The campaign for the European elections looks set to get under way soon, and it is to be feared that it will feature the unfortunate slogan of "the Europe that protects". This slogan ignores the real challenge facing the continent, writes Jean-Dominique Giuliani.

It was a big surprise in the Netherlands, where the radical right-wing Freedom Party (PVV), led by Geert Wilders, came out ahead in the general election on 22 November. The question now is whether a coalition can emerge from this election, and if so, what kind of coalition it will be.

From 6 to 9 June 2024, Europeans are being invited to elect their MEPs for the next five years. The Foundation has set up a website to help you understand the elections and the issues at stake, and to follow the campaign with the lists of candidates and the programmes of all the parties.

The Schuman Network aims to promote debate and reflection on European issues. Numerous contributions from think tanks on the international situation, the forthcoming European elections and the issues and challenges to be faced are available, such as those from ELIAMEP and the Foundation which have recently been put online. Others will follow.

To respond to the economic and social consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the European Union has set up a €672.5 billion recovery fund. On 21 November, the Commission approved the updated recovery plans for Croatia, Finland, Greece, Poland and Romania, followed by Italy on 24 November. It also gave a positive assessment to Slovakia's request for payment of €662 million. The Foundation offers you an interactive map of the plans country by country, for information on amounts and schedules.

In partnership with the SWP (Germany) and the PISM (Poland) the Robert Schuman Foundation is organising a conference on the strategic sovereignty of the European Union on 5th December in Brussels. Nicolas Goetzmann, economist and author for the Foundation, will take part in a round table discussion on economic security. Managing Director Pascale Joannin will take part in a round table on defence.

On 21 November, the Commission decided to extend the temporary authorisation of certain State aid measures to deal with the consequences of the war in Ukraine. Since March 2022, Member States have been able to offer aid to companies experiencing difficulties as a result of rising energy prices. The authorisation for this aid was due to expire on 1 January 2024, but has now been extended in part until June 2024.

As part of the coordination of economic and monetary policies in the eurozone, on 21 November the Commission published an analysis of Member States' budget plans for 2024. It concludes that Belgium, Finland, France and Croatia are at risk of not complying with the July Council recommendations, and that nine other States, including Germany and the Netherlands, are not fully compliant. The Commission recommends that all Member States adopt prudent budgetary policies, guarantee private and public investment, and promote wage increases.

On 22 November, the Commission proposed legislation on forest monitoring with a view to strengthening information sharing, establishing European forest governance and making forests more resilient to threats such as fire, drought and pests.

In a recommendation issued on 22 November, the Commission called on the Member States of the Schengen area to step up their cooperation. Following a series of consultations, the Commission has concluded that it is necessary to strengthen cooperation in the management of illegal immigration and organised crime, so as to guarantee security in Europe, while at the same time reducing the border controls that have recently been introduced by certain States.

On 22 November, two days after its adoption by the Council, MEPs definitively adopted the budget for 2024. The budget is set at €189.4 billion in commitment appropriations, up from €182.7 billion in 2023. The budget is €660 million higher than that proposed by the Commission, with increases for external aid, innovation and youth.

On 21 November, MEPs adopted amendments to the new European carbon certification framework, the draft regulation on carbon emissions from heavy goods vehicles and buses, and the act on zero-net industry, which aims to boost the production of technologies needed for the ecological transition. On the 22nd, they adopted new rules on the reduction and recycling of packaging.

On 23 November, the European Parliament adopted amendments to the legislative framework for judicial cooperation in cross-border cases. The aim of this legislation is to strengthen the exchange of judicial information between Member States by means of digital tools, in a bid to speed up the handling of judicial cases between States. The legislation will enter into force once it has been definitively adopted by the Council.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov addressed the European Parliament on 22 November. He stressed the need to allow Bulgaria and Romania access to the Schengen area, with a view to strengthening European unity at a time when the former Soviet bloc countries are being destabilised by Russia.

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne travelled to Strasbourg on 21 November to inaugurate the European Parliament's Simone Veil building, named in tribute to the first President elected by direct universal suffrage, in 1979. On this occasion, she met the President of the Parliament, Roberta Metsola.

On 22 November, MEPs adopted a draft reform of the Treaties. It seeks to transform the Commission into a "European executive" headed by a "President of the Union", increase European competences, restrict unanimous voting in the Council and increase its own role in the budget and diplomacy. It asks the European Council to call for a Convention to revise the Treaties. The Foundation recently published a study on this subject.

The Development ministers' meeting on 21 November discussed aid to Ukraine and Palestine. They exchanged views with the President of the World Bank, and approved conclusions on relations with Latin America and the Caribbean. On the same day, the European Union launched the EL PAcCTO 2.0 cooperation programme, which aims to assist the States of this region in the fight against cross-border organised crime.

Ministers meeting on 20 November approved conclusions on a long-term vision for rural areas. They discussed fishing quotas for 2024 in the Atlantic Ocean, North Sea, Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea.

On 23 November, the ministers for youth and education adopted recommendations on digital skills training, as well as conclusions on mental health among young people. On 24 November, the ministers for culture adopted conclusions on video games, and the ministers for sport adopted conclusions on gender equality.

The ministers responsible for equality, meeting in Pamplona on 23 and 24 November, discussed the policies to be put in place to combat new forms of violence against women.

On 27 November, the Council definitively adopted the Data Act, which aims to improve access to and use of digital data. The legislation provides a framework for the sharing of data generated by connected devices, giving users greater control over their information, tightens up business secrecy to prevent technology leaks, and defines the exceptional circumstances in which public authorities may access data.

On 27 November, the Council gave its final approval to the free trade agreement between the European Union and New Zealand. Parliament had also given the green light on 22 November. The agreement will come into force in 2024.

On 23 November, the Commission and India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on semiconductors, aimed at improving the reliability of semiconductor supply chains and fostering cooperation between the two parties.

On November 23 and 24, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hosted European Council President Charles Michel and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for an EU-Canada summit at which they reiterated their support for Ukraine and stressed the importance of making progress towards a two-state solution in the Middle East. They also highlighted the benefits of their trade agreement for both economies. They discussed the establishment of a green alliance, a digital partnership and Canada's inclusion in the Horizon Europe research funding programme.

On 23 November, the European border and coastguard agency Frontex announced the mobilisation of 50 additional border guards at the Russian-Finnish border. This decision comes at a time when Helsinki has decided to close all but one of its border crossings. Finland is accusing Russia of exploiting illegal immigrants by allowing them to cross the border en masse.

The French and British Defence Ministers, Sébastien Lecornu and Grant Shapps, spoke about common security challenges at the Franco-British Defence Conference in London on 20 November. They reiterated their countries' commitment to maintaining European security and to working together to meet the future security challenges facing Europe.

On 30 November, the Bibliothèque Nationale de France is organising a conference with historian Nicolas Werth on "L'Holodomor: histoire et mémoire de la grande famine de 1932-1933 en Ukraine", as part of a series of events devoted to the Ukrainian nation. The mass crime that was the Holodomor is said to have caused the deaths of between 4 and 6 million Ukrainian peasants.

On 22 November in Berlin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni signed an action plan aimed at strengthening their relationship in five areas, notably in technology and energy, such as the development of a hydrogen gas pipeline across the Alps, and the acquisition of part of the airline ITA by Lufthansa.

On 23 November, the European Court of Human Rights condemned Poland for the moral prejudice suffered by former Solidarity leader and president Lech Walesa. Publicly accused in 2005 of collaborating with the Communist regime's secret services, Lech Walesa defended himself in court and won his case before a Polish court in 2011. This judgment was subsequently overturned by another chamber. The ECHR found that the chamber established in 2017 was not an "independent and impartial tribunal established by law", and that the proceedings against Walesa were incompatible with the rule of law. It called on the Polish authorities to take urgent corrective measures concerning the judicial system.

To mark the 10th anniversary of the Maidan revolution, the President of the European Council Charles Michel travelled to Kyiv on 21 November, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Moldovan President Maia Sandu. The three leaders discussed the opening of accession negotiations with these two countries, as recommended by the Commission on 8 November. The same day, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius was in Kyiv to discuss cooperation in the defence industry. On 24 November, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics met his Ukrainian counterpart to discuss reconstruction, while Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte discussed defence and energy security with Denys Chmychal.

On 22 November, the Commission disbursed €1.5 billion in aid to Ukraine as part of the macro-financial assistance package worth a total of €18 billion. The aim of these funds is to guarantee the functioning of Ukraine's public services and critical infrastructure. Aid to Ukraine will now total €16.5 billion in 2023.

The second International Summit on Food Security was held on 25 November. One year after the creation of the "Grain from Ukraine" humanitarian initiative, which brings together 34 countries and international organisations, the crucial role played by Ukraine in supplying cereals was highlighted. 100 million dollars has been raised to deliver cereals to the countries that need them most.

A virtual summit of G20 leaders was held on 22 November. A wide range of issues were discussed, including multilateral development banks, climate action, technological progress and the empowerment of women. The G20 "Compact with Africa" Conference, involving 13 African countries, was held on 20 November in Berlin with the aim of promoting more in-depth political dialogue, fostering economic collaboration and making progress on concrete measures to stimulate private investment.

According to a Eurobarometer survey published on 22 November, 79% of people in the eurozone believe that the euro is a good thing for the European Union, and 69% believe that the euro is beneficial to their country. 70% consider that the recovery plans aimed at promoting an ecological and digital transition are advantageous.

On 23 November, the Commission published a report on the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) over the period 2023-2027. Analysis of the national strategic plans confirms that this round of the CAP is the most ambitious to date in terms of environmental protection, and that the CAP remains crucial for agricultural security and farmers' incomes.

The Barberini Museum in Potsdam is devoting an exhibition to the painter Edvard Munch until 1 April 2024. The exhibition brings together almost 110 works that illustrate the Norwegian artist's fascination with nature.

Until 4 February 2024, the Zacheta National Art Gallery in Warsaw is honouring the contemporary Polish painter Jerzy Nowosielski. The exhibition, organised to mark his centenary, focuses on four themes: landscape, the body, abstraction and the icon.

Until 17 March 2024, Barcelona's Centre for Contemporary Culture is presenting an exhibition on artificial intelligence (AI) and its role in everyday life, as well as the ethical challenges it raises. At the same time, the Fundación Telefónica in Madrid is holding an exhibition until 5 May 2024 exploring the ethical, social, economic and legal issues raised by virtual worlds.

Until 14 April 2024, the Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace is spotlighting Hans Holbein, the portrait painter of British royalty. The exhibition, made up of its oldest collections, looks back over the artist's incredible career and immerses the public in the life of the British aristocracy in the 16th century.

The Musée National de la Marine in Paris reopened its doors on 17 November after 8 years of renovation. The Ministry of Defence has planned to transform the site into a museum for the future, one that is sensitive to contemporary geostrategic, environmental and economic issues.