The West and Europe must support those who are defending their idea of Freedom in Hong Kong, writes Jean-Dominique Giuliani in an editorial. Because whilst the confrontation now ongoing with China will affect the universal values of freedom and democracy that it rejects, victory on the part of the regime in Beijing over the Hong Kong democrats would mean greater danger for our own freedom.

6.4 million Austrians aged at least 16 are being called to ballot on 29th September to elect the 183 members of the National Council. The People's Party (ÖVP) of outgoing Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is due to come out ahead with 35% of the vote. He is due to be followed by the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) which is due to win 21%, then the Freedom Party (FPÖ), 19%, the Greens-Alternative Green (DG) with 11%, the liberals of NEOS-New Austria (NEOS) 9% and finally JETZT, a left-wing ecologist party, 2%.

On 4th September the Commission published a 6th series of recommendations to help European businesses prepare for a possible UK exit from the Union without an agreement on 31st October. It also suggested that the EU's Solidarity Fund and the European Adjustment Fund to Globalisation be used to help the Member States most vulnerable to a no-deal Brexit.

The designated president of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, presented her plans to MEPs of the ECON committee on 4th September. She insisted that she would be flexible in the face of economic circumstances, whilst respecting the ECB's mandate. She also guaranteed that the ECB would contribute to adapting the financial sector to ecologic transition. MEPs voted in support of her appointment, 37 votes in support, 11 against and 4 abstentions.

In an informal meeting in Helsinki on 28th and 29th August European Defence Ministers discussed artificial intelligence and new technologies, hybrid threats, maritime safety and the effects of climate change on defence.

Heads of State and government from the G7 countries met on 24th to 26th August in Biarritz, France. Discussions focussed on the survival of the Amazon rainforest, stability in Iran, world trade, the rise of Africa, gender equality and the fight to counter inequality. The situations in Ukraine, Libya and Hong Kong were also discussed.

Eurojust, the European Agency for Judicial Cooperation launched a judicial counter-terrorism register on 5th September. The latter which is managed 24/24 at the agency's HQ in The Hague, centralises vital judicial information to establish links in the procedures targeting those suspected of having committed terrorist acts.

Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) came out ahead in the regional elections organised on 1st September in Saxony (31.1% of the vote) and the Social Democrats (SPD) won in Brandenburg (26.2%). Both elections were marked by gains by the far right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), which won 27.5% of the vote in Saxony and 22.8% in Brandenburg, up respectively by 18 and 10 points. The CDU and the SPD ruled out any alliance with the AfD to find a majority in the regional parliaments.

Vienna, the capital of Austria, was ranked the most pleasant town in which to live in the world by a study the Economist Intelligence Unit, the department affiliated to the weekly, The Economist, on 4th September. It is the second year running that Vienna has led this ranking of 140 towns.

The High Commissioner for Pensions Jean-Paul Delevoye was appointed to government on 3rd September with the same title, delegated to the Minister for Solidarity and Healthcare, Agnès Buzyn. Jean-Baptiste Djebbari was appointed Secretary of State for Transport on the same day; he will be delegated to the Minister for Ecological and Inclusive Transition, Elisabeth Borne.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a series of reforms on 7th September to attract foreign investors and to consolidate the end of the country's crisis. In particular he is suggesting a reduction of corporate tax and income tax and tax on dividends, as well as measures to boost the building sector.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar hosted his British counterpart Boris Johnson in Dublin on 9th September to discuss Brexit and relations between the two countries, particularly regarding the backstop to maintain an open border on the island. In a joint statement both leaders acknowledged that there remained a "significant gap" in their respective positions.

The new government coalition between the Five Stars Movement (M5S) and the Democratic Party (PD), led by the President of the outgoing Council Giuseppe Conte was sworn in on 5th September. The president of the European Parliament's Economic Affairs Committee, Roberto Gualtieri (PD), has been appointed Minister for the Economy. The leader of the M5S Luigi di Maio, has been appointed Foreign Affairs Minister. Luciana Lamorgese, a specialist on migratory issues will be Home Affairs Minister. In order to widen the parliamentary base of the new government Mr Conte gave the Healthcare portfolio to Roberto Speranza, one of the leaders of the left-wing Liberi e Uguali.

On 1st September Poland commemorated Nazi Germany's invasion of it territory in 1939, an event that triggered the Second World War. During a ceremony in Warsaw, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier asked for Poland's forgiveness for the "historic guilt that Germany bore", for which he expressed its "eternal responsibility". His Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda stressed the importance of Polish-German friendship.

In a study published on 3rd September the UN Conference on trade and development (UNCTAD) deemed that an exit from the EU without an agreement would lead to export losses on the part of the UK of at least 16 billion $ (14.6 billion €) which would represent around 7% of the country's exports towards the Union.

Ukraine and Russia exchanged prisoners on 7th September totalling 35 on each side. Amongst the Ukrainian prisoners were film-maker Oleg Sentsov, the winner of the Sakharov Prize awarded by the European Parliament in 2018, and the sailors taken by Russia in November 2018. The exchange was "a decisive step in the renewal of constructive dialogue" said French President Emmanuel Macron, who hopes to organise a summit with Russia and Ukraine in Germany regarding the implementation of the 2015 Minsk Peace Agreement.

The European Court of Human Rights condemned Russia on 27th August for the death of Sergei Magnitsky in prison in 2009 - the latter was a lawyer who denounced a corruption scandal. The Court deemed that the Russian authorities had infringed the right to life, freedom and safety and also the right to a fair trial, as well as the ban on poor treatment. Russia has to pay 34,000€ to the wife and mother of Mr Magnitski for moral damages.

On 5th September the IMF Council of Governors abolished the age limit for the position of Managing Director, which to date was set at 65. This reform was adopted on the eve of the end of the bid for candidatures for the succession to Christine Lagarde, appointed to lead the ECB. It enables the validation of the candidature of the only known candidate, Kristalina Georgieva who is 66 years of age. The appointment of the Managing Director who is traditionally a European is due to occur on 4th October.

According to figures published on 30th August by Eurostat unemployment in the EU lay at 6.3% in July 2019, the lowest rate since January 2000 and at 7.5% in the euro zone, the lowest rate since July 2008.

According to a report published by the Commission on 5th September, the EU is the leading exporter of agri-food trade, to a total of 138 billion € in 2018, i.e 7% of total exports. The agri-food is the 4th sector of exports, after machines, other manufactured goods and chemical products, and represents 44 million jobs.

Maria Lassnig would have turned 100 this year. On this occasion the Albertina in Vienna is devoting a retrospective to this Austrian painter until 1st December. At the end of the 1940's she placed her own body at the centre of her art to illustrate what she felt, and not what she saw.