The Latvians are going to ballot on 4th October in a vote to renew their Parliament. According to the most recent poll by SKDS six parties are due to win seats: Unity (Vienotiba), the favourite, Harmony Centre, the Greens and Farmers' Party, All for Latvia!, Union for the Fatherland and Freedom (TB/LNNK) and the Regional Latvian Alliance. The Foundation has published a study on this election.

On 26th September the Spanish government presented the main outline of the draft finance bill "to consolidate recovery and employment." In 2015 Mariano Rajoy's government is "maintaining its commitment to reducing the government deficit," said Cristobal Montoro, the Budget Minister. The revision of growth forecasts to 2% in 2015 and a reduction in the unemployment rate to 22.9% in the same year will enable the reduction of the total allocated to unemployment benefits, thereby giving the government with greater room to manoeuvre. The GDP is due to grow by 1.3% this year and by 2% next year, announced the Economy Minister Luis de Guindos. Madrid has been reckoning on a rise of 1.2% and then 1.8% to date.

The Polish government approved the draft finance bill 2015 on 24th September which provides for an increase in the GDP of 3.4%. The draft budget which is to be submitted to Parliament plans for an average inflation rate of 1.2% in 2015 and wage rises of 4.3% and a 0.8% increase in the number of jobs. The government debt is due to total 48.5% of the GDP. The government deficit has not been laid out in detail but the Finance Ministry indicated that Brussels should be able to lift the excessive deficit procedure against Poland in 2016.

On 26th September the European Commission adopted two measures that aim to make cosmetics safer and strengthen consumer protection, notably that of babies and young children. These measures enable the restriction of the use of three preservatives in cosmetic products. The first measure taken by the Commission comprises the reduction of the maximum concentration of two preservatives: propylparaben and butylparaben. This measure will apply to products marketed after 16th April 2015. The second measure bans the mixture of methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone (MCI/MI) in leave-on products such as body creams. The measure will apply to products marketed after 16th July 2015. These decisions follow an assessment undertaken by the scientific committee for consumer safety(SCCS).

On 26th September Ukraine and Russia started to lay down the outlines of a solution to their gas issue before the winter which might have dire consequences for Europe, whilst fighting between the army and the pro-Russian separatists continues. Russian and Ukrainian Ministers came to "an interim agreement" aiming to "secure supplies until the spring," for Ukraine and also for Europe, whose Russian gas imports transit through Ukraine maintained the outgoing European Commissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger after tripartite negotiations (Ukraine/Russia/EU) in Berlin. "There is a European Commission proposal. But for the time being we have not come to an acceptable solution for everyone," declared the Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuri Prodane. According to this preliminary agreement - or proposal according to Kiev - that is to be approved by both governments and be the focus of a further meeting this week, Kiev will pay 3.1 billion dollars to the Russian supplier, Gazprom, by the end of the year covering unpaid deliveries dating back to the spring.

On 26th September the European Commission unveiled the details of the financing plan of its new pre-accession instrument (IPA II) that aims to support its work to reform the Western Balkans and Turkey over the next seven years (2014-2020). The financing approved by the European Union last year, totalled 11 billion €. The announcement made on 26th September by the Commission details the way the funds are to be distributed between the countries and defines the political priorities that will be financed. Hence the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo will be the beneficiaries of the EU's aid totalling, 664.2 million €, 649.5 million € and 645 million € respectively over seven years. The Commission's announcement lays out the frequency and the total amounts to be granted to each country between 2014 and 2020.

During the meeting of the parliamentary committee for civil liberties, justice and internal affairs that took place on 24th September at the European Parliament, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) presented its annual report regarding the asylum situation in the European Union in 2013. The organisation also unveiled its multi-annual work programme 2014-2016: "Towards a coherent implementation of the Common European Asylum System" and delivered MPs with the most recent trends in asylum in 2014. Amongst these trends the Office highlighted a 28% increase in the requests for asylum in the EU over the first eight months of 2014 in comparison with the same period in 2013. This follows a 30% increase in the number of asylum requests in 2013 in comparison with 2012: citizens from Syria, the Western Balkans and Eritrea were the main groups requesting asylum in Europe (EU, Switzerland and Norway).

The 28 European Ministers responsible for Foreign Affairs met on 29th September in preparation of the European Council on 23rd and 24th October. They discussed the EU/Ukraine association agreement and decided to amend the calendar regarding the entry into force of this agreement. They also adopted new rules on the status and the financing of European political parties and approved the extension of the mandate of the EU's rule of law mission in Kosovo. Moreover the Council adopted a directive setting down new transparency rules in terms of the social and environmental responsibility of multi-national businesses, a directive on the strengthening of the minimal infrastructure for alternative fuels in the EU and a regulation on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of alien invasive species. Finally the ministers adopted conclusions on the EU's strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian regions.

On 24th September the French Parliament met to support the military intervention in Iraq decided by the French President on 19th September. On 26th September the UK, Belgium and Denmark joined the international coalition led by the US which is undertaking air raids against IS's strategic positions in Iraq. In London MPs voted in support of the motion put forward by British Prime Minister David Cameron, stipulating "the use of air strikes" in Iraq but that the UK "would not deploy any soldiers to the combat zone." Six British fighter-bombers, based in Cyprus to date were dispatched to Iraq on 28th September. In Belgium Parliament voted in support of an intervention in Iraq comprising air strikes only - six fighter planes have left the country for Jordan. Finally Denmark announced the deployment of seven planes to Iraq to take part in the air raids organised by the international coalition.

On Monday 29th September the Spanish Constitutional Court suspended the referendum on independence planned in Catalonia on 9th November. The Spanish government turned to the court accusing the referendum of trying to damage the "sovereignty of the Spanish State." Government head, Mariano Rajoy announced the legal action indicating that "nothing and no one could break up the sovereignty," of the Spanish state, as he spoke during an extraordinary council of ministers. This decision follows the convening of the referendum for 9th November, which had been signed on 27th September by the Catalan President Artur Mas.

For the first time in Europe a cross-border hospital opened its doors on 26th September in the heart of the Pyrenees. The staff speaks Catalan, Spanish or French and hope to offer the "best" healthcare from the two countries to people living in the mountains who have been very much isolated to date. The new Cerdagne Hospital lies in Spain - just outside of the Catalan town of Puigcerda which is next to the French village of Bourg-Madame.

The main issue at stake in the senatorial elections in France on 28th September, in which half of the upper chamber of Parliament was to be newly elected, was to overthrow the majority. The left clinched victory in 2011, the right snatched it back this time round. According to estimates the right has 190 senators and the left 154. A few days will be required for the political groups to be put together. The senatorial elections are undertaken by indirect suffrage. The senators are elected by the grand electors totalling 87,000, mainly comprising town councillors. Half of the Senate is renewed every six years. In all 178 senators were elected on 28th September as well as a 179th due to the resignation of a senator who became an MEP on 1st July last.

In New York on the occasion of the G7 meeting on 25th September the 7 Foreign Ministers of the world's wealthiest countries (Germany, Canada, US, France, Italy, Japan and the UK) and the head of EU diplomacy Catherine Ashton exhorted Russia to "respect its commitments regarding the ceasefire, the Minsk agreements and Ukraine's sovereignty." If Russia does not do this the ministers said they are ready to adopt further sanctions against the country. This warning on the part of western leaders delivered to Russia came on the eve of a further round of negotiations on the gas crisis in Ukraine which took place on 26th September.

During a press conference on 25th September in Kiev Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko declared his optimism about the conflict between his country and Russia ongoing for over five months. He said that the "worst was now over" and called on Russia once again to stop supporting the pro-Russian rebels. Just one month before early elections the Ukrainian president also announced his country's application to join the EU as of 2020. He presented a plan of 60 reforms and special programmes that will prepare Ukraine to apply for accession as of 2020. He "hopes that the general elections" planned for 26th October will give him "a clear majority in order to be able to implement these reforms."

On the occasion of European Language Day, which takes place every year on 26th September, Eurostat published a report on the study of languages in secondary education in the EU. Hence in 2012 English was the most frequently studied foreign language in secondary schools (97.1% of pupils were studying it), far ahead of French (34.1%), German (22.1%) and Spanish (12,2%). It should be noted that the most remarkable increase has been seen in the study of Spanish. Indeed the share of secondary school students studying it has risen from 7.4% in 2005 to 12.2% in 2012. Finally, according to Eurostat, "the importance of English as a foreign language in the EU is confirmed by the lead it holds in nearly all Member States."

The Jacquemart-André Museum in Paris is running an exhibition until 19th January 2015 devoted to Italian artist Pietro di Cristoforo Vannucci - otherwise known as Perugino. Famous for his religious paintings Perugino is one of the most eminent representatives of the Italian Renaissance. Perugino influenced many of his contemporaries notably Raphael ten of whose works will be exceptionally on show in this exhibition. Major Italian institutions including the Superintendencies of Florence, Rome, Perugia, Naples and Urbino have made loans for this exhibition - likewise other major international museums: the UK's Royal Collection Trust and the National Gallery and the National Gallery of Art, New York and the Louvre, Paris.

The Kunsthalle in Hamburg is running an exhibition "The Still Lifes" devoted to the artist Max Beckmann (1884-1950) until 18th January 2015. This exhibition will bring together a series of works by this German painter which have remained relatively unknown, notably the series of timeless portraits enhanced with exotic flowers and plants. Max Beckmann - an eye-witness of the horrors of the 20th century succeeded in denouncing the monstrous nature of Nazism in the style of the painting schools of his time.

The Royal Academy of Arts of London is running an exceptional exhibition until 14th December 2014 on the work of Anselm Kiefer. An influential contemporary artist Anselm Kiefer is deemed to be one of the most important German artists since the end of the Second World War. A wide range of his work will be on show in the RA's exhibition, including both paintings and sculptures.

The Beyeler Cultural Foundation of Riehen in Switzerland is running an exhibition until 18th January 2015 devoted to Gustave Courbet. Together the Museums of Art and History of Geneva which are also presenting Courbet's Swiss years at the Rath Museum, the Beyeler Foundation is offering innovative works from all periods of the artist's creative life - including canvasses that are rarely shown to the public - some of which have not been shown for ten years. The exhibition tries to cover Courbet's work via his artistic development: from his self-portraits to his mysterious waterside nudes and the famous picture "L'Origine du Monde" whose profound effects on art are still felt today. It will be on show outside of France for the very first time.