The Chairman of the Foundation, Jean-Dominique Giuliani has published "For a few stars more... which European Policy for France?" An enlightening read one day after the first round of the French Presidential election regarding what the new president might be able to achieve.

Recovery in the euro zone remains modest as it faces the political uncertainty created by Brexit and upcoming elections estimated the IMF on 18th April which revised its 2017 growth forecasts upwards and left its 2018 forecast unchanged. World growth forecasts total 3.5% this year and 3.6% next year.

On 18th April the Commission announced that a new electronic certification system enabling greater control of organic product imports was entering into force on 19th April thereby making the EU a world leader in the area of the traceability and collation of reliable data on the trade of these products.

The President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani met British Prime Minister Ms May in London on 20th April notably to discuss the free movement of European citizens. "The priority is to defend citizens' rights," he declared.

The High Representative Federica Mogherini advocated in Beijing on 20th April greater cooperation with China in response to "protectionism" and "confrontation" at a time when the American administration is challenging several pillars of multilateralism.

On 23rd April Chancellor Angela Merkel inaugurated the Hannover Fair with Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo. This is the biggest industrial technology fair in the world. Ms Merkel gave a speech in support of free-trade.

On 19th April Dimitar Glavchev, a member of the GERB which won the most recent general elections in Bulgaria was elected leader of the Bulgarian Assembly. Moreover the government coalition led by Boyko Borissov (GERB) was approved, granting a place to the Patriotic Front (a coalition of nationalist parties) within the government.

On 21st April the Spanish government announced that it was providing 180 million € to boost the country's digital economy. 100 million are devoted to broad band and 80 to the funding of R&D projects.

On 20th April the President of the Estonian Parliament Eiki Nestor inaugurated the entry into service of new NATO troops who arrived on the military airbase of Tapa. He said he was pleased with this strengthened allied force which is helping to cover the Alliance's eastern flank.

On 21st April a shooting took place on the Champs-Elysées in Paris. A policeman was killed, two other policemen and one woman were injured. The attacker was shot dead. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.

On 20th April during a press conference with the Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, the President of the USA, Donald Trump declared that it was "very important" to have a "strong Europe". He also maintained that the USA "would help it to be strong" and that this "would benefit everyone."

On 20th April the Irish, Danish and Dutch Prime Ministers met in the Hague to discuss their joint positions regarding European issues. They notably discussed the Brexit and particularly their trade relations with the UK.

On 18th April British Prime Minister Theresa May announced a snap election that is to take place on 8th June. On 19th April the House of Commons approved the organisation of the election 522 votes against 13.

24th April 1915 marked the beginning of a massacre that cost the lives of more than one million Armenians, who were murdered in Constantinople. Demonstrations and events are organised yearly to mark this official date.

On 19th April the International Court of Justice did not condemn Russia for its support of separatist rebels as Ukraine had wished, due to a lack of evidence. However the ICJ did draw up some clear recommendations regarding Russia's interference, notably regarding the Tatars of Crimea.

On 18th April William Lacy Swing, the IOM's Director General recalled the need to establish a World Pact for safe, orderly, legal migration stating that man had succeeded in organising the free-movement of goods and capital and that world governance of migration would be to the benefit of all.

On 18th April the organisation that counters corruption within the Council of Europe said it was concerned about the use of emergency procedures (and non parliamentary) to modify legislation in Romania. The report however welcomed the progress made regarding the criminalisation of corruption and the transparency of the financing of political parties.

According to a study published on 19th April by Eurostat the euro zone's international goods trade surplus totalled 17.8 billion euro in February 2017, that of the EU lay at 1.7 billion euro.

The A.T. Kearney consultancy published its annual Foreign Direct Investment Index 2017. The USA lies first, followed by Germany.

Art Cologne, the grand contemporary art fair, brings together many gallery owners from 26th to 29th April in Cologne.