On 18th June Toute l'Europe is organising an awareness raising day on the European Citizen's Initiative. A panel of citizens and 75 NGO's will be invited to say something about the new citizens' participatory tool as well as about the way it might rise to the challenges facing the EU at present (democratic deficit, citizen motivation, exploration of new forms of direct democracy ....) We would like to remind readers that the Robert Schuman Foundation is also organising a vast consultation on the citizens' initiative, notably with regard to women.

The Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan easily won the general elections that took place on 12th June in Turkey. The party took 49.91% of the vote and 326 seats in the National Grand Assembly, the only chamber in the Turkish Parliament ie 15 less than in the last general election on 22nd July 2007. The head of government came out ahead of the People's Republican Party (CHP), the leading opposition party led by Kemal Kilicdaroglu, which won 25.91% of the vote and 112 seats (+23) who lost one of its bastions in the west, Antalya, to the Justice and Development Party – and also the Nationalist Action Party(MHP), an ultra-nationalist party led by Devlet Bahceli which won 12.99% and 53 seats (-18). Those who stood mainly as independents (mostly Kurds) in order to get around the obligatory 10% threshold nationally in order to be able to enter parliament made a breakthrough winning 6.3% of the vote and clinching 36 seats (+10). Turnout rose to 86.7% ie 2.3 points higher than in the previous general elections on 22nd July 2007.

The federal statistics office, Destatis, indicated in a press release on 8th June that in comparison with April 2010 German exports had risen in April 2011 by 13.4% and imports by 20.1%. In comparison with March 2011 and according to seasonally adjusted data, exports decreased in April 2011 by 5.5% and imports by 2.5%. In April 2011 the German economy achieved a trade surplus of 12 billion euros.

On 6th June European Council President Herman Van Rompuy congratulated Serb President Boris Tadic, who was visiting Brussels, on the arrest and extradition of Ratko Mladic. He declared he supported President Tadic's European ambition as well as his determination. On 8th June, during a meeting in Brussels with Croatian President Ivo Josipovic, H. Van Rompuy congratulated Croatia on the progress it had made in its EU membership negotiations. He recommended that reform relative to the legal system and the fight to counter corruption be stepped up because they were major reference points for the 27 Member States. According to Mr Van Rompuy Croatia's accession to the EU should facilitate the European perspective of the other Balkan countries.

On 6th June the Commission decided to publish a report in order to gauge the work undertaken by Member States in the fight to counter corruption which costs the EU 120 billion euros every year. As of 2013 the report will be published every two years by the Commission. It will apply to corruption in both the private and public sectors. This report will not establish a ranking. It will include information gathered from NGO's and independent consultants. The Commission would like to modernise rules relative to the confiscation of the products of crime as of next autumn. Moreover it is planning to put forward a strategy to improve national penal, financial inquiries in 2012.

On 7th June MEPs approved the revision of the "Eurovignette" Directive, 505 votes in favour, 141 against and 17 abstentions, which plans for the taxation of lorries when they use certain infrastructures. They approved the principle of the polluter-payer that enables the Member States to levy additional taxes on HGVs in terms of their environmental and sound pollution impact and to increase or diminish taxes depending on low or peak periods in order to improve the management of traffic.

Following the mortal E.coli epidemic and the drought in Europe, the 27 Agriculture ministers met exceptionally on 7th June to discuss the aid to provide to farmers, the main victims in these catastrophes. Concerning E.coli, the ministers asked for a European response to the crisis. On 8th June Dacian Cioloș,Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, made some proposals to compensate farmers to a total of 210 million €.

On 7th June the High Representative Catherine Ashton announced the establishment of a new "task force" on the south banks of the Mediterranean. This "task force" will bring together the experts of the European External Action Service (EEAS), the European Commission, the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and other international financial institutions. The aim is to improve the coherence of assistance, notably financial, for the political transition of the countries of North Africa.

On 7th and 8th June German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the White House and was President Barack Obama's guest - she was paid military honours and attended a State banquet. Mr Obaman awarded her the prestigious presidential freedom medal in honour of her commitment to freedom and civil rights during the political transition of the GDR. She is the second German head of government to receive this distinction after Helmut Kohl. At the same time they discussed international issues: Afghanistan, the situation in the Near East and economic issues. After their talks Mr Obama declared that Germany was one of the USA's best allies.

The 20th World Economic Forum on Europe and Central Asia took place in Vienna on 8th and 9th June. The heads of state and government present exchanged views on "Expanding the Borders of Innovation". In his inaugural speech Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann spoke of the gas pipeline project, Nabucco, supported by the EU; he pointed to the growing cooperation between Europe and Central Asian countries, the Caucasus and the Black Sea. Austrian President Heinz Fischer also insisted on the continued rapprochement between Europe and Central Asia.

On 6th June Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov travelled to Slovenia to meet his counterpart Danilo Türk, as well as Prime Minister Borut Pahor. Cooperation between the two States within the EU was the focus of discussions. The political leaders also spoke of the future of Europe and the development of joint projects, notably in the area of energy. The Slovenian leaders stressed their support for Bulgaria's entry into the Schengen area.

The UN Security Council decided on 13th June to extend the UN Force's mandate for peacekeeping in Cyprus until mid-December. Its members also said they were concerned about the slow progress being made in negotiations between both sides for the reunification of the island. In its resolution the Council has asked both sides, Cypriot and Turk, "to step up the pace in negotiations and to take part in the process constructively, to improve the general climate in which negotiations are taking place and to increase participation on the part of civil society."

On 6th June the French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé and American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discussed major international issues, particularly the peace process in the Near East, after Alain Juppé's journey to the region. During their joint press conference they stressed that they shared the same points of view on all of these issues and that they would be working towards the same goal.

The President of the Italian Council Silvio Berlusconi, suffered a further defeat on 13th June. The Italians were called to ballot to vote on four referendums which were called for by the opposition and which focused on the abolition of his penal immunity, the ban on the return to nuclear power, and the opening of the water market to the private sector. They voted en masse; for the first time in 16 years the vital quorum for the validity of the popular referendum initiative (50% of the vote plus one vote) was reached (57%).

On 6th and 7th June the Romanian President Traian Basescu travelled to the UK to meet British Prime Minister David Cameron. They discussed bilateral relations as well as possibilities to develop their work together. The European agenda, ranging from economic growth and the EU's enlargement, were also major issues in their discussions. Mr Basescu stressed the importance of completing the internal market and Romania's entry into the Schengen area. He also called for the stabilisation of the Balkan region and asserted the need to provide these States with a European perspective. The two men also exchanged views on international events and on the situation in North Africa and the Middle East.

David Cameron's government in Britain has to amend its project to reform the British healthcare system according to a report delivered on 13th June by a group of experts officially requested to look into this extremely controversial reform.

On 6th June the Slovakian Presdient Ivan Gasparovic and Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite discussed bilateral issues, the Union's neighbourhood policy in the East, as well as energy and nuclear security in the region. The Lithuanian President addressed a letter on this subject to the EU in order to ensure that measures guaranteeing the safety of nuclear plants that lie in the Union's neighbourhood are taken. The Slovakian President maintained his support with regard to the claims being made by Lithuania.

On 8th June Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor travelled to Croatia on the invitation of his counterpart, Jadranka Kosor. The two ministers recalled the progress that has been made in terms of Croat-Slovenian relations, both on a political and economic level.

On 10th June Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor travelled to London to meet her British counterpart David Cameron. The latter congratulated Croatia on the formidable progress it has made in its EU membership negotiations stressing an "historic day" and explaining that Croatia had its place in the EU. He also mentioned Croatia's work undertaken to reform in view of European integration. Ms Kosor said she was pleased with British support and recalled the importance of the message sent out by the European Council on 23rd and 24th June to Croatia and the entire Balkan region.

On 6th and 7th June Turkish President Abdullah Gül travelled to Warsaw to meet his Polish counterpart Bronislaw Komorowski as well as Prime Minister Donald Tusk. He said he hoped to see Turkey's membership negotiations to the EU gather pace during the Polish presidency. Polish leaders recalled their support for the country's European aspirations insisting on the conditions that still have to be fulfilled in terms of the economy, social and political spheres. Discussions focused on continued bilateral relations between the two States.

Croatian President Ivo Josipovic travelled to the NATO HQ on 7th June to meet with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, to discuss various subjects, including the Unified Protector Operation led by NATO in Libya. Mr Rasmussen stressed that Euro-Atlantic integration was the most effective means to maintain stability long term in the Balkan region as a whole.

The IMF executive board announced in a press release on 13th June that it had retained the candidatures of Mexican Central Bank governor, Agustin Carstens and French Economy, Industry and Employment Minister Christine Lagarde in the race for the post of director general. Stanley Fischer has been sidelined as a candidate. The next IMF Director General is due to be appointed on 30th June.

In 2010 the external goods trade deficit of the EU with Russia increased according to data published on 9th June by Eurostat. Indeed the latter rose from 52 billion euros in 2009 to 72 billion euros in 2010. Russia was therefore the EU's third most important trade partner in 2010 after the USA and China. It represented 6% of EU exports and 11% of its imports.

The Foundation for International Relations and External Dialogue based in Madrid has just published a study entitled "The EU and the "Special Ten": Deepening or Widening Strategic Partnerships?" Author Susanne Gratuis analyses 10 strategic partnerships that have been made by the EU over last two decades stressing how diverse they are and investigating the place they might acquire in the future European foreign policy.

The University of California Press has published a book by Steven Hill entitled "Europe's Promise". The author draws up an audacious vision of Europe presenting a model that is able to take the world forward in this time of economic crisis, global warming and geopolitical tension.

The Scottish National Gallery of Edinburgh is devoting an exhibition to German Renaissance artist, Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) until 11th October; it is called "Dürer's Fame". This exbibition includes a selection of around 30 prints, engravings, paintings by the artist but also modern, later copies of his work as well as portraits and work that reflect Dürer's art. Moreover the show includes work by Scottish artist John Runciman (1744-1768/1769) and William Bell Scott (1811-1890).