World Politics News   Articles for World Politics Course

The European elections continue to reverberate throughout the European political systems.  Without a doubt, the stunning success of the National Front in France is viewed as the most significant outcome.  The centrist party, UMP, came in second, and the party in power, the Socialists, came in third.  Marine Le Pen is the current leader of the National Front which has evolved since it was founded by her father.  In its earlier years, the National Front was virulently anti-immigrant and anti-Semitic.  Marine Le Pen has moved the Party away from those vulgar sentiments, but many suspect that the change is only rhetorical.  No matter how far to the right the Party currently is, there is little question that the French polity has moved away from the center toward the right.

Pope Francis has made a trip to Israel and Palestine, and expressed great discontent over the impasse between the two sides.  In his remarks, he called the stalemate, “unacceptable.”  The Pope took the unusual step of entering Palestine through Jordan, and not through an Israeli access point.  The move signaled his acceptance of the state of Palestine: Vatican City and Palestine both have the same status in the United Nations.  It is certain that the Israelis were not happy with the Pope’s actions, but, given the centrality of the region to the world’s Christians, were unwilling to express those misgivings openly.  In another move in the dispute, Turkey has issued arrest warrants for Israeli military officials who stopped a Turkish vessel from entering ports in the Gaza Strip in 2010 which resulted in the deaths of nine people.

Egypt is holding its elections which are due to be completed by Tuesday.  At this time, most polls indicate that the former leader of the military, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, will win the election.  The sense is that al-Sisi will bring order back to Egypt after a tumultuous three years.  Many observers, however, have doubts about a–Sisi’s commitment to fundamental political rights.  But most regional powers seem to be very happy that al-Sisi will restore Egypt’s traditional foreign policy.