The European Parliament election was generally interpreted as a victory for right-wing parties. Little-noticed, however, was the emergence of some left-wing parties. Syriza was the top vote getter in Greece, and Podemos, a left-wing party formed out of the indignados movement in Spain just four months ago, took five percent of the Spanish vote. Moreover, recent protests in Spain and Germany were barely noticed in the media. The anger toward the austerity programs has hardly diminished.
There were violent clashes between protesters and police as many Turkish citizens tried to recognize the one-year anniversary of the protests at Taksim Square. The protests last year were initially protests against development projects scheduled for a park, but quickly turned into anti-government protests. The government had banned such protests, but many ignored the order. The police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse the crowd. It is very clear that Prime Minister Erdogan has lost the support of many in the middle class and many of the Turkish young people. It is not at all clear how this tension can be resolved.
US Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel, accused the Chinese of using “intimidation” and “coercion” in its attempts to assert national control over the South China Sea. The Chinese responded angrily to the charge, as it made clear that the US supports Japan, the Philippines, and Vietnam in their recent clashes with the Chinese in the region. Wang Guanzhong, deputy chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), argued that the concept of alliances was out of date in the 21st century, a position that undermines the US position with respect to its allies in East and Southeast Asia. The argument, however, more accurately reflects the fact that no state in the region supports the Chinese territorial claims.
World Politics News 
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