World Politics News   Articles for World Politics Course

The far-right Jobbik Party in Hungary has rattled Europe.  Its deputy leader has called for Jews to be registered on lists as threats to national security.  Fortunately, the party does not have a significant voice in the Parliament (44 out of 386 seats), but it is remarkable that such statements would be made at all.

There are times when the news simply seems weird.  Here are some interesting stories from Europe.  1)  Denmark repeals its law making it a crime to insult God (although it is still a crime to insult the Queen); 2) Germany moves to ban bestiality; 3) Poland has ruled that the ritual slaughter of animals is illegal; and 4) European farmers sprayed milk all over the European Parliament building.   There must be a thread that unites these stories, but I can’t’ yet figure it out.

The economic situation in Greece defies comprehension as the lives of ordinary citizens change in ways they had never expected.  The Guardian published a piece on how people are trying to make ends meet in Greece–a turn of events likely to be replicated in several other places in the world over the next few years.