[captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> this is "dw news" from berlin. the rise of the far right and france. marine le pen's party's weeks the first round of elections. could it be a springboard to power for the anti-immigrant party? also coming up, and historic election in venezuela. the opposition has won control of the legislation by a landslide. the socialist president under necklace majuro concedes defeat.

and cautious optimism -- a new study shows the growth of carbon the oxide emissions is set -- carbon dioxide in missions is set to fall this year. that is the first time it has happened while the world economy has grown. i'm sarah kelly. good evening and welcome to the program. tonight france's far right are looking at their test prospects of clinching power and more than a decade. the anti-immigrant national front party led by marine le pen has successfully tapped into voter anger over a stagnant economy and security fears after the paris attacks. the results, a sweeping victory in the first round of regional elections. unlike previous occasions where the national front had successes, the mainstream political parties seem divided about what to do next. our coverage begins with this report.

reporter: shock -- that is the headline on the broadsheet today. united in bewilderment that pollster predictions came true. opinions on the streets of paris are divided. >> i have to admit i am perplexed iv results. voting for the national front is now something that is almost ordinary. i think it is dreadful and it makes me very afraid. reporter: these results were expected. they are normal. it does not mean all french people are racist spirit it means the french people have the impression they were being told nonsense. reporter: the national front leader the morning after the election -- with 30% of the vote, her party is now france's strongest. it is a personal triumph for marine le pen. it has sent the two-party system into freefall.

>> i say to you, next sunday will not bring any surprises either. you better prepare yourselves for that psychologically. now only corporation between -- and socialists can stand in the way. >> we are not seeking a coalition. there would have been reasons for republicans to rally with socialist, but quite clearly nicolas sarkozy prefers the far right to the left. we must offer voters clarity. that means in any place we can keep our candidate, we will. the voters will decide. they are free to choose. the french electors will have their say in a sunday. if there is one thing that the pollsters in the press agree on, it is president hollande and his party is anticipating defeat.

anchor: earlier we asked whether the terror attacks had boosted national front support. >> the terror attacks are only a small percentage, only the last couple of weeks. they have really built up there fellowship slowly. they have to confront the idea, that is politicians in paris, that in france there is an audience for the messages that the national front is bringing about and that means there is an audienenen that wants to hear about french identity, the french nation, the grandeur of the french nation. who wants to hear that it is wonderful to close the borders, kick the euro out nd go back to the franc.

generally that is an audience and a voter ship. that is the main problem. the mainstream parties have known for a long time, but have not really taken this into account. sarah: thank you. well, in germany meanwhile, the constitutional court has announced it is opening proceedings on whether to ban the far right national democratic party, raising the possibility that the party will be formally outlawed. back in december of 2013 in germany, 30 states filed a petition to ban the npd. they are convinced that the party, branded by critics as neo-nazi, threatens the basic democratic order. our political correspondent is standing by. so, rupert, tell us how

significant with the step b. -- with this step be? >> this would be quite a significant step. it would mean the judges think the evidence provided so far is good enough to go to a court hearing. meaning the likelihood of a ban of the mpd party has risen pretty high urine to understand this am a you have to go back about -- has risen pretty high. to understand this, you have to go back about 10 years. most of the evidence provided then comes from undercover agents and not really able to separate which of this evidence is coming from -- which of this is from the party and which is stirred up from undercover agents. this time, the court asked for hard evidence. the undercover agents are no longer active within the party, and this ceases to be

convincing, so the party moves on. how popular is the -- sarah: how popular is the npd in germany? >> it is not really successful in terms of elections. the last general election saw an npd that was only able to win about 1.3% of all votes. we also have to see that there are local parliaments, not just east germany. and the political influence is tied to public funding and the infrastructure they need for their political work. i think it also seems the party

is quite influential, especially at the center for the movement. this movement, which is very islam a phobic and xena phobic has managed to put thousands of people on the street. it is not only a very small party, but it also has some influence on the people. sarah: rupert there for us in berlin. thank you. and there has been a major change in venezuela were the opposition won a landslide victory, shifting the bance of power for the first time in 17 years. president nicolas maduro accepted the verdict, but claimed an economic conspiracy against his socialist government for. the government has struggled and majuro has struggled to make his commitments to voters. -- maduro has struggled.

reporter: a clear victory for the opposition and an overwhelming defeat for the government. the is will a from united socialist party has been in power for 18 years. >> isn't it great? what people wanted was change and that change is coming, bit by bit. i'm grateful to venezuelan people for participating in the vote. >> the president did not have the character to confront the crisis. he brought this on himself. reporter: venezuela has the world's largest oil reserves, but faces problems with inflation, shortages, and crime. people have to q4 hours for basic supplies and food. -- people have to queue for hours for basic supplies and food. >> many people will say we

succeeded with the most powerful weapon we have, those who believe in democracy, to vote. >> venezuela wanted a change in the change has begun. reporter: an astounding victory and a bitter defeat four minutes will of a president. nicolas maduro accepted the election results when they were announced. losing parliament will make it nearly impossible for him to continue with his socialist parties -- priorities. this is the second latin american country to move to the political rights. sarah: two german citizens and moved to syria and joined the ranks of the so-called islamic state have been handed risen sentences. both have been convicted of being members of the terrorist organization. one was given one year in prison -- one was given four years in prison, the other three.

they did not excepted that they were lower to syria on false pretenses as was argued. they returned to germany and announced their links with i.s. it's easy to forget that many have stayed behind in syria. with no end insights to the fighting, the country is experiencing an acute shortage and doctors. but a small clinic on the border is making a difference. reporter: comforting this little boy is almost impossible. the three-year-old is in constant pain from injuries sustained when a syrian regime bomb hit his him. the german elastic surgeon has done his best to reconstruct the boy's nose and lips. he is part of an international team. this boy is another victim. there are still shell fragments in his brain.

his chances of survival are low. >> you just noticed that germans only know a fraction of what is happening here. it's much more awful, much worse than what you could ever imagine. reporter: the clinics in the small turkish city a few kilometers run the border with syria, funded by international donors. a small team of syrian doctors work around the clock to save the lives of war victims. bombs also destroy the home of this nine-year-old. his father rescued him. he has already had several skin grafts, and now faces yet another operation. across the fields, a new wall has been built to protect from islam it -- islamist militants. only those in desperate need of help are allowed to past.

they are grateful to find shelter here, but daily life is difficult. for most, fleeing further north is not feasible. they lack the contacts and the money. his operation is about to begin, but his immune system appears to be failing. under the bandages, he is infected. the operation is postponed. it is too risky now. the syrians are becoming bitter about the suffering. the world is turning a blind eye, they say, to the assad regime's bombing campaign. >> [indiscernible] >> in syria, every day more than 100 are killed. >> and nobody comes? >> nobody comes. why? reporter: outside another young

mother with another young victim. her nine-year-old son wounded in another explosion. the plastic surgeons are only here for short intervals. when they leave, syrian doctors will continue treating the boy, even though they do not have specialist training. >> there should be international outcry. the said thing is, these people are the ones who have to suffer. reporter: he can soon leave the clinic. he will be scarred for life, but the deformities are gone. he is waiting for his immune system to recover with the quiet bravery of a young syrian work at them. -- war victim. sarah: the defenseless victims of war. we have to take this short break . when we come back, good news for drivers, bad news for oil-producing countries. the price of oil has reached another low. why black gold has lost its

shine. all of that and more. stay with us. you are watching "dw news."

sarah: welcome back. a quick reminder of our top story we are following for you. in france, marine le pen's national front has one and historic victory -- has won an historic victory. mainstream parties are divided on how to stop the party from winning a second round of elections. carbon dioxide emissions are slowing down. the study from east anglia says this is the first time a slowdown has taken place during

a time of economic growth. meanwhile, climate change talks continue in paris, and there is growing optimism a global deal could be struck by friday. >> these experts are calling for greater protection of the world rain forces. environmental groups have planned for a greater turnout, but security measures of forced them to scale back demonstrations. as the paris talks into their second week, environmental ministers are aiming to reach a deal based on a 40-page draft accord by friday. >> it will take real political skill to work through the final points on the table. reporter: there is no agreement on the amount of money developing countries should make available, nor is it clear who should pay for it.

only established countries or emerging economies as well? >> the environment ministers are reviewing a draft of the accord that includes week and substantial proposals. we could end up with a strong agreement or a total flop. reporter: brazilian visitors are doing -- parisian visitors are doing their best to put the horrific evidence of last month behind them. >> only the future can tell whether the final agreement will address climate change. from 2020 onward, all countries are supposed to live up to their targets. the problem is, politics typically change over time, but the hope for the paris agreement is the only thing international climate policy has to offer right now. sarah: and now to climate

worries happening now. the chinese capital of beijing is starting its second day under a red alert for smog. the warning is the highest possible and has never been activated before. the levels include particles in beijing's air, 12 times what the world health organization deems safe. only half of all vehicles are allowed on the roads. reporter: restrictions on traffic and outdoor activity are nothing new for city dwellers in china, but the red alert leases many in the difficult situation. those who walk or bike everywhere are being told to avoid going outside. for many, driving remains the only option. >> i live close to my office and usually work -- well instead of driving. when the smog becomes healthier, i drive.

reporter: the smog is limiting road traffic as driving only adds to excessive pollution. while the red alert remains in place, only those with the even-numbered plates can drive one day and odd-numbered the next. the health risks are real. the gluten's enter the bloodstream and create a variety of health problems. dirty air is killing hundreds of thousands in china each year. some estimates say 4500 a day. it is unclear how long the red alert will last, but authorities anticipate at least three days. sarah: in the meantime the price of one fossil fuel causing pollution like this is just getting lower. our correspondent joins us with more.

what is happening? >> as you said, pollution becomes cheaper and cheaper. will prices fell to historic lows after last week's opec meeting. it looked like production could be there for quite some time. >> the oil is flowing with no plans to cut production. new concerns push the oil price even lower on monday. the price for brent crude dropped to below $42 a barrel, down more than 62% from last year. monday's oil price reached the lowest since the depths of the global recession almost seven years ago. oversupply is the main reason, largely due to u.s. shale oil flooding the market. at the same time, demand for oil has fallen due to a slowdown in economic growth in china and europe.

a recovery in oil prices could be long coming. when french energy giant says it does not expect oil prices to rise at all next year. the head of the company says the glut of supply will worsen over the next few months. >> there are few single factors that influence oil price. let's talk to our guest and frank for it. how does it affect markets? >> as usual, there are winners and losers. this is just a normal reaction. so, the immediate losers are the oil companies. any company related to the direct industry. we are seeing exxon, the united states go down. the oil company in spain is the biggest loser. that means direct losses. it has a big impact on the

economies, those that are most reliant on the oil prices. this also means the economy of venezuela, which we also had on this edition of "dw news." and there are many companies indirectly affected by lower oil prices. we have winners. the airlines are gaining strong after these results. reporter: thank you very much. hobby or therefore is an and for. as we heard earlier in the show, the socialist government in venezuela was kicked out. the country's economic ailments include shortages, the devalued currency, trades on the black market at 150 times its official rate, and adding to that, the world's highest inflation before you even start with the freefall of the price of oil. the new government has its work cut out.

reporter: and the shelves are a common sight in the stores of caracas, and consumers and voters have had enough. no longer willing to accept what they see as the socialist government's mismanagement, have chosen to vote for the opposition. venezuela's economic power depends heavily on oil. it makes up 90% of the country's exports. whenever oil prices drop, so does its economic power. venezuela's economy was already on the way down when the oil price crashed in 2009 to its lowest level yet. the rise became came afterward has been over since 2014. the oil price began to skid once more. products that are available have become much more expensive. in his will of's inflation rate today is the highest worldwide, with estimates somewhere between

85% to 200%. that is a problem, especially for the poor, who now hope that things may turn around. financial markets have chimed in . venezuelan bonds rose on the expectation of a business friendly change. reporter: shares of electrolux plunged on monday after general electric canceled an agreement to sell its appliance division to the swedish group. last year, electrolux agreed to by the division to boost its presence in the u.s., but u.s. officials blocked the deal, fearing that the convergence of the appliance brands would dominate the market. general electric says it is still interested in selling its appliance section. daniel will have your next business updates in an hour.

see you tomorrow. for now, back to sarah. sarah: thank you. now two very important soccer news. we have to tell you about a 90-year-old norwegian woman with serious skills. when she starts kicking a football in the year, rinaldo would do well to keep up. her record is 1003 touches in a row. it is clear her leg and ankle do all of the work. that video has led to media outlets like ours, for example asking her to perform just about every day. good for her. a quick reminder of our top stories. in france, marine le pen's national far right party has one regional elections. the main conservative and socialist parties are divided on

how to stop the party from winning a second round. and positive news for the climate. a new report says worldwide carbon dioxide emissions may drop in 2015. that will be the first time it has ever happened in a phase of global economic growth. i'm sarah kelly in berlin. thank you very much for tuning in. i will see you again at the top of the hour.

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damien: hello and a very warm welcome to "focus on europe." we have some of the best human stories behind the major headlines. thanks for joining us. in a week when europeans are trying to come to terms with the recent paris terror attacks and when many worry another attack could strike. damien: what was particularly shocking about the terror attack in paris earlier this month was that it was a brutal assault on a way of life, a culture, and the city's identity. many people were killed out innocently enjoying themselves with friends in the bars and