heute journal vom 09.06.24 EVP gewinnt Europawahl, Macron Neuwahlen, Rekrutierung Ukraine (english)

Vorspann MOBILIZATION IN UKRAINE HOW SOLDIERS ARE RECRUITED And now, the "heute journal" with Heinz Wolf and Marietta Slomka. Good evening. Europe has voted. One of the key revelations of this election is that nationalist forces in Europe have become stronger. A significant number of Europeans voted for parties that are Eurosceptic or that even reject European integration. This is also reflected in Germany's results. If the coalition views the EU elections as a test of the country's general mood, their own mood this evening must be disastrous. Let's look at the details. Christian, you're the numbers man today. What are the current figures for Germany? Union und AfD vorn, Grüne und SPD stürzen ab Good evening, Marietta. We already have very solid data for the German voting results. Let's take a look at the current projection. This is how it looks: CDU/CSU with slight gains at 30.2%. The Greens at 12% had a record result last time, but have now fallen by 8.5 percentage points. The SPD is at 14%. They've even fallen below their record negative result from last time. The AfD gained a lot of ground at 15.9%. The Left Party at 2.7%, the FDP at 5.0%, both pretty much unchanged. And the BSW achieved 6.0% in its very first election. All other parties, of which there are quite a few, because there is no 5% hurdle in the EU elections, achieved 14.2% altogether. Let's take a look at the distribution of seats. Germany will send 96 MEPs to the new European Parliament. 29 of those will come from the CDU/CSU, 12 from the Greens, 14 from the SPD, 16 from the AfD, 3 from the Left, 5 from the FDP and 6 from the BSW. Finally, 11 will come from the combined other parties. That's who we're sending from Germany to the new European Parliament. The results aren't yet as complete in the rest of the EU as they are in Germany. Some polling stations are still open. But do we have some figures from other EU member states? That's right. Italy's polling stations don't close until 11 PM. But a lot of trend results are already coming in from many parts of the EU. Germany's results are included in these data. Let's see what that looks like. I can tell you right off, these results are rather complex. It's a very colourful chart with a lot of parties. In the interest of brevity, and to illustrate a bit of the dynamics, we've charted the previous European Parliament here. And here we see what the new one might look like. We see many, many party families. The colours give a lot away. I'd like to highlight two developments in this graphic. One of them concerns the losers of this EU election. That's definitely the Liberal bloc, which is losing heavily. This includes Emmanuel Macron's party, which has suffered losses. And the Greens have taken a loss, too. That includes the German Greens' significant losses. The EPP, the traditional Christian-democratic party family in Europe, is still the strongest group in the new European Parliament. And we also see a strengthened right wing and far-right bloc. Those are the shades of blue and then the shades of grey down here. The grey includes the AfD, which was recently excluded from the blue group. So, that's how things are looking at the moment for the whole of Europe and the European Parliament, Marietta. Thank you, Christian. The strong results of the right-wing parties come as no surprise. This was to be expected. But what does this mean for European politics? What consequences will it have in Brussels and Strasbourg? And how will the conservative-liberal EPP party alliance deal with it? The next question is whether the current Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will be given a second term in office. We'll ask the leader of the EPP, Manfred Weber, in a minute. But first, Ina D'hondt reports on this day in Europe, starting with the national upheaval that the EU elections sparked in France. Emmanuel Macron is reaping the consequences of his party's poor performance. Rückt Europa nach rechts? The first figures released in Brussels at 8:30 PM made it clear that the EPP, the European People's Party, which also includes the CDU/CSU, remains the strongest group in the European Parliament. And that the far-right parties are making strong gains. In France, Marine Le Pen's far-right populist party, National Rally, is clearly in the lead, building on its success in the 2019 EU elections. EU top candidate Bardella had railed against the EU migration pact during his election campaign. President Macron didn't have much of a counterargument. "Emmanuel Macron is a weakened president tonight. We call on him to take note of this new political situation, to turn to the French people and hold new elections for our national parliament." A little later, Macron accepted reality and announced new elections for June 30. In Austria, the right-wing populist FPÖ became the strongest force in a national election for the first time. It is ahead of the conservative ÖVP ruling party and the Social Democrats. It has repeatedly portrayed the EU as a warmongering force in the Ukraine conflict and is now also scoring points with its anti-Europe sentiments. In Hungary, Viktor Orbán's national conservative Fidesz party could win 50% of all votes. In the EU, he is seen as an obstructionist and has blocked almost every decision on Ukraine. At home, he is coming under increasing pressure from opposition politician Magyar. He demonstrated yesterday against Orbán's policies with tens of thousands of people. In Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk's pro-EU are neck-and-neck with his eternal rival, the national conservative PiS. Italy's polling stations are open until 11 PM. Here, the Fratelli d'Italia party of ultra-right head of government Meloni could be the big winner with their stance against illegal immigration. In Brussels, the EPP is celebrating its victory and that of Ursula von der Leyen. She has a good chance of remaining commission president. We are the strongest party, the anchor for stability, and the voters have recognized our leadership over the last five years. In front of the European Parliament, young people are singing to protest Europe's shift to the right. Wir sind die Brandmauer gegen Populisten Let's discuss this with Manfred Weber, the party and fraction leader of the European People's Party and the CSU's top candidate for Germany. Good evening, Mr Weber. Good evening, Ms Slomka. You're the winner of tonight's election, no question about it. I'm sure you'll mention right away how badly the traffic light coalition did. But shouldn't your bloc have done much better than essentially just maintaining the result from last time? Allow me to start by saying that as Christian Democrats and Christian Socialists in Germany and Europe-wide, we are very pleased to be the only party in the democratic centre. The increase in seats in the European Parliament on this election day confirms our course. We are the people's party of Europe. We're happy about that. And we'll take this mandate seriously, because we have come out of this election well. People trust us to take the issues seriously: migration, prosperity, peace. Now we have to get to work. Yes, we heard all that in the election campaign. Despite this trust that you are talking about, your party hasn't seen big gains. Instead, there has been a shift to the far-right in Europe, and even the conservatives have not been able to prevent it. If you take a closer look at the map of Europe, you'll see where the leftist liberals have been in power: in the Netherlands, where Wilders is now winning. Or in France, where Emmanuel Macron governs, and Le Pen is now celebrating gains. This left-liberal Europe has led directly to this swing to the far-right. And everywhere we conservatives are currently ruling, like Greece, or Donald Tusk in Poland, who has defeated the PiS and brought Poland back to Europe. Wherever we govern, we have successes against the populists. In other words, we are the firewall against the populists. We'll make that clear over the next five years in parliament. Your theory doesn't quite apply to Austria. But we don't have to go through all the other European countries right now. The big question is, who do you want to back Ursula von der Leyen, your top candidate, for re-election as commission president? You said this evening that the traffic light coalition in Brussels has been voted out. But von der Leyen isn't from the traffic light coalition, she's a conservative Christian Democrat. We are now by far the strongest party in Europe. For the next five years, the European People's Party will have to biggest voice in the EU. As the winner of the elections, we will now reach out and talk to the two other major party families, Europe's Liberals and Social Democrats. We'll build a majority for the future. Europe must be governed from the centre, no question about that. I expect Olaf Scholz to make it clear that he supports the winner of the election, namely Ursula von der Leyen, and also Emmanuel Macron. As president of France, he's the strongest politician in the liberal party family in Europe. Both of them have made it clear that the EPP has won the election. They accept that and will support Ursula von der Leyen. Any other option would lead to great political instability in Europe. And I'm warning against that. We need clarity from the other parties quickly, and for them to respect the result. What happens next also depends on how you relate to Ms Meloni's bloc, and whether you would be prepared for her to back you. Not you personally, but Ms von der Leyen. As Christian Democrats, we're here to defend Europe against all radical forces. We've always made that clear. People can rely on that. It is our Europe. Adenauer, de Gasperi, Schumann, Kohl, Merkel: We helped to build it. And we'll defend it against the Nazis, The neo-Nazis of the AfD. We'll defend it in the next European Parliament, too. But we first need confirmation from the democratic parties. Yes, but I'm asking you about Ms Meloni. Do you see Ms Meloni as a right-wing radical, or a neo-Nazi, as a fascist? Or is she only a conservative who is a little further to the right? Ms Slomka, if the three big party families, Christian Democrats, Social Democrats and Liberals, stick together, we'll have over 50% of the votes in the European Parliament. That's why my first question to the two democratic competitors is if they accept the election results. Or are they still stuck in 2019, when the Social Democrats and Liberals did not support the party that won the election. That's why we're delighted with our great success on election night. We are the election winners and will take our responsibility seriously, implementing our promises. The second thing we expect from the centrist democratic parties is to respect the results and back Ursula von der Leyen now. I'll pose the question to Ms Barley later in the broadcast. Thank you very much, Mr Weber. Thank you. Let's take a look at Paris and Emmanuel Macron's really surprising and possibly risky move to dissolve parliament. Over to Paris and our colleague Anne Arend. There she is. Anne, why is he doing this? It's not necessary to react to a EU election like this. Frankreich: Macron kündigt Neuwahlen an No, this is actually a dramatic move. It's basically a reaction to the far-right National Rally. From the start, they declared this election a kind of referendum against Macron. They now have twice as many votes as Emmanuel Macron's alliance. He's basically asking the French people, "What do you really want?" He's dissolving the National Assembly, i.e. the parliament. He's calling new elections and saying, "You've had your protest, now you have to show your colours. Do you really want this anti-EU, nationalist policy?" This does have an air of masochism. Anne, really briefly, what was the factor that gave the far right in France such a boost? There are actually several factors. I'll make it quick: The National Rally has succeeded in moving from the right-wing fringe towards the centre. Not in terms of policies, but in their appearance. Especially with this top candidate Jordan Bardella. He's heavily relying on the general dissatisfaction in the country. A lot of people see Macron's social reforms as being too taxing. The everyday costs are too high. Macron's been countering this in recent weeks by emphasizing the importance of a strong EU especially in the face of current crises and wars. But people aren't convinced. Thanks, Anne, for this information live from Paris. This election result is as big a disaster for the German chancellor as it is for Emmanual Macron. The CDU in Germany is calling for a vote of confidence in him. The situation is precarious for the traffic light coalition. They have a weakened chancellor, whose party has just done even worse than in the last EU elections, which marked a record low for the SPD. The Greens have also suffered heavy losses. And the FDP is still creeping along at 5%. It doesn't really inspire confidence with a view to the Bundestag elections. Frust und Freude in Berlin The AfD had originally hoped for more, but in view of recent scandals, they should be more than satisfied. The same goes for Sahra Wagenknecht and her newly formed alliance. Daniel Pontzen reports on the reaction to all these results in Berlin. The saying in football is, "the zero must stand". With the CDU/CSU today, it's "the three must stand". The three stands for "30". Indeed, at 6:00 PM, the figures settled just above this symbolically important hurdle of 30% within the party. I see this election result as a great encouragement and an inspiration to continue our work in the coming weeks and months, as we have done over the last two years. This is a long road. We've embarked on this journey and today we've achieved our first major success together. That makes me very proud and very grateful. Similar statements could be heard from the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance. The party's namesake confessed she had had a bad feeling throughout the day, until the figures were announced. It's the first test after a terrific election campaign, and I have to say, when I see the figures well over 5%, it's so amazing and crazy. I'm really pleased. Frustratingly for Wagenknecht's former party, they're fighting to stay relevant with around 3%. The election result shows that we have lost trust. People are asking us, "Are you still around?" In many places, we're no longer getting through to people with our politics. The AfD, on the other hand, came second nationwide and even first in the east. Despite several scandals during the campaign, this means significant gains for the party. This was an historic result for us. We've made it to second place, my friends! Fantastic! The coalition parties have sustained bitter losses. The FDP party has gotten off by far the lightest, with only minor losses. We have achieve a result comparable to five years ago. That is really cause for celebration. We started at 3%, which, strictly speaking, was actually 4%. And the fact that we are now at a solid 5% really is very good news. For the Greens, the result was really bad news. A veritable nosedive from the record high five years ago. It would be wrong to try to downplay this result. I know we all hoped for better. And we're not happy with the end result. The evening was similarly disappointing for the Social Democrats, delivering an historically low result. We win together, and we lose together. And together, we will fight to ensure we are successful again. But for now, it's a defeat, including for the chancellor, who featured extensively in the campaign billboards as the chancellor of peace and supporter of top candidate Katarina Barley. Katarina Barley joins us now from Berlin. Good evening, Ms Barley. Good evening, Ms Slomka. It's been a bitter evening for the Social Democrats, bearing in mind the chancellor was at your side throughout the campaign, on every election poster. So, in effect, it was also vote on the chancellor, and it hasn't helped him at all. Wir stehen für Gespräche zur Verfügung Well, it was always going to be a vote on the chancellor and the government. We foresaw that. That's why our strategy was to front-foot it, so that we could control the image we present and the narrative. That's what we did. And, as I said, the coalition and its performance were always going to be election issues. That's why I still think we were right to front-foot them. One person who's really front-footing it is Emmanuel Macron. He took action today. Will the SPD, the party of the German chancellor, be taking any action? We'll be taking action in the sense that we'll be analysing this result very closely, as there are a few things that really worry me, and that I can't quite figure out yet. For example, the fact that we lost the largest share to the non-voter camp, even though everyone is aware of what is at stake. The future of democracy was a key issue, and that's one of the things that really mobilises our voter base. So, there are certainly a few question marks in that regard. Again: Will there be any action? After the last European elections, which, though not as bad as this time, were nonetheless disastrous for the SPD, Andrea Nahles resigned as party leader and parliamentary group leader. As I said, we will undertake an in-depth analysis. The SPD of today is not the same party it was back then. We've shown that in recent years. To use Saskia Esken's words, we win together and lose together. So, it's a different story today than it was in back 2019. You're also on the SPD's executive committee, so what happens in Germany must also affect you. What does this mean for the coalition? How stable can it actually still be, given that all three coalition parties are throwing up their hands in horror at this evening's result? I suspect all three parties are probably asking themselves this question. I kind of have one foot in Brussels, and for us in Brussels, it's not really a great look if, for example, Germany always has to abstain because one of the coalition parties vetoes the matter at the last minute. So, going forward, I would very much like for this this coalition to do things a bit differently. I don't know if you saw it, but we just had Manfred Weber on the show. He put a big question to you, and also to the liberals in Europe, namely, whether you will now join him in voting for Ursula von der Leyen. Will you? During the campaign, we always made it very clear that we are open to talks. The CDU-affiliated group has emerged as the strongest party, so congratulations from us for that. However, we have also always been clear that we will not enter into an alliance with right-wing extremists and right-wing populists. And so... -But von der Leyen isn't a right-wing populist... No, of course not. But at the lead candidates' debate in Maastricht, she was asked if would forge an alliance with right-wing populists or right-wing extremists. And she answered that it would depend on the composition of the next parliament. In other words, she didn't rule it out. Plus, Manfred Weber has always praised Giorgia Meloni as a possible ally. And so... -He just said he probably won't need her at all. But he's just said he probably won't need Meloni, and that it could be the traditional pro-European alliance, and that, hence, his first question to you and to the liberals would be: "Will you vote with us?" Then, I don't understand why he constantly emphasised precisely such an alliance with Fratelli d'Italia throughout the election campaign. And why Ursula von der Leyen did that also. Again, we are open to talks. Terry Reintke confirmed the same on behalf of the Greens this evening. But as I said, we need assurance that there will be no right-wing extremists involved. So there's still plenty of food for discussion. Ms Barley, thank you for the interview. My pleasure. An election in Europe and a snapshot of the mood in Germany. And now, some commentary on this from the deputy editor-in-chief of ZDF, Anne Gellinek. Es wird in Europa deutlich komplizierter Europe has voted. And how! While the voter turnout was high, the initial results are not a picture of enthusiasm for the European project. The centre has become smaller, the right-wing fringe larger. This means, firstly, that the European Christian Democrats may have won the election, but they must be worried about whether they can build a majority with the other democratic parties to re-elect Ursula von der Leyen as president of the European Commission. If they can't, they could be forced into a compromise deal with the right-wing camp. Possibilities here appear to include the Italian right-wing nationalist Giorgia Meloni, who, from von der Leyen's standpoint, appears to be the lesser evil among the far-right parties. Perhaps it would even be wise to build stronger ties with the Italian prime minister's party, so as to weaken the hard right-wing extremist camp. Secondly, these initial figures mean that the green zeitgeist that shaped the last European elections seems to have evaporated. Many Europeans, particularly the young, have instead given their vote to populists offering purportedly simple solutions. If only climate change could be voted out of existence. In Germany, things will therefore become much more complicated, and not just in terms of climate and agricultural policy. After tonight's election, Germany's coalition government is so weakened that it won't be much help in the EU. Today, as well as the European elections, Germany held local elections in several of its federal states. And that brings us to the news headlines. First, just a quick note that, owing to the concurrent European elections, some of the local election results are unlikely to be available before tomorrow. Local elections were held in Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. And in Thuringia, where local elections were held two weeks ago, a series of run-off elections were held today. In Erfurt, for example, the incumbent mayor Andreas Bausewein, of the SPD, lost the run-off. The new mayor of the state capital will be Andreas Horn, of the CDU. In Israel, Minister Benny Gantz has resigned from the war cabinet, taking his party out of the emergency government. Gantz accused Prime Minister Netanyahu of preventing a "real victory" against Hamas and called for new elections. The former opposition politician had given Netanyahu an ultimatum to present concrete "day after" plans for the Gaza Strip by 8 June. Germany's defence ministry is planning to significantly strengthen the Bundeswehr reserve. The reserve is to be trained and equipped in such a way that it can reinforce or replace active troops in combat, Bundeswehr Deputy Inspector General Andreas Hoppe told the dpa news agency. The aim is to have up to 60,000 men and women available as reservists. There are currently only around 44,000. In Cologne today, commemorations were held to honour the victims of an attack perpetrated almost 20 years ago by the right-wing extremist terrorist group NSU. German President Steinmeier was among those attending the commemorations. He said the state should have been monitoring right-wing extremism more systematically and doing more to combat it. On 9 June 2004, the self-dubbed "National Socialist Underground" detonated a nail bomb on Cologne's Keupstrasse. 22 people were injured, four of them seriously. Next week, Berlin will host a major international conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine. President Zelenskyy is expected to attend. The bitter truth, of course, is that the destruction of Ukraine is still ongoing. However, the country can't just wait for the war to end. It needs help now to rebuild its infrastructure. The conference will also focus on the arms industry. It is, of course, in Ukraine's interests Ukraine: Debatte über Mobilisierung to produce as many weapons as possible on its own soil. But not even that will help with one of its biggest problems: It has too few soldiers. Dara Hassanzadeh reports on the difficulty of recruiting soldiers in Ukraine. Ukraine needs more soldiers, and it's Svitlana's job to find them. She works for the army recruitment centre in Odesa. She conducts random checks on the street. It could be anyone, anywhere. That scares many men in Ukraine. Many avoid going out in public, afraid of being drafted directly from the street. In addition, a corruption scandal last year has further damaged trust. I feel it every day, the mistrust. And then, on Telegram, there are fake news stories alleging that we're paid huge salaries, that we get 200 euros for every man we recruit. It stresses me out and makes our work more difficult. It's just awful. Svitlana spent the first five months of the war under Russian occupation in Kherson. Her husband was killed in action. Now a single mother, she has little sympathy for men who are unwilling to fight. In that sense, she represents a section of Ukrainian society. They suggested I join the army, and I said "yes". Nobody put any pressure on me. I volunteered. But the other section of society doesn't want to go to war. This man says he wants to look after his parents, who need care. His partner is of the general view that he shouldn't be drafted. The are those who are well suited to the military. They're fighters. Then there are those who are not fighters. They should just earn money and make donations. The societal debate about mobilisation is reflected on a small scale in every inspection. It is no longer enough just to help with money. We need soldiers. No matter how hard it is, or how much some people despise us, we will continue to recruit. The Ukrainian government must now prove that mobilisation is proceeding according to clear rules. Otherwise, there is a risk that the divisions in society will deepen alongside the strife of war. Back to you now for more news headlines. The writer Daniel Kehlmann was presented with the Ludwig Börne Award in Frankfurt's St. Pauls Church today. The laudatory speech hailed Kehlmann's literature as "a powerfully relevant warning regarding the growing threat to democracy and the advancing polarisation of society". His novel "Measuring the World" is considered one of the most successful German books of the post-war period. And now, for the sports headlines. Alexander Zverev will have to wait a little longer for the first Grand Slam title of his career. He lost the final of the French Open in Paris to Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in five sets. In Formula 1, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has won the Canadian Grand Prix. Second place went to British driver Lando Norris, with third going to George Russell in Mercedes. At the World Athletics Championships in Rome today, there were more medals for the German athletes. Amanal Petros won bronze in the individual half marathon after a thrilling finish. The men's half marathon team also took bronze, and the DLV women won silver in their team competition. A major sporting event is also coming up next week. It's the European Football Championship, and naturally it features in this preview of news events for the week ahead by Annegret Oster. OUT:LOOK Starting on Thursday, the G7 countries will meet for a summit in Italy. aus:blick auf die Woche Ukrainian President Zelenskyy will also be taking part in the talks. The summit will focus on climate change, migration, the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. The European Football Championship kicks off on Friday with an opening match against Scotland. For one month, 24 teams will play for the UEFA trophy in ten German cities. The celebrations will get underway on Wednesday in Munich with a big fan festival. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser signalled a strong police presence throughout the championship. "Security is the top priority", she said. The international Ukraine peace summit begins in Switzerland on Saturday. Germany's Chancellor Scholz and France's President Macron are expected to attend, as is US Vice President Kamala Harris. Ukraine's President Zelenskyy hopes the summit can bring a "just end to the war". Russia and China will not be attending the summit. And now, the weather outlook for the start of the new week. Tomorrow, the showers and thunderstorms will dissipate in the south. Expect rain in the northwest, followed by thunderstorms. In between, there will be patches of sunshine. Temperatures will reach 15 to 23 degrees. The coming days will bring rain in the northwest, especially in the Alps. Let me confirm that. That's correct. Rain in the northwest, but primarily in the Alps. It will mainly be dry in central Germany. Maximum temperatures will be between 11 and 20 degrees. That's all for the "heute journal" on this EU election evening. There could still be movement in the results. The votes are still being counted. And with that, let's turn to Bettina Schausten in the ZDF election studio.