Kai Ryssdal: Time now for a moment with John. John Buckley is our foreign editor, here to talk about the European news of the day. And John we begin — as most things to do with Europe these days — with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
John Buckley: Angela Merkel. Most of the German papers today were reporting that Angela Merkel has been making a major speech to lawmakers in Berlin. In that speech, she did say that Britain — which as you know, didn’t sign up for that deal with the rest of the European Union nations last week — remains a key member of the European Union and a vital part of it. So some consolation there perhaps for David Cameron, the British prime minister.
Ryssdal: Let’s go to Mr. Cameron for a second, because he said “no” famously last week and it’s standing him in good stead.
Buckley: It is. The British press today is reporting a poll by Reuters/Ipsos MORI which is saying that support for Cameron’s party — the Conservatives — rose by 7 percentage points to 41 percent for the first time this year. Support for the center-left Labor Party slipped to 39 percent. So very good news and it does show that that euro skepticism — however it’s viewed in the mainland of Europe, in continental Europe — always goes down well with a British audience.
Ryssdal: All right. So you have eight seconds left in our segment. What does it all mean for the solution of the problem? Ready go.
Buckley: The solution to the problem — much reported as a done deal last week — has a ways to go.
Ryssdal: John Buckley, our foreign editor. Thank you John.
Buckley: Thank you Kai.
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