The Robert Schuman Foundation is acknowledged as being the reference French research centre on Europe (Special Prize 2012 awarded by the jury of the Think-Tank Observatory). Established in Brussels, where it features amongst the leading lists of think-tanks, it is represented across the Union and works as a network with many international experts and partners. Today we need your help to continue our task, since resources and subsidies are becoming increasingly rare. You can help us with a donation, 66% of which you will be able to deduct from your next income tax return, if this is undertaken before 31st December 2012. Your support will be extremely valuable to us and we thank you in advance.

Borut Pahor (Social Democratic Party, SD) won the second round of the presidential election on 2nd December in Slovenia. The former Prime Minister (2008-2011) won 67.44% of the vote and easily drew ahead of outgoing Head of State, Danilo Türk, who won 32.56%. Turn out was the lowest since the country's independence in 1991: it totalled 41.95% i.e. 16.51 points less in comparison with the second round of the presidential election on 11th November 2007.

The Bank of England is concerned about the lack of own funds in the British banks. This emerges in a report published on 29th November 2012. It recommends "that the financial markets authority (FSA), take steps to guarantee that the banks' capital is a true reflection of their assets, a realistic assessment of the future management costs and a careful calculation of what is at risk." The central Bank believes that the progress made by banks in raising capital has slowed the UK and that investor confidence is low.

On 27th November 2012 the European Commission announced a series of new legislative measures to strengthen the directive on fraudulent trade practices. These measures should lead to greater protection of businesses from trade fraud such as the invoicing of services which were supposed to be free and the scam of professional directories. In real terms an authority will be appointed in each Member State in view of exchanging information about the fraudsters and putting an end to their practices.

The parliamentary committee responsible for Economic and Financial Affairs gave its position on 29th November 2012 on the introduction of the single supervisory mechanism. This mechanism notably anticipates the strengthening of the supervisory powers of the ECB and a change in the role of the European Banking Authority (EBA). MEPs are also asking for greater powers of democratic control over these two organisations, which goes together with the transfer of power that they will enjoy. MEPs want for example to be able to investigate if the ECB's supervisor makes a mistake and are asking to be able to approve the Chair of the Supervisory Committee.

On 29th November the Council of the European Union gave the European Commission the mandate to undertake negotiations in view of the conclusion of a free-trade agreement with Japan. This agreement will help towards the liberalisation of the goods trade, services and investments between the EU and Japan. At the same time the Commission will also negotiate the conclusion of a framework-agreement which targets cooperation between the EU and Japan in many other sectors.

The Neuron successfully undertook its maiden flight on 1st December 2012. This drone is the result of industrial cooperation between Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland. The Neuron initiated in 2003 is 10 meters long and has a wingspan of 12.5 meters and an empty weight of 5 metric tonnes. It is to make up for the shortfalls in the European aviation industry.

On 30th November 2012 German MPs approved the new measures designed to reduce the burden of the Greek debt to 124% of its GDP in 2020, 473 votes in support, 100 against and 11 abstentions. This is part of the Eurogroup, ECB, IMF's plan decided upon on 26th November last.

On 28th November 2012 the European Commission approved the plan to restructure four Spanish banks which have benefited from Spanish State aid since July 2012. However the financial aid granted to Spain via the ESM would only be released after the European Commission's approval of recapitalisation plans and the restructuring of these financial institutions. On 30th November last the bad bank for toxic real estate assets held by the Spanish banks (Sareb) was officially established with the Spanish State as being the only shareholder announced the Ministry for the Economy. The sale of Sareb will lead to the start of the transfer of toxic assets that notably emanate from four nationalised banks, Bankia, CatalunyaBanc, Novagalicia and Banco de Valencia.

On 28th November 2012 the Senate rejected the first part of the draft 2013 financial bill, 165 votes against, 156 in support; it notably anticipates a rise in taxes. The rejection of this first part - that of revenues - of the text implies the rejection of the entire text. This situation has arisen because of the abstention of the Communist group.

On 2nd December 2012 the Italians were called to vote to elect the centre-left candidate who will stand in the general elections in 2013. With 60.95% of the vote, according to results that are just partial, the head of the Democratic Party (PD), Pierluigi Bersani was elected, ahead of Matteo Renzi, the Mayor of Florence, who won 39.05% of the vote.

The Czech Defence Minister Alexandr Vondra announced on 28th November 2012 that he was resigning. A member of the ODS party he did not succeed in retaining his seat during the senatorial elections that took place in October last. "I have decided to resign as Defence Minister," declared Mr Vondra to the press, admitting that he did not have "enough support from the electorate". The minister will leave office on 7th December next.

Lord Leveson, the Chairman of the Independent Inquiry responsible for explaining the practices of the British media, recommended the introduction a first bill on the press the first ever since the 17th century in the UK. In a report published on 29th November 2012, the latter suggests using the law to create a new, self-regulating, independent body to control the press. Organised by the media industry, this independent body that would have its own budget, would comprise external personalities. The British Prime Minister said he was a against the creation of this new body, whilst on 13th July 2011 he ordered the establishment of an inquiry into the press, after the uproar that followed in the wake of the phone tapping by the News of the World, accused of having hacked into telephones to obtain sensational information.

On 28th November 2012 Albania celebrated a hundred years of independence vis-à-vis the Ottoman empire, declared in the town of Vlora in 1912. On this occasion the President Bujar Nishani delivered a speech in Flag Square. Many leading politicians were present including some from Kosovo - a country with an Albanian majority within its population. During his speech Mr Nishan paid tribute to the Albanian flag and to the men who had contributed to the country's independence, notably Ismail Qemal, the leading figure and first head of government of the independent state. He also spoke confidently about the country's future "closer than ever before to the European family."

On December 3rd 2012 Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov together with his government. After the general elections on 28th October 2012 and according to Ukrainian law the departure of the Prime Minister also leads to that of the entire government. Whilst the decision to renew the government's mandate still has to be taken, the Head of State asked it to undertake current affairs until the appointment of its successors. Viktor Yanukovych's Party of Regions won the general elections, which were however deemed fraudulent by the opposition and international observers.

On 29th November 2012 the Chamber of First Instance at the ICTY aquitted Ramush Haradinaj, former commander in the Kosovo Liberation Army (ALK) and former Prime Minister of this country, as well as Idriz Balaj and Lahi Brahimaj, also former ALK members -of all of the accusations brought against them and ordered their immediate release. They were accused of being directly or indirectly responsible, as members of a joint criminal organisation, of infringements of the laws or customs of war committed against Serb, Roma, Egyptian, Albanian and other civilians in Kosovo. However the Chamber of First Instance concluded that the accusation had not provided adequate evidence to establish the acts in question.

According to figures published by Eurostat on 27th November 2012 over the last few years social protection spending in the EU has increased. It rose from 26.1% of the GDP in 2007 to 29.6% in 2009 and 29.4% in 2010. This increase in the ratio is mainly due to the economic crisis, with total spending on social protection in the EU having risen by around 10% in nominal terms between 2007 and 2010, whilst the GDP remained almost stable. Whilst spending relative to the main service categories (pensions, healthcare, family) all increased by around 10%, unemployment benefits rose by one third.

On 30th November 2012 the European Centre for the Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation (WHO) published a joint report on the development of the virus and support actions as well as prevention. "The number of people living with HIV in Europe is rising," stresses this report. In all in 2011, 121,000 new cases were diagnosed, including 28,000 in the European Union.

The rise of populism in Europe has given rise to the publication of a book entitled "Populism. L'envers de la démocracy" under the management of Marie-Claude Esposito, Alain Laquièze and Christine Manigand. The book offers a series of articles on the concept of populism in order to make sense of it, and review it taking into account the most representative cases, from Finland to Greece and the UK. Magali Balent and Thierry Chopin, respectively Projects Manager and Studies Director at the Robert Schuman Foundation are the authors of two articles addressing, "the rhetoric of identity" and the other "liberalism under test".

The museum of German history (DHM - Deutsches Historisches Museum) in Berlin is devoting an exhibition to European art as of 1945 entitled "The Desire for Freedom". 113 artists from 28 European countries are exhibiting their works, all devoted to the idea of freedom in Europe after 1945. The exhibition has the support of the Council of Europe and the European Commission; it will be open until 10th February 2013.