The Republic's fifth Etats Généraux devoted to European Youth will be taking place on 1st and 2nd February in Grenoble. The newspaper "Libération" together with around 20 associations, foundations and think-tanks are organising around 35 conference-debates on the major challenges facing European youth. The Robert Schuman Foundation is organising a debate moderated by Magali Balent, Project Manager and Researcher at the Foundation. The debate is called "What is Europe doing to help youth employment?" This debate will take place on 1st February between 14:30 and 16:00 and will bring together experts like Mathilde Lemoine, Director of Economic Studies for HSBC France and Vanessa Debiais-Sainton, Head of Erasmus at the European Commission.

Milos Zeman, former Social Democratic Prime Minister, (1998-2002), honorary chair of the Citizens' Rights Party (SPO), which he created in 2010, was elected on 26th January President of the Czech Republic with 54.8% of the vote in the country's first presidential election by direct universal suffrage. He drew ahead of Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg (Tradition, Responsibility, Prosperity 09, TOP09), who won 45.19% of the vote. The turnout rate totalled 59.11% ie -2.2 points less in comparison with the figure recorded in the first round. The new head of State will be sworn in on 8th March in the Wenceslas Hall at the Castle of Prague with the members of the two Chambers of Parliament in attendance.

In its monthly report published on 23rd January 2013 the Spanish Central Bank stated that the country's GDP had contracted by 0.6% in the fourth quarter of 2012 in comparison with the previous one after a decline of 0.3% between July and September. Over 2012 as a whole the GDP in the euro zone's fourth most important economy contracted by 1.3% in comparison with 2011. In spite of this the figure is below that forecast by the government, which anticipated a contraction of 1.5%. Moreover at the end of December Spain totalled nearly 6 million unemployed (5,965,400) ie 26.02% of the working population, announced the national statistics institute on 24th January 2013. The government's forecast at 24.6% for the end of 2012 has easily been surpassed.

On 22nd January 2013, the President of the European Council Herman van Rompuy called on the 27 Member States to find a compromise agreement on the multi-annual financial agreement 2014-2020 during the European Council of 7th and 8th February. He hopes for a "moderate budget" reflecting the financial constraints of the Member countries but which must "focus on jobs and growth in all of the Union's regions, in various economic sectors as well as in research and investment." He indicated that the European Council would be devoted to the Mali crisis, world trade and relations with the countries in the south of Europe, two years after the Arab Spring.

On 24th January 2013 the European Commission adopted the "Clean Energy" Package that includes a series of measures designed to introduce stations for substitute fuels in Europe. In its proposals the Commission is anticipating the adoption of design and common usage standards for the entire European Union. It intends to address the issue of the distribution of these "alternative" fuels (electricity, hydrogen and natural gas) thanks to the adoption of binding goals in terms of infrastructure.

On 23rd January 2013 the "agriculture" committee at the European Parliament approved a series of amendments pertaining to the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). These amendments aim to re-balance aid between the Member States but also between the "small" and "large" farmers within the States. As an example the agriculture commission is now suggesting that subsidies granted to the biggest farmers be limited to 300,000 euros per year as of 2014. MEPs are hoping to achieve an agriculture that respects environmental standards. Hence 30% of direct aid granted to farmers might be conditioned by the respect of sustainable agricultural practices. Furthermore aid like this woud now be paid to "active" farmers. The principle of "double payment" would however be maintained.

On 22nd January 2013 the 27 Economy and Finance Ministers of the European Union gave the greenlight to the 11 Member States to implement an enhanced cooperation agreement that aims to introduce a tax on financial transactions. These countries are Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Estonia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia. The European Commission must now look into the issue and put an agreement forward that will have to be adopted by all 11 States.

On 26th and 27th January 2013 the heads of State and government of 27 EU Member States and 33 countries of the Communities of Latin-American and Caribbean States 'CELAC' met together in Santiago in Chile during the first CELAC-EU Summit. They concluded a "new strategic alliance" in a unanimously adopted declaration. This means that they "commit" to "avoiding protectionism in all of its forms" and to support "productive investment that respects the economic, social and environmental aspects, which are an integral part of sustainable development." The text "rejects all unilateral measures with extra-territorial effects contrary to international law and the rules governing free trade." A 2 year action plan (2013-2015) was also adopted.

During the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty in Berlin on 21st and 22nd January 2013, two declarations were jointly approved by the French President François Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The "Berlin Declaration" recalls the final goal of the bilateral treaty concluded in 1963 and lays out the main areas of cooperation: youth, culture, economy, energy and defence. The second, adopted after the Franco-German Council of Ministers, includes 75 propositions focusing on joint measures in support of training and youth employment, such as the development of bilinguism and bi-national diplomas. Both goverments commit to facilitating cooperation between industrialists, to strengthen their cooperation in research and innovation and to improve "strategic dialogue".

The referendum on 27th January 2013 that targeted the construction of a new nuclear power plant in Bulgaria was invalidated due to low turnout. At least 60% of Bulgarians were supposed to vote for the exercise to be acknowledged, but only 21% of the electorate turned out to ballot. Although the vote was invalidated 60.55% of voted in support of the project. Since turnout was higher than 20% and the majority of the vote was positive the question will be debated in the Bulgarian Parliament.

On 23rd January 2013 the Catalan Parliament approved a sovereignty declaration, 85 votes in support, 41 against and 2 absentions. This text, approved by the nationalist rightwing coalition (CiU) and the leftwing secessionists (ERC) and rejected by the two main Spanish parties (PP) and (PSOE), acknowledges the "sovereign, legal and political nature" of the Catalan people. According to the leader of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Artur Mas it is the first step that will be followed - before 2014 - by a refrendum on the independence of Catalonia. Madrid does not acknowledge the legitimacy of this and is clearly against it.

Italy needs some economic "shock therapy" otherwise it is condemned to decline said the chairman of the main employers' confederation Confindustria on 23rd January 2013, Giorgio Squinzi. He presented a series of requests which in his opinion should take the country towards a growth rate of 3%, a reduction in unemployment and a rise in household revenues. At the same time public finances should improve. The weight of industry would rise to 20% in added value in the Italian economy against 16.7% at present. Confindustria is also recommending the reorganisation of the civil service so that it "runs alongside other businesses and not against them", a simplification of administrative rules and greater flexibility on the labour market. It is also calling for a reduction in company tax.

In a TV interview on 21st January 2013 Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski revived debate over the date of Poland's adoption of the euro. Indeed he declared that he wanted Poland to launch the decision making process after the general and presidential elections in 2015. These declarations contrast sharply with those of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk who deemed mid-December in Brussels that Warsaw had to take decisions "in the coming months" regarding the adoption of the single currency. President Komorowski also said that Poland must, above all, fulfill the euro accession criteria. Indeed only Poland's public debt is in line with the Maastricht treaty.

In his speech on Europe delivered on 23rd January 2013 in London British Prime Minister David Cameron confirmed that he intended to organise a referendum by 2017 on the maintenance or not of his country in the European Union if the Conservatives win the general elections in 2015. He did say however that a referendum like this would only be organised once relations between the UK and the EU had been re-organised. These new relations will be focused on the single marke without any details being released on how these might be organised. He pleaded in support of a new European treaty saying that the EU would benefit from a reform. He recalled the importance of the UK's membership of the EU, for both his country and for the Union. He also said that it was not necessarily in the British interest to quit the EU.

The Citizens' List (DL) led by Slovenian President Gregor Virant quit the government coalition on 23rd January 2013 given the refusal by Prime Minister Janez Jansa, mentioned in several corruption scandals, to resign. This event has started a political crisis in Slovenia since Mr Jansa no longer has the absolute majority in Parliament. The Finance and Justice Ministers resigned on 24th January after the party's departure from the government coalition.

Accused by Prosecutor Viktor Pchonka of having contracted the murder of an MP from Donetsk in 1996 due to a "business conflict", former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko now risks a life sentence. A leading figure of the Orange Revolution, Yulia Tymoshenko is at present serving a seven year sentence in Kharkiv for abuse of power. Also on trial for tax fraud the former Prime Minister denies any guilt and is denouncing "political vengeance" orchestrated by Head of State Viktor Yanukovich who she says fears "losing the presidential election in 2015". The prosecution of the opponent is causing a serious crisis between Ukraine and the West, which suspects that there are indeed political reasons behind the affair. The EU/Ukraine Summit planned for 25th February 2013 might be the lowest point in relations between Brussels and Kyiv.

The 43rd World Economic Forum held under the banner of dynamic resilience took place in Davos, Switzerland on 22nd to 26th January 2013. More than 2500 participants, including 50 heads of State and govenrment, were there. This time round the Forum was marked by the return of careful optimism as far as the world's economic situation was concerned. From Mario Draghi, the ECB's President, to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, all said that the worst was over. However there was still concern about the world economic situation. Hence several speakers incuding Angel Gurria, Secretary General of the OECD expressed their fears that governments would be relying on the central banks which have become the "heros" of the world economy.

On 21st January 2013 Jean-Claude Mignon was re-elected for a year as the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the inauguration of the winter session. The Assembly also elected 19 Vice-Presidents, one seat remains vacant for Romania at present.

According to a publication by Eurostat on 22nd January 2013 EU Member States' foreign direct investments in the rest of the world increased by 50% between 2008 and 2011 representing 5000 billion euros. They increased by 20% between Member States. However only 40% of the stocks held are to be found in the rest of the world, 60% are invested in another Member State. The US are the first destination (29%), easily ahead of Switzerland (12%) and Brazil (5%). The US and Switzerland are also the leading investors in the European Union (35% and 12%).

Several European daily papers like Le Monde and El Pais published a manifesto on 26th January 2013 launched by Bernard Henri-Lévy, which was signed by some major writers such as Vassilus Alexakis and Salman Rushdie entitled "Europe or Chaos? Rebuild Europe or die?" These intellectuals maintain in this paper that as a project Europe is "dying". To remedy this situation they defend greater European political integration that in the long run should lead to a European federation.

Two exhibitions are being devoted to the work of Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966) in Hamburg. The Museum "Hamburger Kunsthalle" is putting on an exhibition "Giacometti. The playing fields" until 19th May 2013. The exhibition highlights the artist's beginnings, which are anchored in surrealism. The "Bucerius Kunst Forum" is presenting Giacometti's portraits until 20th May 2013 via sculptures, pictures and drawings.