Foreign Digest: France, Zimbabwe, Hungary, Georgia and the Gaza Strip

France: The anti-migrant pro-Russian far-right French party leader was convicted and sentenced for embezzlement of European Union parliamentary funds. She was banned from standing for President for 5 years. Her populist party had lost the parliamentary and EU parliamentary elections, despite gaining votes and seats in each body. France is governed by a centrist coalition government backed by the center-right and the EU is ruled by a center-right-led coalition. The far-right French leader’s party is in the EU parliamentary group with other far-right anti-migrant populist parties, several of which are also pro-Russian. She is favored by the Trumpist far-right. Zimbabwe: There was a protest against the corrupt socialist authoritarian President of Zimbabwe, whose party has ruled since independence from the United Kingdom in 1980. There were mass arrests of the protestors. Hungary: There have been more mass protests against the far-right anti-migrant pro-Russian corrupt autocratic Hungarian President. As I have posted, a center-right party has emerged as the leading opposition to the Hungarian strongman who has ruled the former Soviet satellite State for 14 years and who is a darling of the Trumpist far-right. Georgia: There have been more mass protests against the pro-Russian authoritarian Georgian Government because of its fraudulent re-election last year and decision to end the former Soviet Republic’s candidacy for the European Union. The Russian Federation invaded the south Caucasus State in 2008, setting up puppet states in two breakaway territories and keeping Russian troops there. Georgians prefer closer ties to Europe and the West. Gaza Strip: There were more protests against Hamas, the Iranian-backed Islamist terrorist organization that rules the Gaza Strip, and its policy of war against the neighboring Jewish State of Israel.