The Robert Schuman Foundation has published the fourth edition of the "State of the Union 2010, Schuman Report on Europe" with Lignes de Repères publishing. To understand the financial crisis the work offers a number of articles by Jean-Pierre Jouyet, Daniela Schwarzer, Stefan Collignon and Jean-François Jamet. This work that includes many maps and statistics has become a work of reference. It is available in bookshops and on the Foundation's site. Order it!

The Alliance of Young Democrats (FIDESZ) won its wager and achieved the 2/3 majority in Parliament after the second round of the general elections on 25th April in Hungary. It won 263 seats ie +5 more than the 2/3 majority. The Socialist Party (MSZP) in office for the last 8 years led by Attila Mesterhazy is the main loser taking just 59 seats. The far right party, a Movement for a better Hungary (Jobbik), led by Gabor Vona won 47 seats. The party Doing Politics Differently (LMP), an ecologist leftwing party, won 16 seats. Turn out was, in this second round, much lower than that recorded in the first on 11th April. Less than half of the 2.5 million of the voters registered for the election turn out to ballot (44.17% ie -20.12 points). Viktor Orban, leader of the FIDESZ, will become Prime Minister again.

The Foundation for Political Innovation together with the Robert Schuman Foundation has published the 11th edition of the European Opinion with publishers Lignes de Repères. This work accomplished under the guidance of Dominique Reynié is available on the Foundation's site. Order it!

On 20th April the Austrian government decided to implement a federal law for a financial package spanning 2011-2014. Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann said that "Austria was a forerunner in terms of budgetary consolidation in Europe (...)."

The financial indexing agency Moody's decided on 22nd April to reduce the Greek sovereign debt score taking it down from A2 to A3. This decision came after the European Statistics Office/Eurostat announcement of the revised Greek deficit figures for 2009: 13.6% of the GDP in comparison with 12.9% according to previous calculations. The agency also warned that it might reduce the Greek score again depending on the measures Athens intends to take to balance its public finances.

According to figures published on 21st April by the Belgian Statistics Institute industrial production (except for construction) rose by 0.1% in February 2010 in comparison with January 2010 and by 0.2% in comparison with February 2009. In the construction industry production declined by 0.8% in comparison with January 2010 and by 7.9% in comparison with February 2009.

Germany is due to experience a slight "decline" in its GDP in the first quarter mainly because of an exceptionally rigorous winter according to forecasts issued on 19th April by the Bundesbank. However in its spring growth forecasts dated 21st April the German government is expecting a 1.4% increase in the GDP in 2010. In 2011 the government is reckoning on additional growth of 1.6% per year on average.

The International Monetary and Financial Committee of the IMF Board of Governors published the conclusions of its 21st meeting that took place on 25th April. The committee stressed that in spite of encouraging signs the economic crisis was still the source of many challenges. It recalled its determination to forge a new regulation of the financial sector and said it wanted to discuss the various options put forward by the Fund to make the financial sector contribute towards bearing the burden of extraordinary government aid. The committee also said it was pleased with the economic recovery in developing countriues, a sign that the macro-economic framework had improved. Finally the committee promised to speed up its work on reform of the IMF to "improve the Fund's legitimacy, credibility and effectiveness."

The head of the Danish government Lars Loekke Rasmussen announced on 20th April that there would be a 10 billion krona cut (1.34 billion euros) in public and community spending to transfer more resources over to hospitals and education. These savings, to be made over the next three years, will lead to the suppression of some 8000 jobs in local town councils in the Scandinavian kingdom said the Prime Minister to the press.

Greece, which is being crushed under record debt, decided on 23rd April to ask the EU and the IMF to lend it 45 billion euros urgently. The decision to pay loans to Greece "will be based on the programme that is being prepared by the Commission, the ECB and the IMF with the Greek authorities at present," said the European authorities in a press release. The Greeks seem resigned to making new sacrifices on condition that the effort required of them to meet the conditions set in the EU/IMF plan is shared out. To benefit from European aid and IMF support and to remedy some of the difficulties it is experiencing to pay back its enormous debt George Papandreou's government will have to apply new austerity measures. EU and IMF experts have been negotiating the savings programme since 21st April and this is due to be finalised at the beginning of May.

British economic growth only rose to 0.2% in the first quarter, a performance that is clearly not as good as expected just as the country is emerging from its most severe recession since the 1930's announced the Office for National Statistics on 23rd April.

The Finance Ministers of the G20 countries committed on 23rd April to establish post-crisis strategies which should protect growth starting with deficits that have been swollen dangerously by recovery plans. This commitment is new to the G20 which until now called for a continuation in emergency policies in the face of weak economic recovery. But these expensive policies have made public debts rise and the IMF has called on the major developed economies to draw up plans to reduce these deficits urgently. Finally given the need to regulate the financial sector better and to introduce taxes to compensate its costly salvage by public funds the IMF delivered the ministers with a report, advising on the establishment of two taxes on the assets of each financial institution, their profits and remunerations. "There was no agreement on taxes". In its press release the G20 asked the IMF to tune up its proposals that have to be discussed by the Heads of state and government at a summit planned in Toronto in June.

186 shareholding countries in the World Bank gave their approval on 25th April to an injection of over 86 billion dollars in capital and an increase in the influence enjoyed by developing countries - moving forwards with historical changes to prepare the organisation, that aims to counter poverty, for the world that will emerge after the crisis.

On 20th April the European Commission presented the European Parliament with its action plan for the creation of a single area of justice and security. In real terms this plan fulfills the "Stockholm Programme" adopted in December by European leaders. It includes improved cooperation regarding judicial, repressive, civil protection, crisis management and border issues, the implementation of a joint asylum and immigration policy, a more effective means to counter organised crime and cybercrime, the improvement of citizens' data protection in all EU policies and in relations with international partners (notably as part of the SWIFT agreement), the simplification of administrative procedures for citizens and companies together with the enhancement of European citizens' rights in other Member States, whether this includes travel, international marriage or penal procedures.

Andris Piebalgs, European Development Commissioner travelled to Haiti on 23rd and 24th April to launch the first reconstruction projects funded by the EU. This was the first EU visit since the international donors conference "Towards a new future for Haiti" that took place in New York on 31st March last. Commissioner Piebalgs signed five conventions to fund projects supported by the European Commission. These projects focus on the reconstruction of the State, school and road infrastructures and social services. The mission undertaken by Commissioner Piebalgs in Haiti highlights the European Commission's solidarity and marks the transition between humanitarian urgency and the reconstruction of the country.

Neelie Kroes, European Commissioner for digital society indicated to Parliament on 20th April that the EU will invest 500 million euros into new IT technology and communication research (ITC). The Commissioner declared, "in this time of economic uncertainty Europe has to invest courageously in its future. The European Commission wants to double the research budget for emerging information and communication technologies." She called on Member States' government to work harder in this direction to make the EU the most competitive economy in the world.

On 21st April the European Commission adopted an action plan to increase European contributions to the achievement of the millenium development goals. The Union is the most generous donor in the world but its contribution decreased slightly in 2009. The Commission is proposing measures that aim to increase the level of aid together with its efficacy via improved coordination, directing aid towards innovative funding and towards countries and sectors that are the most needy. It also adopted a communication on the fiscality of developing countries to increase revenues and counter fraud; it suggests that the ownership of these goals be taken up by these countries, that they enhance their regional integration and their influence in international governance.

According to estimates published on 22nd April by the European Commission the consumer confidence index recorded a significant rise across the entire euro area in April 2010. There was also improvement but to a lesser degree in the consumer confidence index in the EU globally.

On 20th April the European Commission adopted a regulation that exempts some categories of agreements made between producers and distributors in the sales of products and services. This regulation and the guidelines that go with it take on board that internet has become a major tool for on-line sales and cross-border trade over the last ten years - these are two types of sale that the Commission wants to foster because they offer greater choice to the consumer and enhance price competition. The basic principle remains unchanged: companies are free to opt for the mode of distribution of their choice on condition that their agreements do not include restrictions in terms of setting prices or other restrictions and neither the producer nor the distributor has a market share over 30%.

On 22nd April the heads of the three main political groups in the European Parliament, Joseph Daul (EPP), Martin Schulz (S&D) and Guy Verhofstadt (ADLE) warned that they might veto the present project for a European external action service which "approves the return of intergovernmentalism" to the detriment of the common interest. The MPs accuse the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and the Security Policy, Catherine Ashton of granting too much influence to the States. They also criticise the organisation chart of this new joint diplomatic service which is the subject of negotiations between the Council, the Commission and the permanent Representatives of the States. Although Parliament has the right of veto over budgetary aspects it threatens to "use all possible means available to it by co-decision " to achieve an overall agreement.

Negotiations between the EU and Croatia with regard to the free movement of merchandise have been finalised. With the closure of the 18th chapter on 19th April there are now 15 other chapters to negotiate. The Croatian negotiator Vladimir Drobnjak said he was confident that although there were still three chapters to open, Zagreb can maintain the deadline it set itself and finalise EU accession negotiations by the end of the year.

The up-dating of the police database in the Schengen area, SIS II that is supposed to extend and enhance the SIS I+ database designed for a Schengen area limited to 18 countries "is the cause of great concern but most countries have decided to continue," said Cecilia Malmström, Commission for Internal Affairs after a meeting on 23rd April between the 27 Interior Ministers.

The Spanish Presidency of the EU, together with the Commission has convened an extraordinary meeting of the Transport Ministers Council on 4th May to encourage the establishment of a the "Single European Sky" in the wake of the recent air crisis caused by the volcanic ash cloud. This meeting will aim to "launch joint reflection to address improvements in European response mechanisms that will enable us to react rapidly and in a coordinated manner to crisis situations."

On 22nd April the German Parliament voted in favour of Iceland's membership of the EU. The government coalition CDU/CSU and FDP approved a resolution in this sense; the opposition parties (SPD, Greens and Die Linke) also delivered texts in favour of the island's full membership of the EU.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel set her conditions on 23rd April with regard to aid for Greece which would be activated only if "the stability of the euro as a whole" is threatened and if Athens presented " programme of credible savings". German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said in an interview with the Bild am Sonntag on 25th April that aid to Greece is conditioned by the implementation of a "strict austerity policy". He said that "the government (German) will take a decision only after the approval of the EU Council."

The outgoing head of the Austrian state, Heinz Fischer, (SPÖ) was re-elected on 24th April during the presidential election - he won 78% of the vote against the FPÖ candidate (far right) Barbara Rosenkranz, 16% and Christian Party leader CPÖ Rudolf Gehring, 6%.

Austria and Russia signed an agreement in Vienna on 24th April with regard to the construction of the Russian-Italian gas pipeline South Stream - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann were present.

A second televised debate on the Sky News channel brought together the three main candidates in the UK general elections on 22nd April: Gordon Brown (Labour), David Cameron (Tories) and Nick Clegg (LibDems). The discussion focused on foreign policy issues. The place of the country in Europe was the heart of the debate. An average of five instant polls broadcast immediately after the debate declared Mssrs Clegg and Cameron were running neck and neck (33.8% and 32.8% respectively of favourable opinion), ahead of Mr Brown (27.6%).

The German railway company Deutsche Bahn is to purchase the British transport operator Arriva for nearly 2 billion euros - which is sufficient to satisfy its ambitions for growth on the European market. Deutsche Bahn announced on 22nd April that it had agreed with the Arriva Board with regard to a friendly public purchase offer. Deutsche Bahn stressed the strategic importance of this acquisition, the most important in its history, which will enable it to enhance its hopes for growth internationally, especially in Europe where opening to growing competition is sharpening the appetite of both public and private operators.

According to figures published by Eurostat on 22nd April the EU's current account with third countries recorded a deficit of 9.2 billion euros in the fourth quarter of 2009, in comparison with a deficit of 54.8 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008 and a deficit of 23.1 billion in the third quarter of 2009.

According to figures published by Eurostat on 23rd April in the euro zone the new industrial orders index rose by 1.5% in February 2010 in comparison with January 2010. In January 2010 the index declined by 1.6%. In the EU new orders rose by 1.1% in February 2010 after a rise of 0.3% in January 2010. Excluding naval construction as well as railway and aviation equipment whose variations tend to be more volatile new industrial orders rose by 2.5% in the euro area and by 1.9% in the EU.

The Center for European Policy Studies published a paper by Daniel Gros on 21st April entitled "The Programme for Greek Fiscal Adjustment: an assessment." Pessimistic with regard to the adjustment plan the author believes that the growth hoped for on the part of the Greek government for recovery will not be achieved. The necessary fiscal adjustment to bring Greek pubic finances into a viable situation is due to be more difficult than initially announced.

Commission President José Manuel Barroso announced on 21st April the establishment of a Reflection Group on digitisation, comprising Maurice Lévy (CEO of Publicis), Elisabeth Niggemann (Chair of the German National Library) and Jacques De Decker (Writer). These experts will put forward recommendations to step up the pace of digitisation, on line access and the preservation of cultural works across Europe. They will look into issues of funding, copyright, digital distribution and accessibility. These recommendations will lead to the further development of Europeana, the European digital library launched in November 2008. The aim of this initiative is to help the cultural sector in its transition towards the digital age.

On the occasion of the 50th birthday of the modern German painter Neo Rauch the Museum of Modern Art in Leipzig and the New Pinacothèque of Munich are jointly showing around 60 of his paintings until 15th August. Neo Rauch invented an original pictural language that brings together abstract elements and surrealist design.

The cinema festival "Crossing Europe" in Linz ended on 25th April. During the six days of the festival "Crossing Europe" offered audiences both full feature and short films. The prize was given to Croatians Zvonimir Juric and Goran Devic for their film (Crnci/The Blacks).