With 3 weeks to go before the snap parliamentary elections in the Netherlands on 22 November, Pieter Omtzigt's New Social Contract (NSC) is credited with 27% of the vote, outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte's VVD with 26%, and the single list presented by the Green Left (GL) and the Labour Party (PvdA), led by former European Commissioner Frans Timmermans, with 25%.

On 26 and 27 October, the 27 Heads of State and government reiterated their support for Ukraine and Israel, and called for "humanitarian pauses" in the Gaza Strip and the opening of a conference for peace in the Middle East. They hoped to reach an agreement on the revision of the multi-annual financial framework before the end of the year, and called for continued efforts to build the resilience of the European economy. European leaders held a strategic dialogue on immigration, and a Eurozone summit to discuss monetary policy in relation to the economic and financial situation.

On 24 October, the Commission presented an action plan for wind energy. In line with the objective of a 45% share of renewable energies in the European energy mix by 2030, the plan aims to accelerate the deployment of wind power, particularly at sea, by simplifying construction authorisation procedures and facilitating access to European funding for manufacturers.

On 24 October, the Commission announced measures to respond to critical shortages of medicines, and to secure the European supply of medicines. It is proposing a European solidarity mechanism and waivers to the rules on the conservation and replacement of prescription medicines. The Commission wants to review global supply chains to determine where strategic investment is needed to ensure the sustainability of European stocks.

On 23 and 24 October, the agriculture and fisheries ministers adopted the 2024 fishing quotas for the Baltic Sea, and discussed an international conservation agreement for tuna in the Atlantic Ocean. They also discussed the situation of agricultural markets and a proposal regarding food waste.

On 24 October, the Telecommunications Ministers meeting in León signed a joint declaration in favour of a humanist neurotechnology that protects individual rights in the digital area. They undertook a review of regulations in the telecommunications sector and decided to launch the drafting of a White Paper on the future of the sector.

On 24 October, the Council adopted the final version of the proposal for a regulation creating a European instrument for combating economic and commercial coercion. This regulation creates a European framework for responding to economic coercion measures by third countries, through dissuasive investigations and an arsenal of countermeasures that can be triggered.

On 24 October, the Council adopted the Green Bonds Regulation, which lays down uniform rules for companies wishing to certify the ecological nature of their activity when issuing bonds, by means of European certification.

On 23 October, the 20th meeting of the Cooperation Council with Kazakhstan and the 19th ministerial meeting with Central Asia took place in Luxembourg. The foreign affairs ministers reiterated their commitment to a solid relationship between the European Union and the countries of Central Asia, and undertook to deepen existing ties.

On 23 October, the foreign ministers discussed the situation in the Middle East. They once again condemned the Hamas attack and called for the hostages to be released. They discussed military support for Ukraine and the European Union's future security commitments.

On 25 and 26 October, at the "Global Gateway" forum on the European approach to developing strategic investments around the world, European representatives signed investment or partnership agreements with numerous countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

On 23 October, at a joint investment forum, the European Union and Saudi Arabia pledged to build a strategic partnership and deepen mutual investment. The areas of cooperation identified are sustainable energy and information and communication technologies.

The Spanish justice and home affairs ministers represented the Council at a meeting with their counterparts from the Western Balkans on 26 and 27 October. The ministers discussed the fight against organised crime and terrorism, as well as border management. They reviewed the measures taken to promote the rule of law and judicial independence, which are prerequisites for accession to the European Union.

On 28 October, Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, responsible for trade, held a high-level economic dialogue with Japan's foreign and economic affairs ministers. During this meeting, an agreement was reached to include the free circulation of digital data in the EU-Japan economic partnership.

According to a report by the Court of Auditors on 26 October, it is difficult to assess the performance of the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The audit shows that the Member States and the Commission are unable to properly assess the results of the investments made. The Court of Auditors recommends a review of the performance indicators and the criteria for evaluating public policies, as well as an increase in the transparency of the data communicated by the Commission on these criteria.

On 26 October, the European Central Bank kept its key interest rates unchanged, putting an end to a series of rate hikes but keeping them at a high level. This decision was in response to a drop in inflation in the eurozone in September. The Governing Council considers that rates are at a sufficient level to ensure that this drop in inflation continues until the 2% target is reached.

On 25 October, Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova appointed the new government led by Robert Fico, whose SMER-SD party came first in the 30 September parliamentary elections. The coalition, which also includes the far-right SNS party and the centre-left Hlas party, announced on 26 October the end of Slovak military aid to Ukraine.

On 23 October, French Armies Minister Sébastien Lecornu hosted his Armenian counterpart Susen Papikyan to discuss ways to support the country's military modernisation and strengthen its defensive capabilities. A military cooperation contract was signed, as well as a letter of intent on ground-air defence.

The third international meeting for peace in Ukraine was held in Malta on 28 and 29 October, bringing together representatives from 66 countries and organisations. Discussions focused on the Ukrainian peace formula, and in particular on Ukraine's territorial integrity, nuclear safety, food security, humanitarian issues and energy infrastructures.

On 24 October, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the European Commission by videoconference. He stressed that Ukraine would implement the European Commission's seven recommendations as quickly as possible with a view to opening accession negotiations. On 26 October, he addressed the European Council, announcing the signing of a law on European integration that strengthens the financial control of public figures.

On 24 October, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe adopted priorities for the period up to 2026, inspired by the last summit of heads of state and government in May 2023. These priorities are the defence of democracy and human rights, the democratic participation of young people, the reduction of inequalities and the fight against climate change.

At the G7 trade ministers' meeting in Osaka on 28 and 29 October, major economic reforms were discussed, including WTO reform, ensuring a level playing field in the global market, supply chain resilience, digital trade and climate change.

On 24 October, the Commission published its report on the state of the Energy Union in 2023. It highlights the success of the EU's efforts to move away from energy dependency on Russia and to speed up the development of renewable energies, thanks to the Green Deal and the REPowerEU plan. The report concludes that, thanks to these efforts, the Union's energy security for the winter of 2023-2024 is assured, but that further work is needed to ensure stable and affordable access to energy in Europe.

On 24 October, the European Institute for Gender Equality published its index for 2023. The index rates the Member States and the European Union from 1 to 100 by averaging various indicators such as equality at work and in education. Since the index was created in 2013, 2023 has seen the greatest progress, with the EU's score rising from 68.6 to 70.2, but there are still significant disparities between Member States.

The Musée d'Arts de Nantes is devoting a retrospective to the French painter Suzanne Valadon, running until 11 February 2024. The first woman to be admitted to the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Suzanne Valadon was an emblematic figure of Fauvism and post-impressionism in Parisian Bohemia.

Until 21 January 2024, the National Portrait Gallery in London is hosting the exhibition "David Hockney: Drawing from Life", featuring portraits and drawings from the last sixty years of the artist's life. A previously unseen selection of thirty new portraits by the artist is also on show.

Until 14 January 2024, the Royal Castle in Warsaw is honouring the Ukrainian city of Lviv with the exhibition "The Genius of Lviv. Lviv as an art centre and its art collections". As the city was on one of the main trade routes, the exhibition shows what a cultural and artistic meeting point it was.

The Albertina Museum in Vienna is presenting an exhibition entitled "Warum Drei Töne Kein Dreieck Bilden", about the German artist Katharina Grosse, until 1 April 2024. The exhibition is an opportunity to familiarise oneself with the work of Katharina Grosse, whose use of colour and balance between chance and control are characteristic.

Until 28 January 2024, Munich's Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art is presenting an exhibition on Damien Hirst entitled "the Weight of Things". Nearly forty works are on show, some of which have never been exhibited before.

Until 4 February 2024, the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid is presenting the exhibition "Maestras", organised from a feminist perspective by the art critic Rocío de la Villa, and comprising almost 100 works, including paintings, sculptures, works on paper and textiles. The exhibition covers the period from the end of the sixteenth century to the first decades of the twentieth through eight key contexts in women's path to emancipation.

The Cité Internationale de la Langue Française, located at the Château de Villers-Cotterêts, was inaugurated by French President Emmanuel Macron on 30 October. Dedicated entirely to the French language and French-speaking cultures, this project, the second largest cultural project of the President's term of office after Notre-Dame de Paris, will feature exhibitions, shows and artistic residencies. It opens to the public on 1 November.

Until 3 March 2024, the Royal Palace in Milan will be showcasing the works of Spanish painter Francisco de Goya in the exhibition "The Rebellion of Reason". The seven thematic sections of the exhibition represent the tumultuous historical periods that Goya lived through, and which he reflected in his paintings through a revolution in artistic rules.

The Prague Art Fair will run until 5 November at the baroque Clam-Gallas Palace, on the so-called Royal Road. Original works by 190 artists from all artistic backgrounds are on display in the historic building.

The 'Bilderstreit' exhibition by contemporary German visual artist Anselm Kiefer is on show at the Voorlinden Museum in Wassenaar until 23 February. The exhibition focuses on the artist's work over the last 15 years, which includes paintings, sculptures, artists' books and installations.

To mark the 30th anniversary of the Transat Jacques Vabre (the Coffee Route), almost 100 tandems of sailors set off from Le Havre on 29 October in the Ocean Fifty, ULTIM and Class40 classes before heading for Martinique. For weather reasons, the start of the IMOCA class was postponed.