Foreign Digest: Czech Republic, Turkey, the Council of Europe and Sudan

Czech Republic

            There have been protests in the Czech Republic against the populist Prime Minister for corruption. He is under investigation for misuse of European Union funds and has interfered in the investigation by replacing the justice minister.  The Socialist President has also been criticized for tolerating the situation.

Turkey

            Despite a redo election ordered by Turkey’s Islamist authoritarian President, the democratic opposition won the election last week for mayor Istanbul, the largest Turkish city.  Its first victory in March had been overturned by the Government.  The loss will deprive the ruling party of lucrative contracts.

The Council of Europe

            After the Council of Europe voted to readmit the Russian Federation last week, despite its invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine today suspended its participation in the body.  The Council also voted to end sanctions that had been placed on Russia because of its invasion of Ukraine.

Sudan

           Protests continue in Sudan a month after the military coup that overthrow the longtime Islamist tyrant.  The African Union is trying to help negotiate a transition to civilian rule and elections.  A deal reached with the democratic opposition broke down after the military violently put down protests.

Foreign Digest: Moldova; Netherlands, Ukraine and Russia; Georgia, Saudi Arabia, and Italy

Moldova

            After inconclusive parliamentary elections in February, which I posted about at the time, Moldova’s high court ruled the coalition formed early this month by the pro-European Union center-right bloc of parties and the pro-Russian Socialists was formed after the 90-day constitutional deadline and annulled the elections.  The ruling center-left party stepped in to continue to hold power, but after domestic and international pressure, including from the United States, the Prime Minister resigned in the middle of this month and pledged a peaceful transition for the unnatural coalition to take power.

Netherlands, Ukraine and Russia

            Prosecutors in the Netherlands last week charged four people, including three Russians and one Ukrainian who had long worked for the Russians, for the missile strike that brought down a Malaysian civilian airline filled with mostly Dutch passengers over Ukraine in 2014.  The jet was struck during the rebellion in eastern Ukraine by Russophiles that is fostered and supported by the Russian Federation, led by tyrant and kleptocrat Vladimir Putin.  Russia had invaded and seized the Crimean Peninsula earlier that year, in violation of the post-Cold War treaty between Russia and Ukraine in which the former agreed to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the latter.

Georgia

            There were anti-Russian protests in Georgia last week after the pro-Kremlin Government allowed a Member of Parliament of the Russian Federation to attend an inter-parliamentary session on Orthodoxy in the Georgian Parliament.  There were many injuries and arrests, but demonstrations have continued.  The protesters also called for new elections and political reforms.  Russia, under tyrant and kleptocrat Vladimir Putin, invaded the former Soviet Republic in 2008, establishing puppet states in breakaway South Ossetia and Abkhazia. 

Saudi Arabia

            The United Nations, after an investigation, accused the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia last week of ordering the murder of a journalist critical of the Saudi regime who was a United States permanent resident in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey last year. 

Italy

           The high court of Italy ruled last week that a fetus is a human being during labor.  Therefore, a healthcare provider could be charged with manslaughter, not culpable abortion, for negligence during labor.  The Italian Republic has a liberal abortion law, but abortion is rare, as most Italian medical providers opt not to perform abortions.

Foreign Digest: Hong Kong and Germany

Hong Kong

            The government of the Chinese special administrative territory of Hong Kong has suspended consideration of a proposed law backed by Communist China to allow for extradition to the mainland that would have been used as a tool against political dissidents, after mass protests against the measure.  China had promised autonomy and the preservation of representative government and freedom for the former British colony after its reversion from the United Kingdom in 1991, but Peking has steadily eroded the city-state’s self-rule.  Mass protests continue as demonstrators oppose the law and demand autonomy and liberty for Hong Kong.

Germany

           A far-right associate has been arrested in the murder of an elected local municipal administrator in the state of Hessen from the ruling German conservative Christian Democratic Union.  The pro-migrant official had been opposed by the xenophobic far-right and had received death threats.  There have been other acts of violence against local politicians by the far-right in Germany over the last few years.

Foreign Digest Updates: Hong Kong, Russia, Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom

Hong Kong

            The mass protests continue against the extradition law being considered by Hong Kong’s assembly that is being promoted by Communist China.  The authorities responded with violence and arrests.  The law would be a tool to stifle peaceful dissent in the increasingly unfree special administrative territory that reverted to China from British rule in 1997, despite Peking’s promise to allow Hong Kong to be free.  The assembly is controlled by Peking.

Russia

            There were protests today in Russia after a prominent journalist critical of the tyrannical and kleptocratic regime of Vladimir Putin was arrested on trumped-up charges several days ago.  He was released after the charges were disproved.  Hundreds of protesters were arrested.  Freedoms of press and peaceful assembly are not tolerated by Putin.

Kazakhstan

            The acting President of Kazakhstan appeared to win elections last week easily, but international monitors have declared the results invalid because the elections were not free or fair, citing irregularities.  The longtime dictator of the former Soviet Republic resigned earlier this year.

             

United Kingdom

           A measure to prohibit the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union without a deal was narrowly defeated in the British Parliament.  Most Conservatives opposed it, but some favored it.  With or without a deal, the U.K. will leave the E.U. by the end of October.  The deal negotiated between them has thrice been rejected by Parliament, although the last time by a much smaller margin.  The E.U. has stated that it will not renegotiate the deal.  Among other issues, the border with the Republic of Ireland is most contentious.  

Foreign Digest: China and Hong Kong, Sudan and the United Kingdom

China and Hong Kong

            The thirtieth anniversary of the 1989 Tienanmen Square Massacre of peaceful pro-democracy protesters by the Chinese Communist Government was earlier this month.  As usual, there was a small commemoration of it in Hong Kong one in the Republic of China on Taiwan, and none in Communist China, which does not tolerate dissent and refused to acknowledge the atrocity. 

There was a mass protest in the special administrative territory today against Peking’s extradition law that threatens deportation to the mainland of dissidents.  The former British territory had been promised upon reversion to China from the United Kingdom in 1997 that it could keep its system of the free market, liberty and representative government, but China has been asserting more and more control and suppressing dissent.   

Sudan

            After the Sudanese transitional Government attacked peaceful protesters last week, it annulled its agreement to include the opposition in the transition toward elections.  There has been a wave of arrests of the democratic opposition.

United Kingdom

           The resignation as Conservative Party leader by United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May has taken effect, initializing the campaign for the leadership of the Tories.  Her premiership will end by the time a new successor is chosen by the end of July, who will become the next Prime Minister of the U.K.  The withdrawal from the European Union is the mean reason for her resignation and the main subject of the campaign to succeed her.  The deal May negotiated was thrice rejected by Parliament, although by a much smaller margin the third time.  At issue are several matters, especially the border with the Irish Republic.

Foreign Digest Updates: Italy, Syria, Algeria and Austria

Italy

            The European Union warned Italy last week that the budget deficit of the Italian Republic was billions of dollars too high and that a penalty would be imposed for violation of the EU’s budgetary rules.  The Italian Government is attempting to clarify.  Italy has one of the highest debt burdens in the world.  It was also among the foreign States cited last week by the United States for budgetary concern.

Syria

            Israel struck targets in Syria late last week, as it has been doing occasionally during the Syrian Civil War and as I have posted about before.  As usual, Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shi’ite terrorist organization and Iranian forces, were the targets.  Iran, a state terrorist sponsor, sponsors Hezbollah.  Both are supporting the Syrian Assad regime, which itself is a state sponsor of terrorism. 

Algeria

            Algeria’s constitutional council late last week annulled the scheduled presidential elections after rejecting the candidacy of the only two candidates, without explanation.  The head of state will announce the new date for elections.  Algeria’s longtime president had resigned in the face of opposition to his seeking a fifth term, despite his advanced age and ill health. 

Austria

           A new technocratic government appointed by the center-left President of Austria has been sworn into office, after the loss of parliamentary confidence of the Chancellor of the main center-right party, whose coalition collapsed after the Vice Chancellor from the far-right “nationalist” junior partner was caught last month soliciting campaign finance contributions from the Russian Federation.  The far-right Cabinet had resigned.  Their party performed poorly in the European Parliamentary elections, despite gains by far-right anti-immigrant parties elsewhere.  New Austrian parliamentary elections will be held this summer.