Europe is proud of its founding values and promotes them everywhere in the world. The Robert Schuman Foundation is organising a conference with the Council of Europe, the vital institution for their defence, under the patronage of Jean-Claude Mignon, leader of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on "Europe and its Values" on 23rd October 2013 at the HQ of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. There are still some places available, hurry to enrol!

The Christian Social People's Party (PCS/CVS) of outgoing Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker is still the country's leading party:: it won 33.68% of the vote and 23 seats (-3 in comparison with the previous general election on 7th June 2009). It drew ahead of the Socialist Workers' Party (POSL/LSAP) of Alex Bodry which won 20.28% of the vote and 13 seats (=). The Democratic Party (PD/DP), led by the Mayor of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel seems to be the other victor in the election with 18.25% of the vote and 13 seats (+4). Sam Tanson and Christian Kmiotek's Greens/Dei Greng (LV-DG) came fourth with 10.13% of the vote and 6 seats (-1). The Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR), led by Roby Mehlen won 6.64% of the vote and 3 seats (-1). The Left/Dei Lenk (LG/DL) won 4.92% and 2 seats (+1). Turnout totalled 91.4%.

Two months before its planned exit from the bail-out plan the Irish government unveiled its 2014 budget on 15th October 2013 at the lower chamber of parliament. 2.5 billion euros in budgetary cuts and tax increases have been announced. The Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan declared that the government would bring the deficit down to 4.8% of the GDP in 2014. Amongst the measures announced as part of the budget notably feature a new bank tax as well as an increase of taxes on alcohol and cigarettes.

On 17th October 2013 the European Commission put forward nine main corridors (2 north-south, 3 east-west and 4 diagonals) which will form the transport infrastructure of the European single market. The Commission will devote 26 billion euro over the period 2014-2020. The central transport network will be linked to a vast regional and national network covering the EU. The goals are to ensure that by 2050 all European citizens will be no further than 30 minutes from the network but also that journeys will be safer, easier and quicker. This network will comprise 94 ports linked to rail and road networks and 35 cross-border projects to reduce bottlenecks.

On 14th October 2013 the European Parliament's Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee and the Legal Affairs Committee approved (40 votes in support, 9 against and 2 abstentions) a project that proposes that by 2020 at least 40% of companies' board members (of firms quoted on the stock exchange) in the EU should be women. This vote came at the same time as the publication of a European Commission report on women's representation in decision making posts. The report indicates an increase in the percentage of women in managerial posts in the main firms quoted on the stock exchange in the Union, since there were 16.6% in April 2013, in comparison with 15.8% in October 2012. Moreover women's representation is also rising on non-executive boards (17.6% in April 2013 in comparison with 16.7% in October 2012) and amongst leading executives (11% in April 2013 against 10.2% in October 2012).

On 15th October 2013 the 28 Economy and Finance Ministers adopted a regulation creating a single supervisory mechanism for banks and other credit institutions thereby establishing a first "pillar" in Banking Union in Europe as well as a directive updating transparency requirements on regulated markets which aim to guarantee investor confidence in the Union. They prepared the European Council of 24th and 25th October 2013 which will aim to strengthen the coordination of economic policies.

On 15th and 16th October the Group of Six (5+1), comprising the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (US, France, China, Russia, UK) together with Germany undertook intense negotiations with Iran. Meeting in Geneva under Catherine Ashton, the EU's High Representative, delegations looked into Teheran's proposal to reduce its nuclear arsenal if it benefits from an easing in the international financial sanctions weighing on the country. In their conclusions Catherine Ashton and the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif welcomed the "positive atmosphere" which reigned during the negotiations. They said that the next meeting was planned on 7th and 8th November to continue negotiations on the end of the Iranian nuclear crisis.

The four main German economic institutes changed their growth forecast for 2013 on 17th October 2013 as far as Europe's leading economy is concerned. Germany can however count on investments and consumption to recover in 2014. In 2013 these four institutions, of varying economic trend, are now counting on feeble growth of 0.4% against a previous forecast of 0.8% in April. The 2014 forecast has fallen to +1.8% against a previous +1.9%. "The German economy is recovering, carried along by domestic demand," explained a press release by IFO in Munich, DIW in Berlin, IW in Halle and the RWI in Essen.

The representatives of seven States which lie in the Alps (France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland and Liechtenstein) signed a resolution on 18th October 2013 for the development of a European "Alpine Strategy" to fund future joint projects. The seven signatory countries hope to have their project adopted at the December European Council which will enable them to benefit from new funds from the European institutions. Developments in the mountains, transport, national parks, safety problems in the Alps, with its natural dangers and tourism are amongst the subjects which the States might then be able to look into.

On 16th October 2013 the Greek Parliament lifted immunity on six MPs of the far right party "Golden Dawn" who have been accused by the Greek authorities of belonging to a criminal organisation. Out of 300 MPs more than two-thirds supported the lifting of immunity. This decision is in line with the offensive by the government against this political organisation. The Greek Parliament is being called to discuss the possible suspension of public funding to "Golden Dawn" on 22nd October.

The heads of government of the Visegrad Group (Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia) met on 14th October 2013 in Budapest. During a press conference after the meeting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban indicated that these four Central European countries expected the EU to support the use of nuclear energy. The V4 also supports shale gas extraction and its members agreed on the creation of a shale gas market forum for the introduction of a regional gas market. During their meeting the four heads of government also signed two joint declarations: one on cooperation in terms of security and defence and the other on stepping up activities covered by the International Visegrad Fund.

On 14th October 2013 the Italian government, under the impetus of the Italian President of the Council, Enrico Letta, launched a new operation to improve control over the southern shores of the Mediterranean and to limit illegal immigration. The operation will be called "Mare Nostrum" declared Defence Minister Mario Mauro. The government will use landing craft to coordinate helicopter operations. Other ships and military plans will also be used. The operation, stresses a government memorandum, is both of a military and humanitarian nature. Indeed it is designed to dissuade illegal immigration and also to assist immigrants from a humanitarian point of view.

On 15th October 2013 the Council of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) took place in Paris. Amongst other matters it approved a roadmap for membership negotiations on the part of Latvia. It established various stages in view of accession by Latvia. According to Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs this signature indicates that Latvia is on the right path to join the OECD and become a Member State and that this would enable it to access the "best possible analyses in the field of economic policy."

On 17th October 2013 the British government agreed to Chinese participation - even as a majority - in the construction of a nuclear powerplant in the UK. This announcement is the first stage in the completion of the memorandum for cooperation in civilian nuclear projects signed by the British and Chinese governments. France is also involved in the British nuclear venture. The EDF group and the British government signed an agreement on 21st October 2013 thereby sealing the terms trade relative to the construction of two nuclear plants at Hinkley Point in the country's south-west. This investment is estimated at 19.9 billion euro.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych took a step towards releasing former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on 17th October 2013, as requested by the EU before the signature in November of the association agreement. He declared that he would sign a law enabling the transfer of Ms Tymoshenko abroad on medical grounds. "There is no law (on prisoners' healthcare) in Ukraine that would allow Ms Tymoshenko to leave for care abroad (...). If Parliament adopts a law like this I shall approve it," declared the President. On 18th October the party in power delivered a draft bill to Parliament which would, if it were adopted, enable Yulia Tymoshenko to leave the country. The text introduces changes to the Criminal Procedure Code authorising this kind of transfer including the decision that has to be taken by the courts. It is stipulated that the prisoner must come back to Ukraine after the end of his/her treatment abroad.

On 16th October 2013 King Harald V of Norway appointed the new government representing the Conservative Party and the Progress Party. Prime Minister Erna Solberg presented his coalition government in which the Progress Party notably gained ministerial position in Oil (Tord Lien) and Finances (Siv Jensen, the populist party's leader). Parity has been respected with 9 women out of the 18 people in charge of ministerial portfolios. The Conservative Party leads 11 ministries.

The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights gave a final decision on 21st October 2013 on the length of detention of the ETA militant, Ines Del Rio Prada. The Court concluded that Spain had infringed several articles of the European Convention of Human Rights by delaying the release of Ms Del Rio Prada, who stands accused of terrorism by nearly nine months. By doing this Spain had hoped to apply the new "Parot Doctrine" retroactively since the bill entered into force after the prisoner's conviction. But according to the Grand Chamber Spain had infringed article 7 of the Convention which stipulates that no sentence can be attributed without legislation. Hence the court concluded that the defendant was the focus of illegal detention and asked Spain to ensure that she would be released as quickly as possible.

On 16th October 2013 Eurostat indicated that the inflation rate was down in the euro zone (-1.1%) and in the EU (-1.3%) in September 2013. In August this year inflation lay at 1.3% and in September 2012 it lay at 2.6%. Annual inflation in September 2013 lay at 1.3% in Europe whilst it lay at 1.5% the previous month. In September 2013 inflation lay at 0.5% in the euro zone and at 0.4% in the EU.

A Eurobarometer survey published on 18th October aims to gauge the perception Europeans have of the economic and social situation as well as of the ongoing reforms in Europe. One European in two (50%, -5) believes that he would be better protected against the crisis if his country "took coordination measures" with other EU countries, 41% (+3) say they would feel better protected if their country took "individual measures". Moreover Europeans believe that the EU (22%) and the national government (21%) are the best placed to act "most effectively" against the impact of the crisis.

On 16th October 2013 the IMF published a study on fiscal consolidation in the euro zone and the capacity of structural reform to relieve the problematic introduction of the latter. Results show that structural reform can effectively ease the negative impacts of fiscal consolidation in the EU's core countries. Conversely in peripheral countries structural reforms do not really attenuate negative effects of fiscal consolidation on economic activity.

The "Sprengel Museum" in Hannover is showing its own collection of prints by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944) until 26th January 2014. The artist was a pioneer of Expressionism. The exhibition comprises many woodcuts, drawings and paintings.