On the occasion of its 20th anniversary Euralia, together with the Robert Schuman Foundation is organising a debate in Brussels on 3rd October on the theme of "Comment ré-enchanter Europe?" (How do we win back Europe's heart?). After the presentation of a study by the Robert Schuman Foundation, undertaken and presented by Julien Zalc, a debate moderated by journalist Pascal Verdeau, France 3's correspondent, between guests from various areas will put forward ideas to revive the European project as the European elections 2014 draw closer. Thierry Chopin, Studies Director for the Foundation will be taking part.

The decision taken by Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker (Christian Social People's Party, PCS/CVS) on 10th July to resign (deferred) from his post has led to the organisation of early general elections that will take place on 20th October next. The electorate will be renewing the 60 members of parliament, elected for a five year period. At present six parties are represented in the Chamber of Deputies: the Christian Social People's Party (PCS/CVS), the Socialist Workers' Party (POSL/LSAP), the Democratic Party (PD/DP), the Greens/Dei Greng (LV-DG), the Democratic Alternative Reform Party (ADR), the Left/Dei Lenk (LG/DL). According to the most recent poll by TNS Ilres, published in the Lëtzebuerger Wort and broadcast on the TV/radio channel RTL, the Christian Social People's Party (PCS/CSV) is ahead of its rivals just one month before the election with 33% of voting intentions. The Socialist Workers' Party (POSL/LASP) and the Democratic Party (PD/DP) are due to win 15% each, the Greens/Dei Greng 10%, the Left/Dei Lenk, 4%. The Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR), the Communist Party (KRL) and the Pirate Party are only due to win 1% each.

On 27th September 2013 the Spanish government indicated that the Spanish GDP will grow by 0.7% in 2014. The unemployment rate will drop to 25.9% in 2014 in comparison with 26.5% recorded in 2013. The Bank of Spain said on 26th September 2013 that the GDP might rise slightly in the third quarter of 2013. Amongst the factors in possible GDP growth in the third quarter is an increase in the sales of cars and a less pronounced decrease in retail sales. On 25th September 2013 Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy confirmed an improvement in the deficit which in 2012 totalled 6.8% and not 7% as forecast - a figure that was confirmed on 27th September.

The European Commission adopted the second tranche of its draft amending budget totalling 3.9 billion euro on 25th September. The 2013 budget did not enable the Union to reimburse the beneficiaries of the programmes funded by the EU. Most of the second tranche of this budget will go to the cohesion policy, whilst 344 million euro will enhance tools that aim to stimulate growth and employment, especially research, student mobility and the financing of SMEs. The Commission suggested that 121 million euro be devoted to victims of serious humanitarian crises. This modification to the budget has to be approved by the Council and the European Parliament.

The European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee hosted Mario Draghi, President of the European Central Bank on 23rd September and on 24th September they received Klaus Regling, the General Director of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM). With Mario Draghi they discussed questions pertaining to the practical details required to set up of a single bank resolution system and fund, the upcoming bank balance sheet health checks and next steps for Greece since the ECB will be in the troika long term. With Klaus Regling MEPs wondered whether the ESM could become a safety net for the European Single Resolution Funds and whether it could recapitalise struggling banks. Klaus Regling deemed that the ESM's legal base did not allow for it. But he is prepared to look into other legal interpretations which might justify the ESM taking on this role.

On 23rd September the 28 Agriculture Ministers looked into the new strategy for forests put forward by the Commission on 20th September and addressed issues involving the international agricultural trade. But the meeting focused on the reform of the CAP. The presidency indicated that European Parliament believed that some questions linked to the multi-annual financial framework 2014-2020 were not part of a political agreement over the package to reform the CAP agreed on 26th June. On 24th September the European Parliament and the Council came to agreement on the MFF 2014-2020 from the point of view of the CAP. The agreement is due to be voted on by the European Parliament's Agriculture and Rural Development Committee on 30th September, and by a special Council committee on agriculture on 7th October.

The representatives of the Quartet - the UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon, Russian Foreign Minister Serguey Lavrov, the US Secretary of State, John Kerry and the EU's High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton together with the Quartet representative, Tony Blair and the heads of the Israeli and Palestinian negotiations, Tzipi Livni and Saeb Erekat - met in New York on 27th September. Discussions focused on progress in negotiations between Israel and Palestine since talks started again on 29th July 2013. Economic initiatives and the strengthening of Palestinian institutions as well as the humanitarian situation in Gaza were also discussed. The leaders recalled the declarations and resolutions of the UN's Security Council and re-iterated their determination to come to an overall solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The EU's Court of Justice decided on 26th September 2013 that train passengers had the right to partial reimbursement of the price of their train ticket if there was a significant delay and even if this was due to a case of force majeure The Court also decided that a railway company could not include in its general conditions a clause exonerating it from paying out compensation.

The morale of German households reached its highest level in over six years; historically low interest rates have encouraged Germans to buy according to a monthly survey by the German institute GfK published on 25th September 2013. Its confidence index which measures consumption forecasts for the month to come progressed to 7.1 against 7 in September 2013.

On 18th September 2013 the Commission launched the so-called article 39 procedure against Croatia since its legislation was in contradiction with the European Arrest Warrant and also because the Croatian government was taking too long to fall in line with community law. On 25th September Viviane Reding, Vice-President of the European Commission met the Croatian Justice Minister Orsat Miljenic who promised to align legislation in order to respect European judicial cooperation in the penal domain. On 26th September 2013 the Croatian government cancelled measures which infringed the European Arrest Warrant. These measures have to be approved by the Croatian parliament. The warrant will then be totally effective as of January 1st 2014.

On 27th September 2013 the Spanish Council of Ministers approved the 2014 budget and the retirement reform. The government stressed that the new budget is typified by austerity measures and that the long term goal is to bring the deficit below 3% by 2016. Ministries will receive 34,584 million €, which means a 5% reduction in comparison with last year. However spending is of a strong social nature focusing on increasing study grants, research, housing aid and social security. The Council of Ministers also approved a bill on the reform of retirement pensions as they introduce sustainability factor to enable a 0.25% minimum value adjustment in times of economic crisis.

On 25th September 2013 the French Economy and Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici presented the draft finance law for 2014 to the Council of Ministers. The draft is based on a growth forecast of 0.9% in 2014, after 0.1% in 2013. This budget includes 15 billion € in savings on public spending. The savings are spread to a total of 9 billion over the State budget, local communities and operators and to a total of 6 billion over the social sector. These savings should lead to a reduction in the public deficit down to 3.6% of the GDP in 2014, against 4.1% of the GDP expected in 2013. The European Commission welcomed the major guidelines of this draft for France in 2014 on 26th September deeming it "responsible and prudent" and called for the country to continue its reforms. It will give a full opinion in mid-November only.

On 28th September the Greek authorities struck hard against the Neonazi party Golden Dawn as they arrested its historic leader and several of its MPs, ten days after the murder of an anti-fascist musician by one of the party's members. The Greek police arrested Nikolaos Michaloliakos, leader and MP for Golden Dawn and founder of the party in 1980. Four other MPs (out of a total of 18) including its spokesperson, Ilias Kasidiaris were also arrested. Criminal proceedings were launched by the prosecutor against the five MPs who will remain in custody until they are presented to a judge. The arrests, of a judicial nature, are based on the fact that these MPs belong to a "criminal" organisation and also on proceedings for physical violence and murder.

Alarmed at the idea of losing his parliamentary immunity in the near future, Silvio Berlusconi opened a further period of political uncertainty for Italy by pushing ministers in his party to resign. On 28th September 2013 five PdL ministers resigned. The latter did however say how dismayed they were on 29th September. The Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Angelino Alfano notably explained that he was planning to be "Berlusconian" in a different way. For his part the head of the Italian government Enrico Letta announced on 29th September that he would request a vote of confidence of parliament on 2nd October. "We have been working in an extremely complicated situation and we have decided to go to parliament as soon as possible," explained Mr Letta during a TV programme after an interview with President Giorgio Napolitano.

The annual prize founded by Lech Walesa, the historic leader of the Polish union 'Solidarity' was attributed to the Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky. It was delivered on 29th September 2013 in Gdansk to his son Pavel Khodorkovsky. Founded in 2008 the annual Lech Walesa Prize aims to "reward those who are fighting for entente and cooperation between populations, in the name of freedom and the values which were those of the movement 'Solidarity'."

The British postal group, Royal Mail, has been valued at between £2.6 and £3.3 billion (3-3.9 billion €) as part of its privatisation which started on 27th September 2013 announced the government. The initial price offering lies between 260p and 330p per security indicated the government in a press release. The offers of securities to institutional investors and to private parties will end on 8th October in view of a listing on the Stock Exchange on 15th October. London intends to relinquish most of its shares to the market and via the free attribution of 10% of the capital to the 150,000 Royal Mail employees as part of this privatisation which is the biggest since the wave of operations during Margaret Thatcher and John Major's terms in office. After privatisation the British government, which holds 100% of the Royal Mail, will have a 37.8% to 49.9% share if the option of over alotment is not exercised and between 30% to 43.9% if this option is exercised.

On 24th and 25th September 2013 the Russian Geographical Society organised the third International Forum on the Arctic. The Presidents of Russia, Vladimir Putin, Finland, Sauli Niinistö and Iceland, Olafur Grimsson took part in this event. The Forum focused on economic activities in the region and particularly on oil and gas drilling to revive the "Northern Sea Route". Participants stressed the importance of protecting the eco-system as part of the "Strategy for the Environmental Protection of the Arctic".

On 27th September 2013 whilst no agreement had been found between the powers on the UN Security Council since the start of the Syrian conflict, the Council adopted a resolution calling for the elimination of the Syrian arsenal of chemical weapons. Resolution 2118 was unanimously adopted. It plans for coercive measures in the event of the non-respect of these demands. A supervisory mission will be set up in Syria but the UN is expecting the government's full cooperation. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon did recall however that in spite of this major breakthrough Syria was still experiencing the horror of the conflict. The Security Council calls for a political solution and for a Geneva 2 conference to take place.

On the occasion of European Language Day on 26th September 2013 Eurostat indicated that in 2011 two thirds of European citizens of working age (25-64) said they knew a second language. English is the second most studied language in the European Union. Hence in the EU in 2011 83% of pupils in primary and in the first cycle of secondary school as well as 94% of students in the second cycle of secondary education were learning English. French is the second most studied language since 19% of primary pupils and those in the first cycle of secondary education and 23% of those in the second cycle of secondary education were studying it. German comes third and Spanish fourth in terms of foreign languages studied.

The "Carnets des Dialogues de Matin" by the Diderot Institute have released a transcript of the debate over the future of the euro and the European Central Bank between Henri Guaino, MP for Yvelines and Denis Kessler, CEO of the SCOR group. They both call in their own way for a national development to prevent the collapse of the European monetary system.

On the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the transfer of the Palatinate over to the Wittelsbach dynasty the Reiss-Engelhornn Museum in Mannheim is presenting the exhibition "The Wittelsbach on the Rhine. The Palatinate of the Rhine and Europe" until 2nd March 2014. The Wittelsbach family reigned for nearly 600 years continuously in the Palatinate. Grandiose works of art from the Middle Ages and from the start of the modern era provide a glimpse of the time when the Wittelsbachs were in power leaving their mark on Europe as a whole.