The upcoming elections in Portugal will take place on 4th October. The Assembly of the Republic (monocameral parliament) comprises 230 members elected for 4 years by proportional representation within 22 multi-member constituencies. Six parties are represented at present: the Social Democratic Party (PSD), of Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho, the Socialist Party (PS), the People's Party (PP), a member of the government coalition, the Communist Party (PCP), the Left Block (BE) and the Ecologist Party-Greens (PEV). 21 parties are standing on 4th October. Just one month before the election the opposition is ahead in the polls - but it only slightly holds the lead over the outgoing coalition.

On 31st August the European Commission announced via Frans Timmermans, the European Commission's First Vice-President and Dimitris Avramopoulos, Commissioner for Migration that it would allocate 5.2 million € in emergency aid under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) to support France in the creation of a camp that can offer humanitarian assistance to 1,500 migrants and support the transport of asylum seekers from Calais to other destinations across France. This announcement came during a visit by the two European leaders to Calais together with Manuel Valls, the French Prime Minister and Bernard Cazeneuve, the French Home Affairs Minister. The 5.2 million € come in addition to the 266 million € previously granted to cover the period 2014-2020 in terms of long term action in the area of asylum, migration and integration as well as 3.8 million € in emergency aid allocated in 2014 to finance the introduction of a reception centre in Calais.

On 3rd September Mario Draghi, the ECB President said that the bank was expecting the economic crisis in the euro zone to continue but at a slower pace however than initially expected. "New dangers, like inflation, weighing on growth prospects have emerged recently." Hence the monetary establishment is now forecasting growth of 1.4% this year in the euro zone (against 1.5%), 1.7% in 2016 (against 1.9%) and 1.8% in 2017 (against 2%). As for inflation it is due to reach 0.1% in 2015, 1.1% in 2016 and 1.7% in 2017 against 0.3%, 1.5% and 1.8% respectively to date. Moreover the ECB decided to maintain interest rates on the main refinancing operations (0.05%), on marginal lending facility (0.30%), and on the deposit facility (-0.02%) at their present rates.

On September 1st the European Commission published its sixth interim report on the EU's strategy in terms of sustainable development. This report assesses progress made under the EU SDS programme (Sustainable Development Strategy) adopted in 2001 then revised in 2006. The sixth report highlights a significantly positive development in three key areas (productivity of resources, employment rate of older workers, greenhouse gas emissions) as well as an improvement in two key areas (real GDP per capita and life expectancy). Conversely the report points to a negative trend in five key areas (poverty or social exclusion, primary energy consumption, transport energy consumption in comparison with the GDP, common bird populations, government development aid).

On 2nd and 3rd September the 28 Defence Ministers met in Luxembourg for an informal meeting. The first part of the meeting was mainly devoted to the follow up of the European Council of June 2015 and the implementation of measures approved during the latter ie action to take against hybrid threats, the strengthening of support capacities, as well as defence capacities to third countries. The second part, presided over by the EU's High Representative Federica Mogherini, was devoted to a return of information on CSDP operation ongoing at present, notably the EUNAVFOR MED operation that started in July to counter human traffickers in the Mediterranean.

On the leading edge of the migratory crisis in Europe German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed on 31st August that the EU must "move forwards" via negotiation in the settlement of the crisis without which it might "break" its fundamental links with human rights. "Universal civil rights have to date been closely linked with Europe and its history as a founding principle of the European Union," she said during a press conference that lasted an hour and a half in Berlin.

On 3rd September Mariano Rajoy, the head of the Spanish government announced that the Spanish general elections will take place in December 2015. The exact date remains to be defined even though the head of State has spoken of 20th December. This announcement comes just three weeks before major regional elections in Catalonia which will focus on the issue of the latter's independence.

On 3rd September on a trip to Brussels during which he met the Presidents of the European Council, Donald Tusk, the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker and of the Parliament Martin Schulz Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban declared that the problem of receiving refugees was not "European but German" adding "that no one wants to stay in Hungary, Slovakia, Estonia and Poland. They all want to go to Germany. Our job is simply to register them and we are registering them." These new controversial declarations come just as Hungary is the focus of a great deal of criticism after the completion of the fence closing its border with Serbia.

The Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny visited France on 4th September. He met French President François Hollande notably to discuss migratory issues in Europe. They then travelled to Lyon to discuss the economy and investment.

The 41st Ambrosetti Forum took place in Italy from 4th to 6th September. Every year since 1975 several heads of State and government, leaders of the biggest international institutions, Nobel Prize winners and the best experts debate economic and social issues. The forum this year was called "Intelligence on the World, Europe and Italy."

On a visit to Madrid and Lisbon on 4th September British Prime Minister David Cameron spoke of the reform of the EU and migration. Regarding the reform of the EU he recalled the four areas concerned: competitiveness, sovereignty, social security and economic governance. He said that he shared certain views with his counterparts. Regarding migration he declared that this was the greatest challenge now faced by Europe and a distinction had to be made between migrants and refugees. He then announced additional aid of £100 million for the victims of the Syrian conflict and laid out a global approach: stabilising the countries of origin, settlement of the Syrian crisis, formation of a united government in Libya, fighting gangs, financing refugee camps, saving lives.

On 6th September a meeting took place in Kyiv between Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and the General Director of the IMF, Christine Lagarde. The aim of the meeting was to discuss the country's economic and financial situation as well as the implementation of the second memorandum regarding the bilateral economic and financial programme agreed between Ukraine and the IMF for a four year period. Discussions also focused on the implementation of reforms undertaken by the country in the sectors of banking, loans and taxes as well as in terms of countering corruption.

A UN negotiation session on climate change took place in Bonn from 31st August to 4th September. This session enabled those taking part to come to agreement on a "first complete draft" of a new universal agreement on climate change that is to be finalised during the COP21 in Paris in December. The draft written by Ahmed Djoghlaf from Algeria and Daniel Reifsnyder of the USA which contains the choices and processes of the agreement will be made available during the first week of October. A further meeting will take place in Bonn from 19th to 23rd October.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attended the inauguration of a NATO Force Integration Unit (NFIU) in Vilnius, Lithuania on Thursday (3 September 2015), calling the opening "a big step forward towards greater solidarity, greater strength, and greater readiness." The Lithuanian NFIU is one of six small new headquarters activated this month in Lithuania, as well as in Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Romania.

In July 2015 and in comparison with June 2015 unemployment rates in the euro zone and in the EU declined slightly, by 0.2 points and by 0.1 points respectively said Eurostat. Hence in the euro zone, unemployment lay at 10.9% in July against 11.1% in June 2015 ie its lowest level since February 2012. In the EU the unemployment rate lay at 9.5% in July against 9.6% in June ie its lowest level since June 2011. The lowest rates were seen in Germany (4.7%), Czech Republic (5.1%), and Malta (5.1%) whilst the highest rates were recorded in Greece (25% in May 2015, and Spain (22.2%).

Jean Matouk is offering readers his thoughts in "Continuons l'Europe, mais avec qui?" (Let's continue with Europe, but with whom?) with the publishing house Le Publieur. He notes that under the UK's impetus, which has always dreamed of a Europe that is restricted to a single market, Europe has become paralysed. Today continuing to build Europe, deepening integration by strengthening cooperation between States which want to do so is really an historic necessity! It is the only possible path to guarantee peace that is still fragile and influence the future of the world made of Continent-States populated with hundreds of millions of men and women. It is therefore a plea for Europe to become a categorical imperative for each citizen now more than ever before.

Every year in Perpignan the photography festival "Visa pour l'image" takes place. Meander through the town and see the photo-reports by picture professionals from across the world. The Festival will be taking place until 13th September.