On Tuesday 29th April the Chairman of the Robert Schuman Foundation, Jean-Dominique Giuliani, will present an analysis of the political parties running just one month before the European election at the Permanent Representation of France at the European Union. A summary of the polls (D-30) will also be presented. Discussions afterwards will try to provide answers to the following questions: What are the main trends in the campaign in the 28? On 25th May will there be "A Grand Coalition according to the German model?" An election marked by "a" European far right? What impact will the eurosceptics have on the future European Parliament?

Is 2014 a turning point for Europe ? The European elections and the renewal of the all of the Union's political institutions offer an exceptional opportunity to analyse how the European Union is developing. These questions are the focus of the Schuman Report 2014, a yearly work of reference on Europe. This 8th edition includes an exclusive analysis by the French Defence Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, who gives his view of European defence issues. This book, edited by Thierry Chopin and Michel Foucher, is published by Lignes de Repères. It is available in libraries and on the Foundation website in printed paper format and digital version (eReaders and tablets) in the next few days.

The Robert Schuman Foundation has published a special internet site that gives full coverage of the European election campaign in the 28 Member States. It recalls the role and powers of the European Parliament, the voting rules and the 2009 results. It presents the parties and their programmes, the list of candidates and the polls. It provides information about the issues at stake across all of Europe recalling the composition of the groups in Parliament now and of the forecasts for the vote that is to take place between 22nd and 25th May. In addition to this a "mobile" app is can be downloaded free of charge on Apple Store and Google Play in French and English.

In an editorial published on his site on 26th April, Robert Schuman Foundation Chairman Jean-Dominique Giuliani deems that Europe now has enemies and highlights the links between the eurosceptics and all types of extremists and also Putin's strategy.

8 million Belgians are being called to ballot on 25th May next to renew their MPs, senators, their regional representatives and their MEPs. National MPs will be appointed for five years (instead of a previous 4). The electoral reform which changed the federal voting procedure is supposed to bring about greater stability. The N-VA is the focus of the electoral campaign. Elections on 13th June 2010 led to an electoral earthquake. The New Flemish Alliance N-VA led by Bart de Wever won 18.65% of the vote and 28 seats in the Chamber of Representatives (20.64% of the vote and 9 seats in the Senate). Bart de Wever has set a 30% threshold, whereby it will be impossible to ignore his party, which seems likely given the most recent polls. The PS is still in the lead in Wallonia: it is credited with 29.3% of the vote. In Flanders the N-VA easily dominates the political scene.

382 million citizens from 28 countries of the European Union are being called to ballot from 22nd to 25th May next to renew the Parliament whose HQ is in Strasbourg, and which is the only European institution to be appointed by direct universal suffrage. The Netherlands and the UK will be voting on 22nd May, Ireland on 23rd; Latvia, Slovakia and Malta will vote on 24th May. The Czech Republic will go to ballot on 23rd and 24th; Italy 24th and 25th May. The other 20 Member States will be appointing their MEPs on 25th May. In all 751 MEPs will be elected for a five year period during this election whilst the Strasbourg Assembly has 766 members today. The European elections on 22nd-25th May 2014 will be different from any of those which have gone before it. The adoption of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009 enables the citizens of Europe to influence the choice of the President of the European Commission.

On Monday 28th April Jean-Claude Juncker, (European People's Party), Martin Schulz (Party of European Socialists), Guy Verhofstadt (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe) and Franziska Keller (co-candidate with ecologist José Bové), all candidates for the Presidency of the European Commission debated for 90 on Euronews. Greek Alexis Tsipras (European Left Party) was not present. According to observers the debate was consensual and did not lead to any one of the candidates standing out in particular. Since the Lisbon Treaty in 2009 the heads of State and Government are now obliged to propose a candidate for the presidency of the Commission for approval by the European Parliament and take the elections results into account.

Just one month before the European elections citizens initiatives are multiplying across Europe in a bid to counter the spectre of abstention during the elections on 22nd-25th May 2014. Whilst the collective "Happy Voting" has already created a buzz in the sense that MEPs and citizens were filmed dancing to "Happy" by Pharrell Williams a new clip has also been put on line by YouTube, taking up European scenes from cult films. From Pulp Fiction to OSS117, not forgetting Folie des Grandeurs. Viewers can see Samuel Lee Jackson, John Travolta, Louis de Funès, Romain Duris and Jean Dujardin - this video shows that "Europe's Not Dead!" and invites European citizens to "continue its history".

Deputy Finance Minister, Christos Staïkouras, announced on 23rd April that Greece had succeeded in making a primary surplus in 2013 (ie apart from servicing the debt) of 1.5 billion euro. The European Commission confirmed this saying that "a primary surplus matching 0.8% of the GDP had been observed by the European Statistics Bureau, Eurostat. This information will help Athens towards the opening of discussions over an alleviation of the country's enormous public debt, which reached 175.1% of the GDP in 2013. Finally the country received the first tranche (6.3 billion euro) of the total aid (8.3 billion) negotiated on April 1st by Eurogroup as part of the European Financial Stability Fund.

In April the euro zone recorded the highest rate of growth in nearly three years in terms of its private activities, leading to the creation of jobs in all regions, indicated Markit on 23rd April as it published its monthly PMI indicator - a barometer that is published ahead of the official growth figures. The euro zone PMI composite which measures both activity in services and the manufacturing industry lay at 54 according to a first estimate, ie its highest level since May 2011. It reached 53.1 in March. When the index rises above 50 points this means that activity is rising, and it is declining when it falls below this threshold.

Portugal, which is about to come to the end of its bail out of 78 billion euro granted three years ago, will be receiving the final tranche from the euro zone in June announced the support fund, EFSF. The disbursement of this sum of 1.2 billion euro was validated on Thursday after the 11th assessment of the bail out plan decided in the spring of 2011. It is the EFSF's last payment; it will have disbursed 26 billion in all.

The Employment Ministry published unemployment figures for France on 25th April 2014 for the month of March. It reveals that the number of job seekers stabilised at 3.349 million in March. This is relative since although unemployment amongst the under 25's fell by 0.8% in March 2014 and by 2.6% between March 2013 and March 2014 unemployment amongst older people continued to rise with 7,300 more senior members of society now unemployed.

The G5 Finance Ministers (France, Germany, UK, Spain, Italy) met in Paris on 28th April 2014 to discuss measures to take in the area of tax fraud and tax evasion. During their meeting ministers stressed the importance of the adoption of a new world standard by mid-2014 on the automatic exchange of tax information, published by the OECD on 17th January 2014 and adopted by the G20 in February. Ministers stressed that tax evasion was the collective responsibility of countries and financial centres. Moreover ministers welcomed the progress made by the EU and stressed the importance of including the new measures on the exchange of tax information in European law.

Given the escalation in tension in Ukraine the leaders of the seven most industrialised countries came to agreement on 26th April 2014 on the principle of implementing further sanctions against Moscow. Western leaders "agreed to ask for a greater role to be played by the OSCE in Ukraine" which already has around 12 observers in Ukraine being held by separatists.

The Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court opened a preliminary investigation into the crimes committed before and during the fall of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych announced the ICC on 25th April. "The ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda has decided to launch a preliminary inquiry into the situation in Ukraine in order to determine whether (...) the necessary criteria are there for a wider investigation," indicated the ICC in a press release.

The Polish national statistics office (GUS) has published a comprehensive report on the country's situation in the EU on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Poland's accession. Entitled "Poland in the European Union: 2004-2014" the study (available in English and Polish) presents data on the country's socio-economic situation, the EU's 2020 strategy, the use of the European funs, the Union's regions and finally a database of statistical information on Poland.

In his most recent book published in February 2014 Jacques Pansard maintains that the EU is undergoing an identity crisis that is threatening its existence. Also according to the author "the Swiss "yes" in the referendum on 9th February shows the importance of one of the EU's key missions: to build a better balanced economic pole within which it will no longer be necessary to emigrate to live and progress. Why not take inspiration from the success of a misunderstood democracy which valiantly resists all international turpitude, Switzerland?" This book helps the reader to understand the country, its history, its political system, the results of its socio-economic model. It concludes with the levers which might inspire its neighbours. We might then be able to have another vision of a Europe of Peoples.

The team at the Globe Theatre in London where Shakespeare performed are organising a year of events and venues for the 450 anniversary of the birth of the Bard. The theatre troop is making a world tour playing Hamlet, putting on educational workshops in the theatre itself and researchers into Shakespeare's works will be sharing their views of this birthday. The full list of events organised is available on a specially dedicated website.

The Považské Museum of Zilina in the north of Slovakia is running an exhibition from 26th April to 8th June devoted to the French and German Impressionist movements from 1869 to 1930. Works by artists such as Bonnard, Cézanne, Manet, Renoir have been brought together so that people living in the region can come and admire these paintings which are usually housed in various foreign museums.

The Pinacothèque in Paris has been running an exhibition since 10th April on the legendary figure of Cleopatra - the show will be running until 7th September 2014. Looking back at the woman and the legend the exhibition brings together archaeological works from the time of Ptolemy, together with pictures, sculptures and works of art - from Ancient Rome to today. Visitors can see how the legend around Cleopatra came about and how it developed.