"Abdullah tried all these tricks, he resigned and this and that to come into power, " the onion trader said.

CNN: Afghans divided amid political limbo

She quickly backpedalled saying the French test would only apply to people coming to Quebec after her party would come into power.

FORBES: Plan Nord: Quebec First Nations Groups Left In The Shadows During Provincial Elections

But a new EU-wide directive that could come into force at the end of this year will give regulators the power to impose penalties of up to 2% of a multinational's global annual turnover.

CNN: EU watchdogs need 'teeth' to clamp down on privacy breaches

First, it does not always work: the Kremlin has come badly unstuck several times when it has stepped into regional elections, only to find itself outmanoeuvred by local power-brokers.

ECONOMIST: Russia has changed since Soviet days, but not nearly enough