The Robert Schuman Foundation will be organising a conference on 12th March in partnership with the European Commission's Representation in Paris on the issues at stake in the enlargement of the European Union via debate over the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA). Several European political personalities and experts on enlargement issues will be debating this question. It is obligatory to enrol.

German Martin Schulz was elected candidate to the presidency of the European Commission on March 1st in Rome by the European Socialists. The present President of the European Parliament was elected 368 votes in support out of 404 (2 against and 34 abstentions), during the European Socialist Party's 10th Congress in which some 800 delegates were participating, including the Socialist heads of government of the European Union.

On 27th February 2014 the governor of the Greek Central Bank G.A. Provopoulos presented the 2013 annual report. According to the governor Greece's economic situation is starting to improve and growth should return in 2014. Mr Provopoulos notably spoke of eliminating both deficits (trade balance and internal deficit), the reform of the labour market and that of the civil service. However Athens' competitiveness is still linked to the finalisation of reform in the education, healthcare, justice and especially tax sectors.

On 27th February 2014 the European Commission indicated that the economic sentiment indicator had improved in February in comparison with January 2014 for the second month running. It increased by 0.2 points in the euro zone as in the EU. The indicator lies at 101.2 points in the euro zone and 105 in the Union. Confidence also improved in Italy (+2.4 points), increased in Germany (+0.4 points) and in the Netherlands (+0.6 points), and remained stable in Spain but it declined in France (-1.6 points).

On 26th February MEPs adopted a draft bill 514 votes in support, 66 against and 58 abstentions to make tobacco products less attractive to young people. A visual warning is to be put on 65% of the packet's surface and electronic cigarettes will be regulated like medicines if they help people to stop smoking. The text authorises the perfumes in water pipes but bans them in cigarettes and roll-your-own cigarettes. Member States are due to decide on 14th March 2014.

The European Parliament's negotiators and the Council came to an agreement on 27th February 2014 on posted workers in another Union country to achieve better protection for them. The text also aims to give Member States a certain amount of room to manoeuvre. Finally the agreement clarifies mattters so that a posting can be assessed correctly, defining whether it is a real posting or a bid to dodge legislation. On this issue read the study by the Robert Schuman Foundation: "The Management of posted workers in the European Union."

The 28 EU Foreign Affairs Ministers met informally on 27th and 28th February 2014 in Athens to discuss trade issues and transatlantic cooperation. They addressed the EU's strategy and cooperation with the WTO and assessed the conclusions of the Bali Summit in December 2013. They also presented business leaders with the advantages that the EU would gain from the transatlantic trade and investment partnership (TTIP) in terms of employment and growth. Finally they discussed the situation in Ukraine and the EU's relations with Myanmar.

The German Constitutional Court of Karlsruhe deemed on 26th February 2014 that the clause which sets the minimal number of votes to win a seat in the European Parliament at 3% was unconstitutional in view of German law. According to Andreas Voßkuhle this clause is said to go against the principles of equity for voting rights and equal opportunities between parties. In this sense the vote of every person should have a chance. There is however a threshold to be represented in the Bundestag. Each country is free to set its electoral rules in view of he European election which will be taking place in May 2014. To date 14 countries have not introduced a minimum threshold to enter the European Parliament.

In his annual speech on the state of the nation, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced that in view of Spain's economic results he would reduce taxes in 2015 on the lowest incomes (under 12,000 euros per year). This should help the country to reduce unemployment and increase its competitiveness in the European and international arena. This announcement should lead to 12 million people paying less tax. At the same time to encourage the private sector to employ people Mariano Rajoy announced that he was going to reduce social contributions made by businesses for a 24 month period to facilitate the employment of new works - a measure he hopes will help boost employment in Spain.

The French National Assembly authorised the extension of the intervention by French armed forces in Central Africa on 25th February after a declaration made by the government, followed by a debate. They voted 428 in support, 14 against and 21 abstentions. In the Senate 327 Senators voted in support, 3 against. Operation Sangaris launched in December 2013 aims to bring calm back to Central Africa. Although the first part of the mission that aimed to make Bangui safe has been achieved the French army is now trying to stabilise the rest of the country.

The head of the Italian government Matteo Renzi won the Senate's vote of confidence in the night of 24th and 25th February 2014, 169 votes in support, 139 against. He spoke of his reform agenda, the electoral system and justice, not forgetting a call for a net reduction in labour costs. As his predecessor Enrico Letta, Matteo Renzi is relying on the support of a centre-right coalition: the Democratic Party (PD), the New Centre Right (NCD) led by Angelino Alfano, Interior Minister and "Civic Choice" a centrist party led by Mario Monti. On 25th February he won the confidence of the Chamber of Deputies, 378 votes in support, 220 against and 1 abstention. In both chambers Mr Renzi addressed the issue of European integration and the next semester of the Italian Presidency of the Council. "European tradition represents the best part of Italy as well as the confidence it has in its future," he said.

On 26th February 2014 Czech President Milos Zeman spoke to the European Parliament about the adoption of the euro in his country within two to five years when the crown has stabilised against the European currency. "We need a European federation and not a unitary European state," maintained the Czech president in his speech. He said he supported defence and common tax policies. He said he also supported joint measures in social areas, environment and transport. The Czech President is the last head of State to have addressed the Parliament before the elections.

After several weeks of negotiations the two main political parties in the coalition in office, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Liberal Party (PNL), did not succeed in coming to agreement. The PNL decided to join the opposition just two months before the European elections and nine before the presidential election. Victor Ponta, the Romanian Prime Minister does still have the support of the conservatives and centrists in the National Union for the Progress of Romania (UNPR). However the social democrats will try to rally the Hungarian minority party (UDMR) in order to win back parliamentary majority. A ministerial reshuffle took place on 26th February 2014 since the liberal ministers presented their resignation together. The new list of ministers for the interim is available on the government's site. The vote by parliament to approve the government will take place on 4th March.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel gave a speech on 27th February 2014 to both Houses of Parliament the main theme of which was Europe. "We need a strong UK with a strong voice in the European Union," said the German Chancellor to representatives. "If we have that we shall be able to undertake the necessary reform for the benefit of all."

The Slovenian parliament approved the appointment of three new ministers on 24th February 2014, including the Economy and Healthcare Ministers two key portfolio for the recovery of the country's finances which just avoided a European bail-out in December. The appointment of Metod Dragonja as Economy Minister, Alenka Trop Skaza as Healthcare Minister and Gorazd Zmavc, the Minister for Slovenians Abroad in the government led by Alenka Bratusek was approved by 49 MPs of the 71 present.

The international crisis triggered by the Russian threat of military intervention in Ukraine - the most serious between the West and Russia since the fall of the USSR - continues. The West is continuing talks started on 1st and 2nd March during which they denounced the contravention of Ukraine's territorial integrity and threatened Moscow with far-reaching isolation. On March 1st Russian President Vladimir Putin won the Russian Parliament's approval for the "use of armed forces" in Ukraine whilst the situation rapidly got worse in Crimea and other pro-Russian regions which have now been affected by separatist turbulence. The 28 EU Foreign Ministers met on 3rd March in Brussels and threatened to suspend their relations with Russia if there was no de-escalation in Ukraine. On the same day the OSCE announced that it was sending an electoral observation mission to Ukraine for the early presidential election on 25th May.

On 28th February 2014 Eurostat indicated that the unemployment rate in January 2014 lay at 12% in the euro zone and at 10.8% in the EU. This represents 26,231 million men and women in the EU including 19,175 in the euro zone. The most vulnerable countries are Greece (28% in November 2013) and Spain (25.8%). The countries with the lowest unemployment rates are Austria (4.9%), Germany (5%) and Luxembourg (6.1%).

According to a Eurobarometer survey on climate change published on 3rd March 2014 four European citizens in five acknowledge that climate change and an improvement in energy efficiency might boost the economy and employment. This result is slightly higher than that seen in the last survey undertaken in 2011 in which 78% of those interviewed were of this opinion.

Three of the five most popular cities in the world (according to an annual ranking "Quality of Living Survey" published in February) are in Europe. Vienna comes out ahead, followed by Zurich, Auckland, Munich and Vancouver. The city with the lowest ranking is Tbilissi in Georgia. Three German cities (Munich, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt) feature in the top places which makes the German Federal Republic the favourite country in the world from this point of view. "European towns enjoy excellent living standards in comparison with other regions," commented Slagin Parakatil, a senior analyst with the Mercier Institute which draws up the ranking. "Health, infrastructures, and leisure are generally of a very high quality."

La Documentation Française has published a paper in its series "Réflexe Europe" by Pauline Schnapper entitled "Should the UK leave the European Union." The author looks into the possible exit by the UK of the Union if the referendum promised by Prime Minister David Cameron takes place. She firstly reviews the turbulent relations between the UK and the EU since the end of the 2nd World War to now. She also highlights the often underestimated contribution made by the UK to the EU as well as the strength of the links that it has developed with its European neighbours. Finally in the final part the author looks at pending issues, which will decide on whether the UK will leave the Union or not. She then lists the impact a possible exit by the UK would have on the Union.

The Beyeler Foundation in Basel is running an exhibition until 18th May 2014 on the work by Odilon Redon (1840-1916). The work by this major contributor to French symbolism marks the juncture between the 19th and 20th centuries and is defined by the interaction between tradition and innovation.