image that you are seeing but a real person, the same height, the same presences, and with
10 minutes people will have forgotten that it's a hologram.
BELL: It is his very real rise in the polls that Melenchon is hoping to cement. He is now one of four candidates with a real chance of making it
through to the second round, that thanks partly to his strong showing in the TV debates, enter the legal troubles of some of his opponents.
MELENCHON: This campaign has been polluted by the scandals that concerned some of you but not me. No, I think it is important to underline here is
that there are only two people who are concerned, Mr. Fillon and Mrs. Le Pen.
BELL: Given his rise in the polls since, the hologram's creator believes that this time the technology could help carry the message even further.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not the people traveling to see the politician, it's the politician making himself available to the whole of France.
BELL: Technology perfectly suited to a man whose left-wing version of populism appears to be gaining ground.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BELL: So, in just over an hour-and-a-half, Lynda, Jean-Luc Melenchon will stand on a stage in Dijon. He'll be hologrammed, if all the technology
works as well as it did last time, to six other locations. And then Jean- Luc Melenchon will, with the other candidates, know by about 8:00 p.m. on Sunday night whether he'll be one of the two candidates he'll make it
through to the second round of voting - Lynda.
KINKADE: That will be a clever way to reach the voters. Melissa Bell, good to have you with us. Thank you.
Well, all this week, we will be bringing you our in depth coverage of the runup to the French election. And remember France is a nuclear power and
the world's sixth largest economy. So, what happens there matters.
And there's nowhere better to follow all the action than right here on CNN.
And that's not all that's ahead. We'll get you up to speed on the world's latest headlines in just a moment, including more on the British prime
minister's surprise election announcement and what it could mean for Brexit. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(HEADLINES)
[11:32:56] KINKADE: They're not the first, and they certainly won't be the last to die in the toxic mess of Syria's fighting. Just last week a bus
convoy carrying people finally getting away from their battle ridden villages was blown to pieces. More than 120 people were killed. The blast
knocked out an activist who was there, but in the moments after when he came to he quickly started to help.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I don't know where my brothers are.
ABD ALKADER TABAK (through translator): I was just a few meters away when suddenly there was a massive explosion.
My camera was thrown to the ground and I was (inaudible).
I searched for my camera and found it there on the ground and (inaudible) child lying there. He was bleeding. So I ran towards him. I looked at
him and he was moving his hand. I looked at his face and I could see he was breathing. So, I picked him up and started to run towards the
ambulance. I don't know what happened to the child, but I put him in an ambulance and they took him to one of the hospitals inside the rebel-held
area.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, let's return now to our top news. British prime minister Theresa May's surprise call for an early general election. She's trying to
strengthen her hand as she negotiates Britain's exit from the European Union.
Well, our Max Foster joins us from outside parliament. Max, Theresa May repeatedly ruled out calling for an early election at least about seven
times. This is a complete U-turn.
MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONENT: It really is, but she also feels as if she leaves that mandate to go ahead with negotiations with the
rest of Europe.
But there are some cynics, of course, suggesting that she's only being opportunistic trying to take this moment when the main opposition party is
very low. Her polling numbers are very high and this is her chance to get a big mandate and to control a party which has currently it's relatively
split, you could argue. She's got a small majority. She can't do everything she wants to do. And that's frustration as a prime minister.
With me is Matthew Goodwin from Chatham House researching these things. It's a shock to you guys as much as it was to everyone else?
MATTHEW GOODWIN, CHATHAM HOUSE: To some extent it was, but then if you look at those polling numbers that were coming out over the weekend we saw
the Labour Party slump to 23 percent of the vote, let's put that in perspective. If that is replicated at this election, it's the worst
results for the Labour Party since 1918. So, I think Theresa May was looking at these numbers and thinking this is the time.
FOSTER: So, what for political reasons, domestic reasons rather than those negotiations with Brussels, do you think?
GOODWIN: I think it's a combination of the two. I think Theresa May and her team were probably looking at the fact that they have a unique
opportunity here to put the Labour Party back not just a few years, but potentally, you know, a decade or so. We're going to see the Labour Party,
if you believe the opinion polls, if you believe the fundamentals in the data here, we're going to see the Labour Party go back to around 150, 160
seats, down from around 230. See, the Theresa May and the conservatives get a majority of around 100, somewhere between 80 and 120, something like
that.
So, she's going to go into Europe with a much stronger mandate from the British people. But of course domestically, also, she's going to have a
commanding majority in the House. And she's going to have to use that in order to get through all of the difficult Brexit legislation, the great
repeal bill and onwards. So, you know, multiple reasons. But she will come out of this in a much stronger position.
FOSTER: Does it make any difference to the negotiators on the other side, though, when the Article 50 process has begun. It's with the UK as far as
they're concerned whoever is in power?
GOODWIN: I think you can make a case for why it not make much of a difference to Berlin and Brussels and Paris, but I think symbolically it
might actually make a difference. Put it this way, I think looking at Theresa May with a majority of 16 or so in a very divided House of
Parliament, looks a lot different from a Theresa May with 100 plus seat majority in complete control of the domestic political scene, with a strong
mandate from the British people saying, look, we want Brexit, and we're willing potentially to walk away if we don't get those good terms.
I think, you know, it's - those two visions are very different visions as you look at Britain from across the Channel. And I think symbolically this
will matter.
FOSTER: But what about the way this feeds into those other elections in Europe, in France and Germany, for example. The country - the powerful
countries now going to elections causing all sorts of instability actually.
GOODWIN: Yeah, I mean, that's exactly it. The big story now in Europe is political volatility. The markets don't like it. They really want the
Eurozone and the EU to get back to economic growth. And there are some good reasons for cautious optimism. You know, we're seeing unemployment
falling across Europe. We're seeing the possible beginnings of actually a euro recovery. And the last thing that the markets want are three mega
sets of elections - I mean, 2017 is lining up to be another great year for political anoraks, right. I mean, you've got massive elections in France,
Germany and now the UK. And of course in all of those you've got, you know, populists, also populists within the mainstream, bringing a whole new
political vocabulary into the mix from Jeremy Corbyn to Shultz (ph) in Germany to Le Pen in France.
So, politics is going to be really exciting.
FOSTER: When we talk about populism, it's not the type of populism you saw during the Brexit referendum campaign, was it, or in America with Trump,
it's a form of language as you're suggesting there.
GOODWIN: Yeah. I think that's absolutely right.
I mean, I was talking to somebody who is relatively close to Theresa May and say, look, you know, what's the game plan here. what's the narrative
for this election? And they said, you know, it's interesting if you look at 2015 and the surprise Conservative victory in 2015, they said we've got
the ingredients there to mobilize the English against the Scottish National Party. And if you fastforward to 2016, we've got the narrative about take
back control, lower immigration, bring back powers from Brussels.
They said, you what we're going to do, we're just going to deploy all of that against the Labour Party and the SNP in the 2017. And the one thing
that the last two years in British politics have taught us is that the Conservatives when they are organized and ruthless, they are an incredibly
effective political machine. I would not want to be Jeremy Corybn this morning.
FOSTER: And if Theresa May does come out of this, you know, with a good result she's going to look incredibly strong, isn't she, because she's
taken a big political gamble as well, even though as ou say the polls were on her side.
GOODWIN: Well, David Cameron took a gamble and he lost, Theresa May is taking a gamble and it looks like she's going to win.
This is a remainer, don't forget, who is leading the Conservative Party, but who has doubled down on Brexit and is now delivering the country - or
bringing to the country a message that is actually quite compelling, which is if you're going to want Brexit, if you want Brexit and you're going to
want a good deal with Europe you're going to have to give me a really strong mandate to go into Brussels and represent you.
And I actually think it's those over 65s in Britain who are going to respond to this in a very big way. And why do (inaudible) folks over 65s,
because at the referendum last year and the 2015 general election they were the highest turnout group, right, the highest turnout group. And they love
Theresa May. They love the Conservative Party and they loathe Jeremy Corbyn. And they're going to vote. I mean, this is going to be really
tricky for the Labour Party to overcome.
FOSTER: It's going to be interesting to watch.
Matthew Goodwin, thank you very much indeed.
So, Lynda, another election coming up in Europe. We'll have it all covered, of course.
KINKADE: Yeah, it doesn't sound like it's great news for Jeremy Corbyn there.
All right, Max Foster. Thanks so much.
Live from Atlanta, this is Connect the World. Coming up, the hunt for a man accused of killing a grandfather and posting video of his murder on
Facebook. We're going to have a live report on that story just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Hello. I'm Lynda Kinkade. And this is Connect the World right here on CNN. Well, police across the U.S. are desperately hunting for
Steve Stephens. They say he killed an elderly man and posted video of the murder on Facebook.
Reported sightings of the alleged killer have all turned out to be false. So, police have just announced a $50,000 reward in the hope it will lead to
his capture.
CNN's Brin Gingras reports from Cleveland, Ohio.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CALVIN WILLIAMS, CLEVELAND, OHIO, POLICE CHIEF: Our message to the community at large is to be careful.
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A cross-country manhunt for a cold blooded killer as schools are placed under lockdown and communities in five
states are urged to take precautions. 37-year old Steve Stephens is on the run after he shot 74-year old Robert Godwin on Sunday and post the video of
the killing on Facebook. The video shows Stephens randomly choosing his victim as he can be heard saying, "Found somebody I'm about to kill, about
to kill this old guy right here, this old dude." Then Stephens is seen getting out of the car and pointing a gun to Godwin's head. Brittany
Rodriguez is Godwin's granddaughter. After watching that, what was your reaction? I mean, this is your grandfather that you're watching.
BRITANNY RODRIGUEZ, VICTIM'S GRANDDAUGHTER: I just immediately ran and screamed because I just -- it's like you watch stuff like this on TV. You
never imagine that it would hit so close to home, someone that is in your family and it just goes to show you no one is exempt from something like
this happening.
GINGRAS (voice-over): The video stayed up on Facebook for hours before it was taken down. Many who saw it called 911, but Stephens was already on the
run, describing himself in a separate video as a monster with "built in anger and frustration".
[11:45:12] CHIEF CALVIN WILLIAMS, CLEVELAND POLICE DEPARTMENT: Steve, if you're out there listening, call someone.
GINGRAS: Those pleas coming from Stephens mother. She tells CNN her son says he was shooting people because he was angry with his girlfriend.
Seconds before the killing, Stephens can heard in the video asking Godwin to say a woman's name, quote, "She's the reason why this is about to happen
to you."
Stephens also boasted on Facebook about killing at least a dozen others, but police say no other victims have been found.
WILLIAMS: We've interviewed several people involved in this and I don't think there's any rhyme or reason for it happening.
GINGRAS: Authorities say the woman Stephens references in the video is cooperating and safe. She has told multiple news agencies that she and
Stephens had been in a relationship for several years, texting CBSN News, quote, "Steve really is a nice guy. He was kind and loving to me and my
children." In fact, Stephens mentored young children helping children in the foster care children find jobs, according to a spokeswoman with Beech
Brook, where Stephens worked since 2008. But that's little consolation to Robert Godwin's family.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People need to know that dad, he wasn't just somebody who want (inaudible)
GINGRAS: Godwin had ten children of his own and 14 grandchildren.
RODRIGUEZ: We all love him and I just hope that he knows how loved he was and I can see all the people that are coming from all over the world and
supporting him and I feel like everyone is mourning with us. A lot of people are mourning with us.
GINGRAS: A $50,000 reward is on the table. Authorities hope that is what will help lead to information or lead to his arrest. And as that manhunt
continues, investigations on the ground continue as well. We know authorities have searched several homes associated with Stephens. We know
that they have recovered some weapons, but we also know that Stephens had a conceal carry permit.
In Cleveland, Brynn Gingras, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, the video of the killing was reportedly on Facebook for about three hours before it was taken down. And debate has erupted again
over the posting of graphic content on social media for the whole world to see.
CNN Money's senior media corespondent Brian Stelter joins me now from New York.
Brian, thousands of people, if not tens of thousands of people, viewed this murder online. The family say he was stripped of his dignity. How did
this get on Facebook Live, how easy did this happen?
BRIAN STELTER, CNN MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: This suspect recorded the shooting then uploaded it very quickly thereafter onto his Facebook page. Then he
went on to the Facebook Live livestreaming tool and talked about why he committed this crime. He was essentially talking with his friends by
holding the phone up to his face an communicating via live video.
Some people say Facebook is just a mirror, it's a mirror of society at large. But Facebook is more than that, it's a mirror that talks back
through comments and likes and favs and replies from people. You essentially have an audience on Facebook. And this suspect was essentially
talking to his audience, posting content for that audience, threatening to kill someone, then posting the video of the shooting, then reacting to it
afterwards, that's why there's a lot of questions for Facebook about its responsibility, its role in these situations.
KINKADE: And talking about its role, Brian, just how many people does Facebook have monitoring this sort of content, and how quickly does it
typically get addressed?
STELTER: You know, the company (inaudible) thousands of people all around the world that are reviewing content that gets flagged by users. So, yes,
there are algorithms. There are computers that are automatically looking for graphic images, for example nudity or violence of terrorist related
content, but a lot of this has to do with human editors. If you see something on Facebook that's inappropriate and you flag it, you report it
to Facebook, that's when humans get involved, look at the content and make a decision about whether it stays up or gets taken down.
So, there's a computer role to play and a human being role to play. And a lot of the questions Facebook is being asked this week is why does it take
so long? Why did this video stay up for a couple of hours before it was taken down? Partly, Facebook's answer is this guy's friends, this suspects
friends, didn't flag it fast enough, didn't report it to Facebook and that raises another question: how easy is it to flag this content? How easy is
it to report it? Should it be easier? Should there be more labeling on Facebook for these sorts of things.
KINKADE: Oh, that's right. It's Facebook saying anything about how they could prevent it in the future?
STELTER: I thought it was notable the company came out with a statement that said we know we can do better. We know we need to do better in this
area You know, just two years ago, Facebook dipped its toes into the livestreaming area. It wasn't so long ago you couldn't even post videos or
recorded or live on Facebook. So this is new territory from the company. It is trying to figure out what the rules of the road are for
livestreaming.
And by the way, so is YouTube, so is Periscope, other big companies dealing with these same issues. You can share the best of humanity on social
media, but also the worst.
[11:50:05] KINKADE: Yeah, you certainly can. They've got a big job on their hands given the amount of people that use Facebook.
Brian Stelter, great to have you with us as always. Thank you.
STELTER: Thanks.
KINKADE: Well, live from CNN Atlanta, this is Connect the World. Coming up, Netflix thinks it has a hit on its hands. How the new show plays into
the company's strategy to attract viewers around the world.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back.
Well, Netflix is edging closer to a new milestone. The streaming service says by this weekend it expects to have 100 million global subscribers.
That's due in no small part to its programming strategy, which includes buying shows in more than a dozen languages for worldwide distribution.
Our Samuel Burke has a look at one of them, which could be the company's next big hit.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAMUEL BURKE, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: In the Middle East, it's not always easy to know who the good guys are. Netflix's latest thriller blurs
the lines even more, showing the human side of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Netflix thinks the series may rival the success of "Homeland"
across the globe.
Fauda's creators said they set out to make a groundbreaking show from the start.
LIOR RAZ, LEAD ACTOR AND CO-CREATOR, FAUDA: This is the first time I think that you open this window to people abroad to see the conflict in Israel.
AVI ISSACHAROFF, CO-CREATOR, FAUDA: This is what we were trying to show, that there is a price for this war and every one of us, each and every one
of us is paying that price.
BURKE: "Fauda," which follows a group of Israeli soldiers who disguise themselves as Palestinians, this is just the latest attempt by Netflix to
appeal to both its English-peaking base as well as to its growing number of international subscribers worldwide. A user base that it's increasingly
counting on to drive profits.
Instead of spending $100 million on mega productions like "House of Cards," Netflix is shelling out just a few million for the rights to local shows
like Danish drama, "Rita," the Norwegian hit, "Occupied," and "Call My Agent" from France.
RICH GREENFIELD, MEDIA ANALYST, BTG: The beauty of the Netflix models, it doesn't really matter where it is created. It's available globally. That
globalization is something Amazon and Netflix are doing an incredible job of leveraging.
BURKE: Netflix also needs to fend off giants like Amazon and upstarts like Hulu which has also found success showing subtitled series like the
original version of "Homeland", the Israeli series, Hatufim.
GREENFIELD: Netflix is probably spending upwards of $8 billion of cash investment in new programming showing on a global basis. Amazon's probably
spending $5 billion on global programming. Both of these companies have the ability to finance very expensive great content wherever it comes from.
BURKE: For the creators of "Fauda," the global success of the show has been unexpected.
ISSACHAROFF: This miracle, this very mysterious thing that happened in Israel is happening all over the world now.
RAZ: I can show you my Twitter. I can show you my Instagram. So many people related to it.
[11:55:03] BURKE: It shows when it comes to compelling content, binge watching knows no borders.
Samuel Burke, CNN money, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, we've got some breaking news just in to us. The U.S. manhunt for the suspect in that murder broadcast live on Facebook,
Pennsylvania state police say on Twitter that Steve Stephens has been found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following a car chase. We're
getting more details on that. We will update you as soon as we learn more.
Well, I'm Lynda Kinkade. That was Connect the World. Thanks so much for joining us. I'll be back again soon as I'm sure you will be, too. Thanks
so much.
END
