Presentation Journal: Western Europe (France, Spain and Italy)

France, Spain and Italy, in Western Europe, are considered to be highly developed countries. The majority of their citizens are Catholic, and their governments follow the rules of democracy. The media has always had close ties with government, as well as a strong influence upon political spheres. All the countries in Western Europe seem to have evolved together. For example, analog television is now replaced by digital television. The switch started in Berlin 2003, moved to the Netherlands in 2006; and today, digital television is available in every country in Western Europe. It also is hard to impose certain quotas or restrictions because each country is interconnected with, and dependent upon, the others. France tried a film quota, but various rights, regulations, the multi-party system and media interfered. It is extremely difficult for an individual country to maintain ‘autonomy.’ The word 'autonomy' does not make sense anymore, especially in Western Europe, where it seems that the sovereignty lies not within one particular country but more within one region.