Hungary has mobilized its army to control its border with Serbia. The leader of Hungary, Viktor Orban, believes that it is Hungary’s task to defend what he calls “Christian” Europe against the “invasion” of Muslims. Orban is distinctive, but not unique, among new leaders and movements in Europe. The National Front in France, the Golden Dawn in Greece, the True Finns in Finland, and the Party for Freedom in the Netherlands have all adopted similar rhetoric. There are terrifying parallels to what happened in Europe in the 1930s and what is happening today. We can only hope that the European Union is strong enough to defuse this trend toward fascism.
Four weeks ago China claimed that it had stopped dredging in the South China Sea in its efforts to claim soveriegnty over certain reefs. However, on the eve of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington, DC, evidence has surfaced that the build-up of the reefs has continued. The news will no doubt strain the meeting between Obama and Xi which was already suffering from accusations about cyber spying and the continued hacking of US government sites by what Washington believes to be Chinese military units. We will see how the parties navigate these tensions during their negotiations.
World Politics News 
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