The Belarusians are being called to vote on 19th December to appoint their President. 10 people are standing according to the Central Electoral Commission. "President" since 1994 Aleksander Lukashenko modified the rules so that he could stay in power - which he exercises with an iron fist and in an authoritarian - or rather a dictatorial manner. Vladimir Nekliayev, 64, poet and leader of the movement 'Tell the truth' is seen as the only truly credible rival even though all observers are expecting a first round victory for Aleksander Lukashenko. Mr Nekliayev asked international observers to stay longer in the country to avoid any infringements.

The day following the announcement of the aid programme set up by the EU and the IMF to save the Irish banks the chairman of the Robert Schuman Foundation Jean-Dominique Giuliani published an editorial on the Irish case which he qualifies as "the bad boy in the European class".

The town of Saint-Maur-des-Fosses is organising the second edition of its festival from 25th-28th November together with the Robert Schuman Foundation - "Saint-Maur en toutes libertés" devoted this year to Korea and Japan. The high point of the programme: the exclusive broadcast in Europe of "Kimjongilia" a documentary of singular truth on North Korea by N C Heikin. Experts, journalists and politicians will debate the latest events in Korea and Japan. The Chairman of the Robert Schuman Foundation, Jean-Dominique Giuliani will take part in a round table on 28th November devoted to relations between the EU and Korea.

In Iceland the government and the parliamentary opposition convened a group of experts on 15th October to try to settle the issue of household debt. This group led by Sigurður Snævarr, economic advisor to the Prime Minister delivered his report on 15th November. It made an assessment of the debt and estimates the feasibility and effectiveness of 11 measures that might help to settle the situation.

According to the latest "Economic Outlook" published by the OECD on 18th November economic activity should gradually gather pace over the next two years (increase of 2.3% in the GDP in 2011 and 2.8% in 2012 in the OECD countries), but recovery will be uneven and unemployment will remain high. Growth will be the most dynamic in the USA with a 2.2% rise in activity growth in 2011 and 3.1% in 2012 in comparison with 1.7% and 2% in the euro area and 1.7% and 1.3% in Japan.

On 18th November the draft finance law 2011 was approved 169 votes in favour, 68 against and 2 abstentions by the National Assembly, the lower Chamber in Parliament. The entire draft budget 2011 plans to reduce the State's deficit by 60 billion euros, down from 162 to 92 billion euros. The goal is to bring the public deficit down to 6% of the GDP in 2011 against 7.7% in 2010. The forecasts rely on the hypothetic growth of 2% in 2011 against 1.5% in 2010. The text is now being assessed by the Senate, the Upper Chamber of Parliament.

According to figures published on 15th November by the National Statistics Office - Statistics Finland - inflation increase to 2.3% over one year in October against 1.4% in September. Over one month - September to October, the Finnish consumer price index increased by 0.4%, "mainly due to an increase in food and clothes prices," said the office.

According to the latest monthly report by the Bundesbank published on 18th November Germany's economic recovery is due to continue. These forecasts are notably based on a healthy pace of exports and the rise in domestic consumption. The OECD announced its most recent "Economic Outlook" on 18th November saying that it was now forecasting growth of 3.5% in Germany in 2010 against 1.9% in a forecast dating back to the spring. In addition to this it is forecasting 2.5% growth in 2011 and 2.2% in 2012 for Germany.

According to a press release by the Office for National Statistics published on 17th November the employment level in the UK reached 70.8% in the third quarter of 2010 which implies a 167,000 rise in the number of people working. This increase is mainly due to the number of independent workers which increased by 112,000 to reach a total of 4,03 million and part time workers whose numbers increased by 94,000 (6.67 million in all).

The draft budget 2011 presented on 18th November plans for a deficit of 7.4% of the GDP. This budget aims to respect the conditions for the payment of a loan of 110 billion euros over three years granted by the EU and the IMF. The austerity measures planned for in the 2011 budget are 6.13 billion euros in excess of the requirements planned for in the loan agreement since the govenment plans to bring the public deficit down to 7.4% of the GDP next year. The additional investment will target state company deficits, healthcare and fiscal fraud. It matches Eurostat's review of an upward trend in the public deficit for 2009 that leads to a rise in 2010, now estimated at 9.4% of the GDP against 8.1% desired by those granting the loans. The country's debt totals -152.6% of the GDP. Inflation that has risen sharply over the last few months totalled 5.2% in October and this has to be brought back down to 2.2%.

On 16th November the Finance Ministers of the 16 euro area Member States looked into the latest developments in terms of financial stability in the euro area. They welcomed "the announcement made by the Irish authorities that their four year budgetary strategy will include a 6 billion euro adjustment as of 2011 with regard to a total consolidation effort of 15 billion euros". With regard to Portugal the Ministers lauded the "government's recent statement about of its commitment to guaranteeing a reduction in the public deficit to a total 4.6% of the GDP in 2011 and the recently published draft budget. With regard to the situation in Greece Ministers welcomed the effort made by the Greek government to fall in line with the adjustment programme in view of reducing the deficit in 2010 and putting an end to the excessive deficit by 2014.

The Irish Council of Ministers decided on 21st November to ask for an aid plan established by the EU and the IMF said the Irish Finance Minister, Brian Lenihan. The aid plan was accepted at the beginning of the evening by the EU and the IMF; the envelope could total 90 billion euros. In addition to this the Irish Finance Minister confirmed that a new austerity plan would be announced "at the beginning of next week" prior to the payment of international aid. This plan aims to save 15 billion euros overs four years ie nearly 10% of the whole Irish GDP. It aims to bring the public deficit - at present at 32% of the GDP down to 3% in line with requirements set by the EU.

The Director of the IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn called on 19th November for the EU to "to break away from low growth" thanks to greater cooperation and integration of its economies. "Cooperation is moving forward too slowly" in the EU said Mr Strauss-Kahn in Frankfurt/Main taking for example the "slow recovery of the financial sector". "A joint European vision with regard to budgetary policy, domestic balance and the labour market also," he declared.

Although in the euro area inflation forecasts and expectations are well established in line with the stability of prices an extremely ambitious reform of economic governance is necessary to avoid the repetition of the present problems experienced by the markets and public finances said the President of the European Central Bank, Jean-Claude Trichet on 19th November during the European Banking Congress in Frankfurt. Lauding the imminent creation of the European Systemic Risk Council which he will chair personally Mr Trichet said he believed that it should improve regulations and create a more stable financial system.

Italian MPs adopted the austerity budget for 2011 on 19th November which now has to be presented to the Senate in view of its final approval at the beginning of December before the fate of the Berlusconi government, disrupted by the rift with Gianfranco Fini, can be decided. Supporters of the leader of the Chamber of Deputies, Gianfranco Fini, former ally and now adversary of the Cavaliere, promised to approve the budget to show their "sense of resposibility" whilst the euro area is suffering due to the Irish crisis. This budget is based on an austerity cure of 25 billion euros focusing on 2011 and 2012.

Latvia, which emerged from the most serious recession in the world, may make less draconian budgetary cuts in 2011 than it had previously anticipated said the Latvian Finance Ministry on 15th November. According to the ministry budgetary spending will be reduced by 280 million lats (398 million euros) in 2010 compared with a reduction of an initially planned 350 to 395 million lats. The announcement was made after discussions with the representatives of the IMF which together with the EU is helping the country to stabilise its finances in virtue of a rescue plan adopted in 2008 that totals 7.5 billion euros.

The economies of the ten countries in Central and Eastern Europe, which were once in the fold of the USSR are recovering after the serious crisis which affected them - but recovery depends on the situation in the western part of the continent said the World Bank on 18th November. "Recovery is starting across the region," declared the World Bank in its "EU10" report indicating that each of the 10 economies should be growing next year. After contracting by 3.5% as a whole in 2009 this zone is due to grow by 1.8% this year and by 3.2% in 2011.

On 15th November the European Commission adopted a strategy to remove the daily impediments that affect nearly 80 million handicapped people in Europe. This plan includes measures such as the use of the national handicap charter in all Member States and a better acknowledgement of handicapped people in their daily lives, in public markets, and with regard to state aid. According to the Commission these measures would be beneficial from a social point of view but they would also have an impact on the European economy leading to the development of the European equipment and services markets estimated at 30 billion euros per year.

On 17th November the European Commission launched a last reminder to nearly half of the Member States who still have not implemented (since 2007) the European emergency number 116 000 designed for lost/kidnapped children. It is a unique number that enables lost children and their parents to obtain aid across the entire Union. The Commission suggested common minimal standards to guarantee the quality of this service in the EU that should enable the Member States to make this special number operational before envisaging the adoption of legislative measures.

To achieve the goals set by the energy savings strategy the European Commission presented its priorities with regard to energy infrastructures for the next two decades on 17th November. The Commission has defined priority corridors, supply networks in the EU for electricity, gas and oil. This list will serve in the future to provide authorisations and funding on real European projects. To achieve these energy and climate goals the EU needs to invest around 200 billion euros in energy transport alone (gas pipelines and electric networks).

On 18th November the European Commission adopted a Communication on the future of the CAP entitled "The CAP towards 2020: Meeting the food, natural resources and territorial challenges of the future". The Commission document describes three options for the future reform: a radical reform leading to the end of revenue subsidies and the abolition of most market intervention measures; a status quo with regard to limited improvements such as a fairer redistribution of subsidies; an intermediary solution establishing a more balanced, better targeted and more sustainable aid regime. The European executive will present formal legislative proposals mid-2011 after discussions between Member States and the European Parliament.

On 19th November the European Commission presented the European Parliament and the Council with a report on the application of the regulation relative to the status of the "European company" ("Societas Europaea" or SE). In theory the status offers companies established in more than one member State the possibility of establishing themselves in the shape of a single company answerable to EU law. This enables them to undertake their activities in the entire EU applying one corpus of rules and a unified company management and financial information system. The report presented on 19th November is part of the revision procedure of SE regulation. It describes the positive and negative factors that influence the establishment of an SE and highlights the trends with regard to the distribution of SE's in the Union. It also analyses the main problems encountered during the establishment and management of an SE.

The 27 European Economy and Finance Ministers gave the greenlight on 17th November to the creation of a financial surveillance system to prevent the problems that arose during the economic crisis. The reform includes the creation of a European Systemic Risk Committee and three authorities responsible for the surveillance of European banks, insurance companies, real estate prices. The new system will be operational as of 1st January 2011.

On 20th November the EU and the USA re-iterated their call to the major economies not to launch on a path of devaluation of the most important currencies or to manipulate exchange rates. "Competitive devaluation policies which do not reflect economic fundamentals have to be avoided" they said in their address to the G20 partners in a joint declaration after the EU-USA summit in Lisbon. On 19th November a EU-USA energy council notably asked Kiev to step up its implementation of the joint declaration on the modernisation of the Ukrainian gas pipeline networks.

The European car manufacturing leader, Volkswagen announced on 19th November that it intended to invest 51.6 billion euros by 2015 to fulfil its ambition of taking over Toyota as world leader by 2018. To this sum we should add 10.6 billion additional euros invested by the group's co-companies in China over the same period which will be funded by their own sources.

On 17th November the German government decided to adhere to the law passed in 2007 with regard to raising progressively the age of retirement by 2029 to 67. "In the last 50 years life expectancy has been extended by 11 years in our country," declared Employment Minister Ursula von der Leyen during the presentation of a report on work amongst the over 60's that was adopted by the government.

On 15th November German Chancellor Angela Merkel was re-elected as chair of her party, the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) for another two year mandate. She won 90.4% of the vote against 94.8% in 2008. She was the only candidate running in this election organised during the federal congress in Karlsruhe.

On 19th November the French President Nicolas Sarkozy received Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for an interview devoted to the priorities of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU that starts on January 1st next and to Franco-Hungarian bilateral relations. They expressed their support at Croatia's entry into the EU. They also spoke of Romania and Bulgaria's entry into the Schengen area. The Hungarian Prime minister met his French counterpart, François Fillon on 18th November to discuss European and bilateral issues.

On 15th November the Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou travelled to Paris where he met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy for a working lunch. He also met French Prime Minister François Fillon. During these two interviews Greece's economic situation, the reforms in view to re-establish Greek public finances, economic exchange between France and Greece and the outlook for defence and arms cooperation were all issues on the agenda.

Nearly fifty personalities from all political trends are to make their entry into the House of Lords according to an announcement on 19th November. The Queen appoints the lords of the Kingdom but they are put forward by the political parties and the government.

On 18th November Serb Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic met his British counterpart William Hague in London. He said he wanted to work closely with the EU; he announced continued negotiations for rapid accession by his country to the EU. The two ministers concluded that 2011 would be a vital year for the integration of the Western Balkans into Europe.

The Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers adopted two texts with regard to justice on 17th November. The first is a recommendation to Member States on independence, effectiveness and responsibility of judges; the second is a series of guidelines that aim to develop a legal system that is better adapted to children's rights and needs.

On 20th November NATO and Russia met in Lisbon for their first summit since the Georgian crisis in 2008. Russian President Dmitri Medvedev believed that the period of tension between the Alliance and Russia was "over" and confirmed that Moscow was going to work with NATO on the anti-missile shield aiming to guarantee the protection of populations in Europe. Moscow is also to re-launch cooperation, suspended since the beginning of 2008 on a protection programme for soldiers involved in anti-missile operations. He also gave his support to western allied action in Afghanistan on the same day of the approval by the latter of an exit strategy from this country for most of their troops.

The Aalst Carnival in Belgium, the Spanish Flamenco, Lithuanian folksongs - the so-called "Sutartinés", the ginger bread from Northern Croatia, the lace from Alençon, the French gastronomic meal etc ... are amongst the 46 elements included on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity set up by UNESCO.

According to Eurostat figures published on 15th November the public deficit and public debt increased in 2009 in comparison with 2008 both in the euro area and the EU whilst the GDP decreased. The public deficit/GDP ratio increased in the euro area rising from 2% in 2008 to 6.3% in 2009, just as in the EU rising from 2.3% to 6.8%. the public debt/GDP ratio increased in the euro area from 69.8% at the end of 2008 to 79.2% at the end of 2009 an din the EU it rose from 61.8% to 74%.

The Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) has published a study entitled "Consolidating African and EU assessments in view of the Implementation of the Partnership on Peace and Security" by Nicoletta Pirozzi and Valerie Vicky Miranda.

On the eve of the presentation of the major outlines of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) by European Commissioner Dacian Ciolos, the four co-presidents of the French senatorial working group on the CAP reform, Jean Bizet, Jean-Paul Emorine, Oddette Herviaux and Bernardette Bourzai presented their information report on 16th November entitled "Providing the CAP with new sense". In their opinion agriculture aims primarily to provide quality foodstuffs.

Although from the Balkan governments' point of view the will to integrate the EU is clear, with several of them already enjoying the official candidate status, this desire is more relative within the populations themselves. According to results by the Gallup Institute working together with the European Funds for the Balkans, published on 17th November only 25% of Croats think that EU integration is a positive thing. The Croatian case is however isolated since results are positive with regard to this issue in all of the other countries surveyed - although some decline, sometimes major in terms of positive opinions - can be seen amongst the Balkan populations between 2009 and 2010.

The Picasso Museum of Barcelona is showing an exhibition "Picasso looks at Degas" until 16th January - exploring the influence of the French painter Edgar Degas (1834-1917) on the work of Pablo Picasso (1881-1973).

The "Ensor Revealed" exhibition was put together on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Belgian painter James Ensor (1860-1949) by the Royal Fine Arts Museum of Anvers, the Fine Arts Palace of Brussels and ING. It takes the visitor to the painter's workshop and reveals his way of thinking and his artistic development. 60 pictures and over 140 drawings by the artist are on show in the ING cultural centre until 13th February. In addition to this the Fine Arts Palace of Brussels is presenting its exhibition "Ensor, composer and writer" until 23rd January which includes autographs, publications, documents and photographs of the artist.

Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) was a great admirer of naturalist painters. He collected the illustrations of paintings by these artists so that he could study their techniques and be inspired by them in the creation of his own work. A selection of these illustrations as well as a number of works by Van Gogh are on show until 16th January at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in the exhibition "Vincent van Gogh and Naturalism."

On 18th November the European Commission lauded the development of Europeana, Europe's digital library that now provides access to over 14 million works to the entire world. There were only 2 million works on its launch just two years ago. Two thirds of the Europeana collection comprises photographs, maps, pictures, museum pieces and other digitised images, the other third comprises digitised texts except for the video and audio content that represents less than 2% of the collection.

Swiss writer Paul Nizon was awarded the Austrian European Literature Prize 2010 in Vienna on 15th November.