heute 19:00 Uhr 30.6.24 Wahlen in Frankreich, Orbán will neue EU-Fraktion, Unwetter (english)

Vorspann Good evening, and welcome to this brief halftime edition, which opens with today's parliamentary elections in France, Parlamentswahlen in Frankreich where a further shift to the right is emerging. According to the latest polls, the right-wing populists from the National Rally party are far ahead of everyone else. The elections could have dramatic consequences both in France and for Europe. More from Anne Arend. "Please smile", the child asks the president. Souvenir selfies with Macron. He himself isn't up for election, yet it's his political future at stake. Will he be able to govern France if he is opposed by the majority of parliament should Marine Le Pen and her right-wing nationalist party, the National Rally, form the most powerful parliamentary group. I am optimistic by nature. Here in the north of France, some people believe that Le Pen will win an absolute majority in her constituency in the first round. People want more purchasing power and a better life. If the National Rally promises that, why shouldn't we give it a try? It's an idea that causes fear in the northeast of Paris. The hastily formed left-green alliance New Popular Front could win the most votes here, partly because voters want to prevent the anti-immigration policies of the extreme right. I am French, but I have dark skin. If they get into power, then I have a real problem. If people turn to the extremists, then the current government is responsible. Jordan Bardella, Le Pen's political protégé aspires to replace the current government as the first radical right-winger of the postwar period. And Macron, who once set out to strengthen the political centre, would then be massively restricted in his power as president. Die Franzosen wissen, worum es geht We head live to Thomas Walde in Paris. Thomas, these are landmark elections. How are things looking with just over an hour till the polls close? The Ministry of the Interior has just published figures on voter turnout. According to these estimates, this could be the largest voter turnout in a parliamentary election since 1978. This means that the French are mobilised. They see what's at stake here: a genuine decision on the course of the country. It is also about the role France wants to play in Europe. The first election results from overseas territories are already available. According to these, nothing earth-shattering has changed, but this only affects around 20 of the 577 constituencies. President Macron has warned that if the extreme right or left ends up ahead, it could possibly lead to "a civil war". Due to the peculiarities of French electoral law, the outcome will not be known until the second round concludes next Sunday. But tonight, after all the polling stations, like the one behind me, close at 8 PM, we'll be able to get a pretty good idea of where things are headed. Many thanks to Paris, Thomas Walde. Tomorrow, Hungary will take over the EU Council presidency. Orban braucht Rückhalt Right now, however, Prime Minister Orbán is generating other headlines. He has announced the formation of a new parliamentary group in the EU Parliament together with Austrian FPÖ leader Kickl and the former Czech prime minister, Babis. However, formal recognition of the so-called Patriots for Europe would still require the support of four other EU countries. Britta Hilpert reports from Vienna. Britta, there are already two European political groups with conservative to nationalist leanings. Why a third one now? What's behind this? The timing is no coincidence. Orbán needs support for his Council presidency. He's often been a lone wolf, and with Babis and Kickl, he could have two possible heads of government at his side. Both are leading in the polls, both are looking forward to elections, and both can certainly use attention at the moment. The European Patriots can likely count on more support from smaller member states, like Slovenia and Slovakia. One thing is certain:  They want to send a message to the major right-wing populists in France and Italy. They want to remain visible alongside them. But this new partnership also demonstrates something else: It is less a sign of the strength of right-wing populists rather than their fractured weakness. Thank you, from Vienna. Britta Hilpert. The AfD believes it may be possible to join the new far-right group. At the AfD party conference, party leader Weidel stated that it may be an option. On the second day in Essen, the party's decision on whether to establish the position of general secretary was postponed. Heftige Unwetter in Deutschland und Schweiz Yesterday evening, severe weather disrupted public viewings as well as the enthralling European Championship match featuring Germany. All in all, however, it went off without a hitch, unlike in Switzerland, where at least four people lost their lives in severe storms. Lena Sünderbruch reports. Heavy rainfall and melting snow led the Rhône and many tributaries to overflow their banks. Hundreds of people had to leave their homes. The police woke this young woman up at 3 AM. They told us we had to leave the house, because water was already entering. So we took what came to mind and got out. I put on a pair of pants and grabbed my cell phone. I was so stressed that I couldn't think of anything else. Some people could only be rescued by helicopter. During the night, several Alpine passes were also closed due to landslides and mudslides. Several people were killed in a landslide in the Maggia Valley in the Swiss canton of Ticino. The bad weather has made the search for missing people challenging. Several locations are no longer accessible, and power and internet are off. Parts of Ticino were briefly disconnected from the drinking water supply. Flooding and landslides also happened in nearby Piedmont. Life-threatening ice projectiles fell from the sky in the shape of ten-centimetre hailstones. Let's take a look at the weather. Mostly cloudy with some sun, showers and thunderstorms, and temperatures ranging from 17 to 22 degrees. That's all from us. Without further ado, have fun with the second half and "sportstudio live" with Jochen Breyer.