The Foundation has published "A Blueprint for Tomorrow's Europe", a first paper in a new series entitled Open Horizons, which provides a new venue for young European authors who want to express new ideas in support of European integration. In "A Blueprint for Tomorrow's Europe" Jérôme Gazzano and Andi Mustafaj believe that the present crises are an opportunity to rethink the European Union so that it can face the challenges of this century head on.

The Commission has reached the goal of 40% of women in managerial posts that it had set itself at the beginning of the mandate in 2014. 41% of the managerial posts at all levels are occupied by women, in contrast with 30% at the beginning of the term in office, it announced on 22nd October. These achievements place the Commission amongst the public administrations around the world with the highest share of women in leadership positions.

On 22nd October the outgoing President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker said his farewells to Parliament and debated his results with MEPs who met in plenary session. He stressed the positive results of his term in office like the "Juncker Plan" on investment, relations with Africa and the 15 new trade agreements. He expressed his disappointment about not having succeeded in completing Banking Union.

Ministers responsible for employment and social affairs adopted the conclusions on the economy of wellbeing on 24th October; this calls for the Commission and the Member States to place workers' wellbeing in policy design. They discussed the fight to counter discrimination, as well as the way to improve their decision-making by the qualified majority procedure or the ordinary legislative procedure. They also adopted conclusions aiming to promote the declaration of the International Labour Organisation on the future of work.

The EU, Iceland and Norway announced on 25th October increased cooperation to reach the goal of at least 40% reduction in CO2 emissions in 2030 in comparison with 1990. Iceland and Norway committed to implementing two Union legislations: namely agriculture, transport, waste management and buildings; and to enhance benefits of carbon removals from land use and forestry.

The President of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi gave his last press conference on 24th October before Christine Lagarde takes over on 1st November. Facing growing criticism regarding his unconventional policy he defended the work he has undertaken over the last 8 years. On 28th October, several European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel took part in the ECB President's departure ceremony and the transfer of office with Ms Lagarde.

On 23rd October Parliament announced the name of the five candidates for the position of European Ombudsman: outgoing Ombudsman, Emilie O'Reilly, the ombudsman for the region of Camania, Giuseppe Fortunato, Estonian judge at the European Court of Human Rights, Julia Laffranque, former Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe, Nils Muizieks and MEP Cecilia Wikström. Parliament will hold auditions with the candidates on 3rd December and will vote during the plenary session in December.

The radical left party Die Linke came out ahead in the regional elections in Thuringen on 27th October, with 31% of the vote, 3 points more in comparison with the previous election in 2014. The election marked a breakthrough by the far right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), which on 23.4% against 10.6% in 2014. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) dropped from 31% to 21.8%, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) from 12.4% to 8.2% and the Greens from 5.7% from to 5.2%. The outgoing coalition Linke-SPD-Greens lost its majority in the regional parliament.

Sophie Wilmès, of the Reform Movement (liberal), was appointed Prime Minister by the king of the Belgians Philippe on 27th October in replacement of Charles Michel, who will become President of the European Council on 1st December. Sophie Wilmès who is 44, previously the Budget Minister is the first woman to lead a federal government in Belgium. She is taking the leadership of a current affairs government in expectation of the formation of a coalition after the general elections on 26th May last.

On 24th October the President elect of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen was hosted in Helsinki by Finnish Prime Minister, Antti Rinne, whose country is presiding over the Council of the Union until 31st December. They discussed the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027 and the priorities of the Finnish Presidency of the Council. Antti Rinne declared that he wanted to devote at least 25% of the European budget to the fight to counter climate change and received the support of Ursula von der Leyen.

On 24th October following the rejection of Sylvie Goulard's candidature by the European Parliament, French President Emmanuel Macron put forward Thierry Breton, a company executive and former minister as candidate for the position of Commissioner for the Internal Market, Industry, Defence, Space and Digital Affairs.

On 24th October the new Romanian Prime Minister, Ludovic Orban of the Romanian National Party (PNL) presented the list of his government as well as his programme. The proposal will be submitted to a vote of confidence in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate on 4th November.

On 28th October the Council decided to delay the UK's exit from the Union until 31st January 2020, or earlier if the British Parliament ratifies the withdrawal agreement. The request for a delay was sent on 19th October by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was forced to do this in virtue of the Benn Act dated September 2019 passed to avoid a no-deal Brexit. In a letter addressed in return to the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, Mr Johnson accepted the delay but expressed his disagreement and asked the EU to rule out any further extension after 31st January.

NATO member Defence Ministers, who met in Brussels on 24th and 25th October prepared the meeting of the heads of State and government which will take place in London on 3rd and 4th December for the 70 year anniversary of the Atlantic Alliance. They discussed the situation in Syria after the invasion by Turkey, a member, burden sharing within the Alliance, as well as its missions and its commitment to Afghanistan.

On 22nd October Eurostat published its most recent public debt figures. According to the Union's statistics office, the public debt/GDP ratio lay at 86.4% in the euro zone at the end of the second quarter 2019, against 86.5% at the end of the first quarter. In the EU the ratio declined from 81.1% to 80.5%.

Cooperation and development is one of the best respected European policies says the Commission after the publication on 23rd October of a Eurobarometer survey on the issue. 86% of those interviewed deemed it is important to help developing countries and 70% think that the fight to counter poverty in developing countries should be an EU priority.

The Grand Palais in Paris is running a retrospective of El Greco for the first time in France until 10th February. El Greco was the last Renaissance Grand Master and the first of the Golden Age.