The Foundation and the think tank Visegrad Insight are organising a discussion on the future of Europe in the context of the war in Ukraine with MEP Katalin Cseh (Renew,HU) in Brussels on 30 November.

In response to the economic and social consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the European Union has set up a €672.5 billion recovery fund, called the Recovery and Resilience Facility for Member States in the form of grants and loans. On 25 November, the Commission approved the preliminary assessment for a €3.6 billion payment to Greece. The Foundation provides an interactive map of the country-by-country plans, including amounts, timetables and priorities.

On 24 November, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejcinovic Buric, condemned Russia's attacks on hospitals, civilian and energy infrastructure in Ukraine. She called on member states to provide special support to women victims of sexual violence committed by Russian soldiers. She also called for assistance in accessing medical and psychological care for women victims of sexual violence by Russian soldiers.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke at the annual session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, calling for support for its 10-point peace formula and for Russia to be named a state sponsor of terrorism. Before the Congress of Mayors and Presidents of Inter-municipalities of France, he recalled the destruction caused by Russian troops in Ukrainian towns and villages, while calling for assistance to Ukraine during the winter and in its reconstruction project. He also spoke during the UN Security Council meeting and called on it to condemn all forms of Russian terrorism. Finally, he called on the OSCE to give more support to Ukraine and to sanction Russia, which continues to be a member of the organisation's Parliamentary Assembly.

On 24 November, MEPs approved an €18 billion loan for Ukraine to be delivered in monthly instalments of €3-4 billion in 2023. The assistance will be devoted to the rehabilitation and operation of essential infrastructure and will be combined with rule of law conditions to prepare Ukraine for the EU accession process. The loan still needs to be approved by the Council. They reject passports and other travel documents issued by Russia in the territories it illegally occupies in Ukraine and Georgia. Finally, on 23 November they described Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism using terrorist means, in view of the crimes committed in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hosted Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Kyiv on 26 November. Ingrida Simonytė participated in the inauguration of a plaque bearing her name for Lithuania's assistance to Ukraine. Together with the Belgian Prime Minister, they discussed the "Grain From Ukraine" initiative, to which Belgium has contributed, by funding food supplies to countries in need. Alexandre De Croo pledged to provide electricity generators and other equipment of vital importance to Ukraine. Poland, Ukraine and Lithuania signed a declaration of mutual cooperation in the face of the Russian invasion.

At a meeting on food security on 26 November, participants denounced the disastrous consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on agriculture. Ukraine reiterated its commitment to the UN World Food Programme and pledged to continue contributing to global food supplies. The final declaration calls for an extension of the Black Sea Grains Initiative and support for the "Grain from Ukraine" humanitarian programme, which provides the framework for delivering Ukrainian food to the countries in Africa and Asia that are most affected by hunger.

On 25 November, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, expressed his shock at the continuing human suffering in Ukraine. Civilians, women and children are being killed or injured, while Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war are being summarily executed. Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is concerned that Russian strikes on electricity infrastructure are depriving Ukrainians of power.

On 22 November, the Commission concluded that Romania has made enough progress in the area of rule of law to close the cooperation and verification mechanism (CVM), which was set up when the country joined the EU in 2007. It highlights the steps Romania has taken to reform its judicial system and fight corruption, including the lifting of political immunities. The final decision on the CVM will be taken after consideration of the comments of the Council and Parliament.

MEPs adopted the EU budget for 2023 by 492 votes to 66 with 42 abstentions on 23 November. The Council gave its approval on the previous day. The annual budget represents €186.6 billion in commitments and €168.7 billion in payments, with Ukraine, energy and recovery as priority objectives.

On 22 November, MEPs approved new rules to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure in the European Union. The scope of the directive has been extended to eleven sectors including digital, water, food and health. In this framework, Member States will adopt national resilience strategies and critical actors will have to systematically notify them of incidents.

On 22 November, MEPs gave final approval to new rules on the presence of women on the boards of listed companies, which require that at least 40% of non-executive directorships or 33% of all directorships be held by women by July 2026. Companies will have to report information on their board representation to the competent authorities and will be subject to sanctions for non-compliance.

On 22 November, MEPs gave their final approval to a ten-year extension of the rules restricting access to national waters by fishing vessels from other Member States. The aim of these rules is both to protect the local economic activities of the countries concerned and to prevent certain areas from being overfished.

MEPs called on the EU on 23 November to speed up and reform its decision-making process for future enlargement, in particular to abolish the requirement for unanimity to advance the accession process in favour of qualified majority voting. They called on the EU to conclude the current negotiations before 2030. MEPs also suggested that in the reform process of candidate countries, backtracking should be sanctioned and sustainable progress should be rewarded.

On 23 November, MEPs voted by 440 votes to 117 with 77 abstentions in favour of introducing three new sources of revenue: the Emissions Trading Scheme, the Border Carbon Adjustment Mechanism and the reallocated profits of very large multinational companies. They recalled that, according to a roadmap agreed in 2020, the Commission should present a proposal for a second set of new own resources by the end of 2023. Furthermore, they presented a proposal for the repayment of the debt contracted in the framework of NextGenerationEU.

On 21 November, the Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers took stock of the progress made on the new forestry strategy for 2030 and on ways to improve cooperation between the various stakeholders. In parallel, they discussed the proposed regulation on nature restoration, while the Commission presented its communication on fertilisers. They also discussed the promotion of energy transition in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, and ensuring a strong and sustainable seaweed sector.

The ministers in charge of regional development, meeting on 22 November, drew up a general assessment of cohesion policy, in particular its impact on reducing the development gap between European regions. They discussed future challenges, such as the green and digital transitions. They stressed the need to create more synergies between the different EU instruments, to take into account regional specificities, and suggested the possibility of simplifying the rules.

On 24 November, the Energy Ministers reached an agreement on the project for the joint purchase of gas via a European platform for cross-border exchanges and reliable prices within the Union, as well as on the content of a regulation that aims to establish a temporary framework to simplify authorisation procedures for renewable energy projects. They considered that the Commission's proposal for a gas market correction mechanism needed further work and that the conditions for activating the mechanism seemed too stringent.

Trade Ministers discussed World Trade Organisation (WTO) reform on 25 November. They exchanged views on the impact of discriminatory provisions in the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in view of the next meeting of the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) on 5 December. They also held a policy discussion on trade support to Ukraine.

On 29 November, the European Union and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) launched a new Digital Partnership. This partnership will strengthen cooperation between reliable and technologically advanced partners in the digital field, which is crucial for the sustainable development of the European and Korean economies, as well as for trade and investment links.

The former Luxembourg Finance Minister, Pierre Gramegna, was appointed Managing Director of the European Stability Mechanism on 25 November for a five-year term. He succeeds the German Klaus Regling.

Europol announced on 25 November that it had arrested 44 individuals in an operation involving 11 countries who were members of a large criminal organisation whose activities included drug trafficking, money laundering and illegal enrichment. The criminal network operated in Lithuania, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Poland, France, Germany and Slovakia. Police have dismantled a "super cocaine cartel" and arrested 49 suspects in various countries including six "high-value targets" in Dubai, Europol announced on 28 November. The super cartel controlled "about a third of the cocaine trade in Europe".

Nine candidates are running for the Czech presidential election, the first round of which will be held on 13 and 14 January, according to the official list published on 25 November. Among the contenders to succeed Milos Zeman are former prime minister Andrej Babis, former army chief of staff Petr Pavel, and two women, Danuse Nerudova and Denisa Rohanova.

The International Monetary Fund welcomed the post-pandemic recovery of Slovenia's economy in a report published on 21 November. However, it expects growth to fall from 5.4% in 2022 to 1.8% in 2023.

In a report published on 23 November, the IMF estimates that Spanish growth should reach 4.6% in 2022 and 1.2% in 2023. It notes that state aid has helped to cope with rising prices, although it needs to be adapted in the long term. It advises the government to initiate policies aimed at increasing productivity to raise living standards.

Until 10 April 2023, the Palazzo Mazzetti in Asti is hosting the exhibition "Giovanni Boldini and the Myth of the Belle Époque". Eighty paintings by the Italian painter are on show to the public.

The evolution and diversity of forms, techniques and materials used to make collage, an artistic medium continually used by artists for a wide variety of purposes, will be explored in the exhibition "Collage: Linked Worlds" at the National Museum in Wroclaw, until 15 January 2023.

The Tate Gallery in St Ives is devoting an exhibition to the art and life of one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century: Barbara Hepworth. Almost five decades of the artist's sculptures, paintings, drawings, prints and designs are on display.

Until 6 March 2023, the Louvre Museum is devoting an exhibition to the "Splendours of the Oases of Uzbekistan". Works restored especially for the exhibition are on display, such as murals and paintings from the 16th century Bukhara school.

Since 24 November and with the start of Advent, many European cities are opening their Christmas markets: from Strasbourg in France, to Edinburgh in Scotland; from Nuremberg in Germany, to Madrid in Spain, to Gdańsk in Poland.

The Muelle de la Batería exhibition space in A Coruña is devoting an exhibition until 1 May 2023 to the American photographer Steven Meisel, who launched the careers of a whole generation of models in the 1990s