The Council of Europe's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities will take place from 29th to 31st October 2013 in Strasbourg on the theme: "Europe in Crisis - the Challenges of Local and Regional Democracy." As part of this session Magali Balent, Projects Director at the Robert Schuman Foundation, will be speaking on 30th October at a round-table devoted to "regionalisation and decentralisation in Europe in a context of economic crisis - recent developments."

The Social Democratic Party (CSSD) came out ahead in the election with only 20.45% of the vote and 50 seats (6 less in comparison with the general elections on 28th and 29th May 2010). ANO 2011 managed to make an exceptional breakthrough winning 18.65% of the vote and 47 seats. The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM) came third with 14.91% of the vote and 33 seats (+7). TOP 09 won 11.99% and 26 seats, (-15), the Democratic Civic Party (ODS) 7.72% and 16 seats, (-37), Usvit 6.88% and 14 seats, finally (KDU-CSL) led by Pavel Belobradek will return to Parliament after a three year absence with 6.78% and 14 seats. Turnout totalled 59.48% ie 5 points less in comparison with the general election on 28th and 29th May 2010. It will therefore be difficult to form a majority government coalition.

On 23rd October 2013 the German government presented its new growth forecasts. "The German economy has now recovered a sound growth curve," said outgoing Economy Minister, Philipp Rösler. According to forecasts the German GDP is due to grow slightly more than planned in 2014. Although in 2013 Berlin is still counting on GDP growth of 0.5%, the forecast for 2014 has been raised to 1.7%. Unemployment is due to decline to 6.8% in 2014 - i.e. its 2012 level.

On 24th and 25th October the 28 heads of State and government insisted on the importance of the digital economy to strengthen productivity, growth and competitiveness. In a particular context, with revelations about American phone-tapping, all insisted on the cyber-protection directive and on the framework for data protection to achieve the goal of a single digital market by 2015. At the same time France and Germany launched a joint initiative supported by the other Europeans to try to find an agreement with the USA regarding information issues by the end of the year. Moreover the issues linked to the coordination of economic policies will be addressed more during the Council of December 2013, whilst the introduction of the banking supervisory mechanism was welcomed as a decisive step towards Banking Union. In addition to this leaders will sign the association agreement with Ukraine at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius on 28th and 29th November 2013. Finally in response to the tragic events that occurred in the Mediterranean the heads of State and government explained that it was necessary to act on the origins of these uncontrolled migratory flows, notably in the countries of origin and transit. They called for a strengthening of FRONTEX but also for other tools like the Task Force for the Mediterranean. The Commission will present a report on this point on 5th and 6th November next.

On 23rd October the European Commission proposed the introduction of a standardised VAT across Europe implying that businesses will provide the same basic information in the same time scales across all of the Union. The goals aim to reduce costs, red tape and to facilitate the respect of fiscal obligations and to make the Member States' tax administration more effective.

On 24th October 2013 MEPs approved an amending budget of 2.7 billion euro for 2013, 428 votes in support, 44 against and 76 abstentions. This will prevent the EU finding itself in a position of it being unable to pay. Moreover on 23rd October it cancelled the reduction of investments in support of employment and growth - 480 votes in support, 119 against and 86 abstentions - put forward by the Council for the budget in 2014. They reintroduced funding in terms of international policy such as humanitarian aid to the Near East and aid to Syrian refugees. They granted supplementary funds to the agency which manages the EU's external borders, FRONTEX. After this vote a 21 day period of conciliation will start in order to come to agreement over the 2014 budget.

On 22nd October 2013 the 28 European Affairs Ministers adopted a regulation creating the European border surveillance system (EUROSUR) that aims to step up border control within Schengen. They agreed to launch chapter 22 on regional policy and structural instrument coordination on 5th November as part of Turkey's membership negotiations after three years of stalemate. This latter point may be misunderstood by many citizens.

On 22nd October 2013 the Friends of Syria Group (Germany, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, USA, France, Italy, Jordan, Qatar, UK and Turkey) met in London with the representatives of the Syrian National Coalition and announced in a press release that they supported the UN Security Council's resolution which states that a transition government has to be introduced in Syria. "Assad and his close colleagues will play no role in Syria" maintained the 11 members. They also condemned the escalation in violence on the part of the Syrian regime. Finally they recalled their support to the Syrian opposition inviting it to join in peace negotiations at the Geneva II conference in November 2013.

On 22nd October 2013 the EU's Court of Justice refused the implementation of sanctions against Germany concerning the Volkswagen Bill. In 2005 the Commission turned to the Court in Luxembourg deeming that the three measures in the Volkswagen Bill were contrary to the free movement of capital guaranteed by the Union. After the Court's decision in 2007 Germany repealed the first two measures but maintained the measure concerning the reduced lower blocking minority. The Commission again turned to the European Court of Justice. In its decision on 22nd October 2013 the Court said that this measure was not contrary to the free movement of capital - as a result of this Germany had respected the obligations which resulted from the 2007 decision.

On 23rd October 2013 the European Central Bank (ECB) presented its bank assessment criteria in the euro zone. The ECB stressed that the review must ensure bank transparency and encourage the return of private investor confidence. The ECB said that it will be asking 124 banks for a an own-fund ratio of 8% and that it will be assessing the risks apparent in their reviews as it looks into their liquidities, their debt levels and their financing.

One month after the general election on 22nd September representatives of the Bundestag met for a constituent session on 22nd October. Norbert Lammert (CDU/CSU) was re-elected leader of the Bundestag by 591 votes. This 18th legislature comprises 631 MPs, 230 are newly elected. The youngest is 26 years old and the eldest 78. There are 402 men and 229 women ie 36.29% - which is the highest rate in the Bundestag's history. According to the table of women within the 28 national parliaments published by the Robert Schuman Foundation Germany lies 8th. It is above the European average of 27.19%.

On 21st and 22nd October 2013 Copenhagen hosted the third world forum on green growth. This year the forum focused on "improving the efficacy of resources in the value chain." It rallied 450 personalities from the business world, the public sector and civil society in view of creating public-private partnerships for sustainable development. On this occasion UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for a transition towards clean energy for sustainable development. Several points were negotiated between participants: financing to find solutions to urban water wastage; the reduction of food waste; the deregulation of green trade; the management of water resources as well as the public supply of ecological infrastructures.

On 23rd October 2013 the first Western Mediterranean Economic Forum (Dialogue 5+5) took place at the HQ of the Union for the Mediterranean and brought together ten countries (Algeria, Spain, France, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Portugal and Tunisia). Rallying heads of business and high level representatives from the main companies and employers' associations in the Western Mediterranean, this event aimed to enhance economic cooperation between the countries of Western Europe and the Maghreb. In his introductory speech the Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy addressed the issue of immigration which in his opinion requires a European solution and the control of migratory flows starting in the countries of origin and transit.

French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, hosted the President of the Italian Council, Enrico Letta on 25th October 2013. They discussed ongoing reforms in France and Italy, the situation in Europe and bilateral relations in view of the next Franco-Italian summit which will take place in Rome in November. Discussions also focused on major European issues from the introduction of banking union, the follow-up to Lampedusa and the protection of personal data.

On 23rd October 2013 the Greek Parliament adopted a text, 235 votes in support out of 300, which plans for the suspension of all State aid to a party whose leader or one tenth of the MPs are being prosecuted for the formation or participation in a criminal organisation", which is the case with Golden Dawn. In 2013 this party, which has 18 MPs in parliament, received public funding to a total of 873,000 euros.

On 25th October 2013 Xavier Bettel, Mayor of Luxembourg and head of the Democratic party was asked to form the next Luxembourg government since he wants to form a coalition with the socialists and the Greens. Hence Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister since 1995, whose party (CVS) came out ahead on 20th October in the general election, has been ousted. "Having noted that the three parties want to form a government," the head of State, Grand Duke Henry received Xavier Bettel "to ask him to form a new government."

On 23rd October 2013 MEPs approved a resolution in which they repeated their wish to see the EU sign an association agreement with Ukraine during the Vilnius Summit planned for 28th and 29th November next. However they stressed that this signature will only be undertaken if the conditions set by European Foreign Ministers in December 2012 are fulfilled. On 22nd October 2013 the Polish and Swedish Foreign Ministers, Radoslaw Sikorski and Carl Bildt met Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to ask for a rapid settlement to the Tymoshenko affair. Moreover during the Foreign Council on 21st October 2013 German Minister Guido Westerwelle stressed the need to release Ms Tymoshenko in order for the association agreement with the EU to be signed.

On 22nd and 23rd October 2013 NATO Defence Ministers made progress on the issue of the interconnection of forces and promised to organise more training and exercises in order to preserve the experience acquired in Afghanistan and Kosovo. Regarding cyberdefence NATO is on the right path to grow its capacity to protect its own networks. Moreover ministers together with their Afghan counterpart Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, looked into the progress achieved in Afghanistan, as well as the training, advisory and assistance missions for the Afghan security forces which are due to be launched after 2014. Finally during the Russia-NATO Council ministers did not manage to settle their disagreement over the sensitive issue of anti-missile defence.

The Council of Europe's group of experts against human trafficking has published its third general activity report. This report reviews the work accomplished by GRETA from August 1st 2012 to 31st July 2013. It exhorts the signatory States of the Convention on Action against Human Trafficking to step up their fight to counter all types of human trafficking. GRETA's chairman, Nicolas Le Coz also says in the report's introduction that he wants to launch a new wave of ratifications of the Convention. He also highlights that he wants to involve the private sector and the media more in the fight to counter human trafficking. Since the entry into force of the Convention five years ago the group has acted to protect and compensate trafficking victims in various Member States.

According to figures published by Eurostat on 23rd October 2013 at the end of the second quarter 2013 the public debt/GDP ratio lay at 93.4% in the euro zone against 92.3% at the end of the first quarter of 2013. In the EU the ratio increased rose from 85.9% to 86.8%. In comparison with the second quarter 2012 the public debt/GDP ratio increased in the euro zone (from 89.9% to 93.4%) as well as in the EU (from 84.7% to 86.8%).

The Gran Guardia Palace in Verona is running an exhibition on landscapes in European painting from the 15th to the 19th centuries, notably focusing on Impressionism and Monet. The exhibition comprises 90 pieces of work and amongst the artists on show we find Canaletto, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Manet, Gauguin and Van Gogh.