The Chairman of the Robert Schuman Foundation, Jean-Dominique Giuliani is the author of "Pourquoi et comment l'Europe restera le coeur du monde - Petit traité d'optimisme". This book published by Lignes de Repères available in paper and in digital format (e-books and tablets), was awarded the Emile Girardeau Prize from the Academy of Moral Science and Politics on 17th November.

On 20th November the OECD published GDP growth figures for the OECD zone for the third quarter of 2014. The GDP increased by 0.5% in the third quarter of 2014 up in comparison with the 0.3% and 0.4% recorded respectively in the first and second quarters of this year. GDP growth remains highest in the US and UK, with respectively 0.9% and 0.7% (compared to 1.1% and 0.9% in the previous quarter). GDP growth accelerated to 0.3% in the EU and 0.2% in the euro zone (compared to 0.2% and 0.1% in the previous quarter). It also increased in France and Germany lying respectively at 0.3% and 0.1% (compared to 0.1% in the previous quarter in both countries).

On 19th November the College of Commissioners discussed the "initiative for transparency" promised by J-C Juncker in his policy guidelines. Discussions focused on the implementation of this initiative the aim of which is to ensure greater transparency regarding contacts between commissioners, their cabinets and the general directors on the one hand and the groups of interest and people registered on the transparency register on the other. As of 1st December 2014 the members of their cabinets and the general directors will have to make "mention of all of the people they have met." Moreover on 19th November the European Commission put forward a list of candidates for the Presidency and the Vice-Presidency of the Council of the Single Resolution Mechanism (SRB), the European Banking Union resolution authority.

On 20th November the European Parliament put its new portal devoted to petitions on line. It has been structured so that citizens can sign online petitions and follow their progress at the European Parliament better. The aim of the portal is to make the procedure easier to use and more transparent.

Ministers and MEPs did not come to an agreement over the 2015 budget on 17th November which was the deadline set for the launch of the new budget. Negotiations already led to disagreement between European Ministers during the Council on 14th November and they then decided to interrupt talks and resume discussions again on 17th November. Disagreement between the Parliament and the Council again lies in the adjustments made to the 2014 budget and to the means to settle outstanding payments. Payments planned to a total of 140 billion € decided by the Council for the 2015 budget are up by 3.3% in comparison with the initial plan whilst Parliament had demanded 146.4 billion i.e. an increase of 8.1% in comparison with 2014. After the breakdown of negotiations the Commission is now due to put forward another draft budget which will be negotiated in view of a vote by MEPs in plenary session on 17th December. If no agreement is found then, the "provisional twelfths system" (monthly payments) might be introduced.

The 28 Foreign Affairs Ministers focused on 17th November on the situation in Ukraine. They called for a total respect of the cease-fire, for the withdrawal of illegal troops as well as military equipment, in order to make safe the Ukrainian/Russian border in view of the respect of the Minsk Protocol. They welcomed the Ukrainian elections that took place on 26th October - saying that this was a "major step towards strengthening the country's democratic development." They also asked the EU's diplomatic service to draw up a "further list of people to add to those already under sanction so that a decision could be made by the end of the month." Finally they set December 1st as the date to launch the EU's consultative mission for the reform of the civilian security sector in Ukraine (EUAM). The aim of this being mainly to advise the country regarding the reform of the sector of civilian security and to guide the implementation of these reforms. The EU's High Representative and the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin signed the statutes of the Mission Agreement for Ukraine (EUAM).

During a ceremony in Frankfurt on 20th November the European Central Bank officially launched the Single Supervisory Mechanism which makes it the central prudential supervisor of the banking establishments in the euro zone (around 6000 banks) and of the banks in non-euro countries which have decided to participate in the SSM. On this occasion Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council welcomed "the greatest leap forward since the creation of the euro" for Banking Union and a moment that marks "a revolution in the structure of the European financial sector." Mario Draghi, the ECB President re-iterated the ECB's determination to "preserve and protect the euro" by notably guaranteeing "price stability in the euro zone."

On 21st November Eurojust, an EU organisation for judicial cooperation, published a new report in which it notes that cross-border environmental crime is a strong feature amongst organised criminal groups. The main reason is that environmental crime is rarely the focus of prosecution on the part of national authorities. Eurojust also stresses that there is a lack of coordination between the competent authorities, both nationally and internationally.

On 18th November German Foreign Minister Franck-Walter Steinmeier met Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk. During the meeting Mr Steinmeier declared that "he was not very optimistic about the present situation." However he called for new impetus to be given to the settlement of the conflict as part of the judicial framework of the Minsk Protocol. The Ukrainian President repeated that Ukraine was attached to the agreement. The German Foreign Minister then travelled to Moscow to meet his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. He said he was not "optimistic" about an end to the crisis in Ukraine given the dangerous "escalation" in the separatist east where NATO has denounced a "serious" increase in the presence of the Russian military.

Prime Minister Charles Michel met German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on 21st November. Their meeting notably focused on the economy and Europe but also on the international situation, in Ukraine, West and Central Africa. "We are devoting our energy to strengthening the economy," maintained Mr Michel during a joint press conference with Ms Merkel. "But these in depth reforms will not affect social cohesion," he said whilst strikes are being planned by the unions in December. "Belgium is an open economy, which is closely linked to the economic and social situation in Germany," stressed the Prime Minister. The two leaders discussed pension reform, competition policy and the labour market in Belgium.

On 19th November the board of the Bank of Cyprus of which the Cypriot Finance Minister Harris Georgiades is a member appointed as its president, former President of the Board of the German Bank, Swiss Josef Ackermann, whilst Russian Vladimir Strzhalkovksi was re-elected as Vice-President.

Croatia, which joined the EU on July 1st 2013, will be organising the first round of the presidential election on 28th December announced the Minister for the Croatian Civil Service Arsen Bauk on 20th November. Outgoing President Ivo Josipovic, supported by the social democrats in office, is said to be running favourite in the polls as he makes a bid for a second mandate in a post which is largely honorary in nature.

On 17th November Finnish Prime Minister, Alexander Stubb and Estonian PM, Taavi Roivas agreed on a joint action plan to improve gas infrastructures between their countries. This plan includes a future gas pipeline "Balticonnector" between Estonia and Finland and a natural liquid gas terminal.

The French National Assembly adopted the draft Finance bill on 18th November on first reading 266 votes in support, 247 against and 56 abstentions. Most ecologist MPs and 37 socialists abstained. The draft bill will now be assessed by the Senate.

On 19th November Italy officially started assessing the means to privatise its railways as part of a wider privatisation programme that aims in part to reduce its government debt. A meeting between the management of the railways, representatives of the Economy and Finance Ministry and the Transport Ministry took place in Rome on the "procedures for privatisation" of the railways, indicated a press release by the Economy Ministry.

The President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite travelled to Ukraine on 24th November for a working visit during which she met her Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko. They then took part in the seventh session of the Council of Lithuanian and Ukrainian Presidents.

On 20th November Polish Prime Minister Eva Kopacz hosted German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the village of Krzyzowa to mark the 25th anniversary of the historic meeting between Helmut Kohl and Tadeusz Mazowiecki. Their meeting will focus on the launch of an exhibition called "Courage and Reconciliation" which has been designed to celebrate the mass of the 25th anniversary of the countries' reconciliation, which took place on 12th November 1989.

Dr Professor Anabela Rodrigues (law) was appointed on 18th November as the Home Affairs Minister for Portugal in replacement of Miguel Macedo who became entangled in a corruption scandal involving "golden" visas for foreign investors. It is the first time that a woman has ever occupied this post.

Klaus Johannis, elected president of the Republic of Romania on 16th November marked a first point in his fight to counter corruption. On 18th November the Romanian Parliament rejected a bill putting forward an amnesty for people already convicted on prison sentences of up to six years except in cases involving violence. Parliament also approved the lifting of immunity on certain MPs who might be prosecuted by the anti-corruption tribunal.

Nicola Sturgeon was officially appointed on 19th November as the first woman to become First Minister of Scotland during a vote in the Edinburg Parliament. The new leader of the Scottish National Party, the SNP, is taking over from Alex Salmond. Nicola Sturgeon officially announced the composition of her new government on 21st November.

During a meeting organised on 19th November in Pristina the two main Kosovar parties, that of outgoing Prime Minister Hashim Thaci (PDK) and Isa Mustafa's LDK, decided to form a coalition which should "enable the establishment of the Republic of Kosovo". This agreement points to the end of the worst political crises in Kosovo since its independence from Serbia in 2008. However the press release by the Kosovar Presidency which mentions this agreement does not say whether outgoing Prime Minister Thaci, in office since 2008, will relinquish his post to the LDK. The Prime Minister still enjoys a relative majority in Parliament with 37 MPs, whilst the LDK has 30 representatives, with both sides having an absolute majority in the 120 seat Parliament.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk will retain his post but the government must be 'completely overhauled'", declared the Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on 21st November as he addressed the nation. "The new Parliament will meet for a first session next week. I shall immediately submit the name of the Prime Minister (...) as a candidate. Given the unity of the democratic forces I think that the coalition will support my proposal to appoint Arseny Yatsenyuk," declared the president. Five pro-Western parties, elected in the early general elections organised on 26th October, have signed a coalition agreement. The first session of the new Parliament is due to take place on 27th November.

On 18th November the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) met at the Federal Parliament in Brussels within the context of the Belgian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers. Together with Belgian Foreign Minister, Didier Reynders, representatives discussed several themes including the abusive use of the Convention on the transfer of convicted persons, the prevention of violence to women (placing emphasis on the perpetrators of that violence), the improvement of the well-being of European citizens and alternative housing for displaced people within their own countries and for refugees in Europe in various centres that do not come up to standard.

The 32 contributing countries to the UN's Green Climate Fund met in Berlin on 19th to 20th November 2014 to make their contributions official and provide the mechanism that will be responsible for helping developing countries counter global warming with a budget for the next four years. On 20th November, after the meeting, the German Development Minister announced that the UN's Green Climate Fund had led to the leverage of 9.3 billion dollars, an extremely satisfactory total given the 10 billion dollar goal set to be reached before the end of 2014.

NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg made an official visit to the three Baltic countries on 20th and 21st November. In Estonia he stressed the importance of "solidarity" within the alliance re-iterating that NATO was determined to "defend and protect" Estonia. In Riga he then spoke with Latvian President Andris Berzin about security challenges in the east was well as about the crisis in Ukraine. They stressed the need for the total and rapid implementation of the action plan approved at the Newport Summit. Finally during a visit to the control centre of Lithuanian airspace in Karmelava Mr Stoltenberg welcomed the Alliance's sky police mission in the three Baltic States "as a real example of NATO solidarity at work."

In 2012 818,000 people acquired the nationality of one of the 28 EU Member States i.e. a rise of 4% in comparison with 2011 and of 6% in comparison with 2009. In 2012, the highest rates of naturalisation were witnessed in Hungary (12.8 nationality acquisitions for every 100 foreign residents), Sweden (7.8) and Poland (6.6) whilst the lowest rates were recorded in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia with 0.4 each, in Estonia (0.6) and Austria (0.7). It should be noted that the new EU citizens in 2012 were mainly from Morocco (59, 300 people, 53% of whom acquired French or Italian nationality, or Turkey (53,800, 62% of whom acquired German nationality) or India (36,900, 77% of whom acquired British nationality).

On 17th November the International Dairy Federation (IDF) published its annual report on the production, consumption and prices in the dairy sector. France came out as the lead country in terms of eating cheese (25.9 kg per French person in 2013) followed by Iceland (25.2 kg), Finland (24.7kg), Germany (24.3kg). At the bottom of the ranking came South Africa (1.7kg), Colombia (0.9kg), Zimbabwe (0.3kg) and China (0 kg).

Tribute is being paid to Gershwin at the Parisian Châtelet Theatre until 4th January with the musical "An American in Paris". Basing themselves on the film, Jean-Luc Choplin, together with producers Van Kaplan and Stuart Okeny, have changed dialogues, cut out songs and even added some in line with the character. The scenario has been entirely revised so that it is more realistic. Now the hero is an American GI who stays until the liberation of Paris and Lise, his lover, a saleswoman in a department store, a is young Jewish girl who had to go into hiding during the Second World War.