Share Sounds from Share Radio Afternoon related to Politics - Europe

French presidential candidate Francois Fillon has refused to give up his bid in a surprising move today - the conservative candidate is under fire for allegedly giving a 'fake job' to his wife and will now face a judge on March 15. But is his run over? And who will benefit most from the ongoing scandal? Aarti Shankar, policy analyst at Open Europe, spoke to Share Radio's Ed Bowsher for the latest.

EU Brexit negotiator Marcel Barnier said that trade talks should not be carried out at the same time as negotiations over departure terms. German and Italian officials are now backing Barnier's approach. Professor Richard G. Whitman, Director of the Global Europe Centre and Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent, joined Share Radio's Ed Bowsher to discuss.

In the first round of the French presidential election, polls see support for far-right candidate Marine Le Pen growing. Aarti Shankar, Policy Analyst at Open Europe joined Share Radio's Ed Bowsher to give her on take on this.

The Euro is at its lowest against a selection of currencies since last November - is this just down to increasing support for Marine Le Pen's French Presidency bid? And could we see more falls in the Euro? Jane Foley, senior currency strategist at Rabobank, joined Share Radio's Ed Bowsher for more.

Jeremy Corbyn's team is braced for a second rebellion next week when MPs vote again on Article 50. Tensions within the party have intensified over the leadership's decision to support the government's Brexit Bill. Share Radio's Ed Bowsher was joined on the line by Asa Bennett, Assistant Comment Editor at the Telegraph for his take.

Donald Trump's executive orders continue to cause headaches for Theresa May but the PM is standing her ground on his state visit despite protests. And Brexit debate kicked off in parliament ahead of the Article 50 vote. For analysis on today's political news, John Rentoul, chief political commentator at the Independent, joined Share Radio's senior analyst Ed Bowsher.

French presidential candidate François Fillon has come under scrutiny for employing his wife as a parliamentary aide. A French newspaper claims the centre right Fillon's Welsh-born wife Penelope earned a total of €500,000 over eight years of employment, but did little work. Share Radio's Ed Bowsher spoke to Vincenzo Scarpetta, Senior Policy Analyst at Open Europe, about the issue.

Parliament must have a vote ahead of Brexit, according to the Supreme Court ruling, but is there anything that can block it? And why did the government appeal the initial ruling? John Rentoul, chief political commentator at The Independent, talks through the political ramifications of the decision with Share Radio's Ed Bowsher.

The Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, has accused Jeremy Corbyn of "lamely giving up" while Britain "drives off a cliff" by activating article 50. This may leave the Lib Dems as the only mainstream political party that is opposing Theresa May's Brexit plans. For more on Farron's comments, Share Radio's Ed Bowsher is joined on the line by Asa Bennett, Assistant Comment Editor at the Telegraph.

President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, welcomed the additional clarity brought by Theresa May's Brexit speech - but other European figures weren't as positive, upset by May's threats to create a Singapore-style Britain if a good Brexit deal isn't forthcoming. Pieter Cleppe, head of Open Europe's Brussels Office, joined Share Radio's Ed Bowsher to discuss the issue.