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.

Just one month before the European elections the Federal Agency for Civic Education (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung) has launched a questionnaire together with the German newspaper Die Zeit - in order to help German voters make their choice in the European elections. After having worked with the political parties that are standing in the European elections the newspaper offers readers questions to answer on the EU (euro, foreign policy, energy policy, financial crisis, enlargement ...). According to their answers the newspaper establishes a link with the parties' programmes and indicates how close the ideas people hold are to the electoral programmes of these parties. This kind of initiative which is to be found increasingly in the countries of Europe makes it possible to draw closer to the citizens with questions pertaining to Europe and to encourage them to go and vote to defend their ideas whilst the European elections are those in which the citizens of all countries abstain the most. In Germany only 43.3% of German citizens voted in the European elections of 2009.

Members of the British Conservative Party have created a new party called the Four Freedoms Party (UK EPP). Their aim is to re-create the link between the UK and its European influence starting by returning to the European People's Party. In an interview on Euractiv, Dirk Hazell explains that the aim of this new party is to offer an alternative for the pro-European right in the UK who no longer identify with the European Policy of the Conservative Party.

According to two polls published on 30th April UKIP has won more ground in terms of voting intentions in the UK. The TNS-BMRB poll has seen it progress by more than 7 points since the beginning of April to total 36% of voting intentions - 9 points more than the Labour Party and double that of Conservative. The ComRes/ITV poll forecasts 38% ie 8 points more than in April and 11 points more than the Labour Party.

The German Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) published Germany's unemployment figures on 30th April. It emerges that the labour market has developed well thanks to the German economic situation. The number of German job-seekers fell by 111,000 people to reach 2.9 million. Unemployment has declined by 0.3% to lie at 6.8%.

In order to improve the speed of the release of statistical information on the Italian labour market and in line with the agreements made within the EU, Istat published its monthly estimates on the main labour market indicators which resulted from the "population survey". In March 2014 the unemployment rate represented 12.7%, a reduction of 0.1% in economic terms but an an increase of 0.7% over the last twelve months. Regarding the 15-24 year olds without work the rate is up by 0.1% to 11.4% in comparison with the previous month and by 0.8% year on year.

On 2nd May 2014, Portugal successfully completed the final assessment of its accounts by the troika (EU-ECB-IMF) and is about to become the second country supported by the euro area to exit its international bailout (after Ireland). The Portuguese Deputy Prime Minister Paulo Portas, welcomes this twelfth successful evaluation, which paves the way for the conclusion of the assistance programme to Portugal. The satisfecit issued by Portugal's creditors authorises a final disbursement of € 2.6 billion out of a total of 78 billion under the bailout granted in May 2011 in exchange for an austerity policy and a reform programme.

On 1st May 2014, a press released stated that the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), the euro zone's firewall had reached the paid-in capital of 80 billion euros, the highest in the world for an international financial institution. The 80 billion € mark was reached after payment of a fifth and final instalment of 15.7 € billion by the euro zone States, said the ESM, which has been operational since October 2012.

Representatives of the European Commission and the European Central Bank travelled to Ireland together with the IMF on 2nd May 2014 to undertake their first post-financial assistance programme assessment. Ireland left the Troika programme in December 2013. During this first assessment observers noted that although debt still weighs heavy on private consumption the rise in foreign demand and the stabilisation of domestic demand are helping to maintain positive impetus for Ireland where 72,000 jobs have been created in the industrial sector since mid 2012. Deficits and debts continue to decline thanks to structural reform. The next mission will take place at the end of 2014.

On 2nd May 2014 Cyprus lifted restrictions on cashing in bank cheques, an additional step towards the total lifting of capital monitoring which was set in place one year ago. These restrictions were imposed to prevent the flight of capital during the negotiations with international creditors over a 10 billion euro loan to save the island from bankruptcy. "With this new decision on the part of the Finance Minister all restrictions on national transactions have been lifted excepted on the opening of new bank accounts," indicated a press release by the Finance Ministry - at the same time it stated "that all restrictions concerning transactions abroad remained unchanged."

On 5th May the European Commission published its forecasts for spring 2014. It indicated that economic recovery was now confirmed and that GDP growth in the EU was due to total 1.6% and 1.2% in the euro zone in 2014; whilst it was due to rise to 2% and 1.7% in 2015 respectively. It indicated that France's growth will be lower than forecast for the EU and the euro zone with growth lying at 1% in 2014 and 1.5% in 2015. Moreover Germany is due to experience growth of 1.8% in 2014 and 2% in 2015. The Commission indicates that "internal demand will become a vital vector of growth over the forecast period." Hence "consumer spending should progressively feed growth as real revenues benefit from low inflation and the stabilisation of the labour market.

The EU's forces in Central African Republic became operational on 30th April 2014. Eufor-RCA presently comprises 150 men, mainly French troops from Sangaris and Estonian soldiers. The force will gradually increase in number and comprise 800 men in June, notably sent from Georgia and several EU countries like Spain, Finland and Italy. France is playing a dominant role since it is the "lead country" with several hundred men including the mission's commander, General Philippe Pontiès, in Bangui. Eufor-RCA will primarily be responsible for making safe the airport zone which hosts a vast refugee camp of people who have been displaced by the conflict before extending its missions to two parts of the Central African capital. Its mandate has been set for six months.

On 29th April 2014, in response to the urgent need to mobilise assistance to help towards the stabilisation and development of Ukraine, the European Commission adopted a special support package totalling 365 million €. This package will help the country's transition and boost the role of civil society, promoting and monitoring democratic reforms and inclusive socio-economic development in Ukraine.

The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement -PCA - between Indonesia and the European Union entered into force on May 1st. This is the first agreement of this type regarding partners in South East Asia. The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, Catherine Ashton declared that this was a major strategic partnership for the EU given the latter's role in the world arena. Ms Ashton stressed that Indonesia was a key partner and had showed its support in terms of creating increasingly stable and diversified relations.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel travelled to Washington on 2nd May 2014. During her meeting with Barack Obama they notably discussed the situation in Ukraine. Ms Merkel stressed her concern about the development of the conflict with Russia - she highlighted the importance of free elections so that the country would have a strong, legitimate, democratic government. Barack Obama and Angela Merkel discussed the introduction of further sanctions. The Chancellor addressed the issue of cyber-security and stressed that a happy-medium had to be found between monitoring terrorist threats and protecting fundamental freedoms. A "cyber-dialogue" is to take place between the two countries in order to set the limits of the NSA's activities. Finally the Chancellor pointed to the major economic interest of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) for the American and European economies and encouraged the completion of negotiations. During her trip the Chancellor met IMF Director Christine Lagarde with whom she discussed the financial assistance that the organisation could provide to Ukraine in terms of its economic reconstruction.

On 29th April 2014 the National Assembly, the lower chamber of the French parliament adopted the stability pact, 265 votes in support 232 against, which was put forward by Prime Minister Manuel Valls. In the socialist group 41 MPs abstained and three voted against, a proof of the tension that exists within the majority as far as reforming the country is concerned.

On 28th April 2014 the OSCE published its most recent report on the situation in Ukraine and the progress made by the special observation mission. In the region of Lugansk and especially in Donetsk the situation is extremely tense. Two observers of the special mission were temporarily held by the "People's Army of Donbass" in Yenakiveve. Finally in Slavyansk where military observers together with their Ukrainian aides were taken hostage by pro-Russian separatists the situation has improved somewhat. Indeed the seven observers as well as the five Ukrainians were released on 3rd May. Their liberation was one of the reasons quoted by the Ukrainian authorities to justify the military offensive launched the previous day against this town in the south-east of Ukraine.

After a bloody day in Ukraine which started with the launch of a military operation in Slavyansk and ended in a violent fire in Odessa, the situation is still extremely tense in the country's east in spite of the liberation of the OSCE inspectors on 3rd May. Armed Russian-speaking rebels attacked a military unit and a recruitment point in Lugansk. In the industrial town of Donetsk separatists took the HQ of the security services (SBU). 2000 people armed with bludgeons and baseball bats occupied the building which was not protected shouting "We shall not forgive Odessa" - a port where violence between pro-Russians and pro-Ukrainians led to more than 40 deaths on the previous day. The head of the Ukrainian anti-terrorist services, Vasyl Krutov deemed, during a press conference in Kiev, that Ukraine was now in a situation of "war": "what is happening in Donetsk and the East is not a temporary uprising - it is war."

Euro area annual inflation is expected to be 0.7% in April 2014, up from 0.5% in March, according to a flash estimate from Eurostat on 30th April 2014. Looking at the main components of euro area inflation, services are expected to have the highest annual rate in April (1.6%, compared with 1.1% in March), followed by food, alcohol and tobacco (0.7%, compared with 1.0% in March), non-energy industrial goods (0.1%, compared with 0.2% in March) and energy (-1.2%, compared with -2.1% in March).

According to estimates published on 2nd May 2014 by Eurostat, the euro area seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 11.8% in March 2014, stable since December 2013, but down from 12.0% in March 2013. The EU unemployment rate was 10.5% in March 2014, stable compared with February 2014, but down from 10.9% in March 2013.

Herman van Rompuy presented his book on 29th April 2014 entitled "Europe in the Storm, Lessons and Challenges". The first permanent President of the European Council, Herman van Rompuy will end his mandate in December 2014. In his book he reviews the years of economic and financial crisis experienced by the EU and the management of these by the leaders of Europe. In his opinion Europe will emerge stronger from these crises.

European history is the common heritage of the continent - whilst Europe Day is being celebrated on 9th May, the Council of Europe is launching its first electronic, interactive book entitled "Shared histories for a Europe without Dividing Lines". In a time when many European countries are reducing the place granted in education to European history or are threatening to abolish it, the Council of Europe has drawn up a pan-European tool that covers four major themes: the impact of the Industrial Revolution; the development of education; human rights as they stand in the history of art; Europe and the world.

It is the first universal museum of the 21st century. The Louvre Abu Dhabi will be inaugurated on 2nd December 2015 in the United Arab Emirates. Its collections will cover all civilisations on all continents, from prehistoric times to the modern day. The Louvre in Paris will run the exhibition "Louvre Abu Dhabi, launch of a universal museum" until 28th July 2014. The exhibition shows a sample of 160 works amongst 500 which have been acquired over five years.

Public attention was brought to the seven most threatened European sites in Vienna on 4th May 2014 by the main European organisation that works to protect its heritage, Europa Nostra - and by the Institute of the European Investment Bank. Amongst the seven sites there is the original machinery of the Bourla Theatre in Antwerp, Belgium, the neighbourhoods of Dolcho and Apozari in Kastoria, Greece, the citadel of Alessandria in Italy, the carillons of the Mafra National Palace in Portugal, the wooden churches of south Transylvania and of North Oltenia in Romania, the Colour Row Settlement of Chernyakhovsk in Russia and the synagogue of Subotica in Serbia. The programme for the seven most threatened sites does not comprise funds. It is designed to be a catalyst for action and to promote the strength of example.