Early parliamentary elections will be held in Croatia on 5 July, 6 months ahead of schedule. Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic's Democratic Union (HDZ) intends to capitalise on the popularity enjoyed by the government in its handling of the coronavirus pandemic and fears that the coming economic crisis will undermine its popularity. According to the latest opinion polls, the left-wing opposition coalition, Coalition for a New Start, would come out ahead with 28.60% of the votes ahead of the right-wing government coalition led by A. Plenkovic, which is expected to win 26% of the vote. The Patriotic Movement (Domovinski Pokret, DPMS), a populist party founded last February by Miroslav Skoro, is forecast to take third place with 13.5%.

The Member States of the European Union are continuing to ease lockdown for their populations, to resume social and economic activities and to reopen the internal borders of the Union. The Foundation offers you a summary of the measures taken and the timetable planned by each State. An indispensable resource for understanding the way out of the crisis and regaining a European "spirit".

The Covid-19 crisis has changed the discourse on migration in the Union. Workers previously considered as "low-skilled" represent the personnel who ensured the operation of essential services during this period. In order to identify some of the problems that European citizens living in another Member State have faced during the crisis, this new publication in the "Open Horizons" series focuses on case studies of European citizens living in the United Kingdom.

On 10 June, the Foundation organised an online debate on the theme of media and telecoms in Europe in the time of Covid-19, with Roberto Viola, Director General DG CONNECT at the European Commission, Gérard Pogorel and Augusto Preta, authors of a study on this subject published by the Foundation. The entire e-conference is available online.

Pascale Joannin, Executive Director of the Foundation, participated on 9 June in an online conference organised by IRIS on the European Union and the economic crisis. The debate is available in full.

In its Economic Outlook published on 10 June, the OECD forecasts two scenarios for the European economy in 2020. It estimates that GDP in the euro area will fall by 9% if a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic is avoided, and by 11% if confinement measures are again introduced to counter a new wave. Together with Italy and the United Kingdom, the French economy will be among the most affected, with a projected decline in GDP of between 11.4% and 14.1% in 2020.

The Commission announced on 8 June that €166 million will be granted to 36 companies to fight the virus and support recovery through the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator pilot project. A further €148 million will be granted to 36 more companies as part of the Recovery Plan for Europe. Selected companies will be able to set up projects such as the production of decontamination wipes, smart fans or the establishment of an antibody collection platform, as well as projects in broader recovery sectors such as wind power or recycling.

On 9 June, trade ministers stressed the importance of the World Trade Organization in the aftermath of the pandemic and called for trade restrictions to be decided in a transparent manner. They consider that for the current WTO negotiations, sustainable development, e-commerce, regulation of services and facilitation of investments must be priorities. Ministers also want the next Director-General of the WTO to be in favour of multilateralism. Finally, they stressed the importance of value chains and their diversification for recovery.

On 9 June, the Economic and Finance Ministers discussed the Recovery Plan for Europe presented by the Commission. They emphasised the importance of ensuring sustainable recovery taking into account the objectives of green and digital transition. They discussed the European Semester and the recommendations covering five priority areas in response to the crisis: investment in health systems, safeguarding employment and combating the social impact of the crisis, research and development, stability of the financial sector, and preservation of the single market.

On 11 June the Commission recommended the gradual lifting of controls at the EU's external borders after 30 June. Restrictions are to be lifted for countries whose health situation is under control, according to a common list drawn up by the Member States. On 15 June the Commission launched the "Reopen" platform, set up to accompany the reopening of the Union's internal borders and available in the 24 official languages of the Union. The platform, with an interactive map, allows users to visualise the measures in place and to find out how to move from one Member State to another.

Social affairs ministers exchanged views on 10 June on the resilience of the labour market in the face of the coronavirus crisis. They noted that the current situation, in particular the use of teleworking, has raised many questions about data protection, social isolation and worker protection. Ministers also consider that training of workers will be crucial for recovery. They also discussed ways of combating domestic violence, which has increased with confinement, and the importance of promoting gender equality with the recovery plan.

The leaders of the Visegrad Group countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia), meeting in the Czech Republic on 11 June, agreed that the Commission's €750 billion plan to boost the economy is not fair. They propose to build a response more based on the decline in Member States' GDP due to the pandemic, so that the countries of Central and Eastern Europe can benefit more from it. These issues will be discussed at the European Council on 19 June.

France, Belgium, Germany and Austria lifted controls at their borders on 15 June. In France, bars and restaurants can reopen in the Ile-de-France region, as well as all crèches, schools and colleges throughout the country from 22 June. The lifting of the state of health emergency by 10 July will be discussed by the National Assembly on 17 June. In Germany, citizens will now be able to be tested even if they do not show symptoms of Covid-19. In Spain, the region of Valencia, Catalonia and Castile are entering the third phase of the end of lockdown, the professional football championship has resumed and tourism in the Balearic Islands will be allowed from 15 June. The state of emergency will be lifted and the borders reopened on 21 June. In Poland, borders reopened on 13 June and stadiums partially reopened on 19 June. In the United Kingdom, non-essential shops reopened on 15 June and the wearing of masks is compulsory on public transport.

In France, the government has presented a €15 billion aeronautics support plan. Support for credit insurance has been stepped up by a public reinsurance programme and the daily ceiling on meal vouchers has been raised from €19 to €38. In Belgium, measures to support purchasing power and sectors in difficulty have been extended, in particular temporary unemployment and parental leave. In Germany, VAT reductions from 19% to 16% and from 7% to 5% and new tax aid measures have been introduced. In Spain, on 15 June the government presented a €3.75 billion support plan for the automotive sector to strengthen competitiveness and facilitate de-carbonisation. In the United Kingdom, £63 million (€75.6 million) has been paid to local authorities to help those most in need. Parents on maternity or paternity leave will be eligible for the government's leave scheme.

On 12 June the Health Ministers discussed the health programme proposed by the Commission for the period 2021-2027. They stressed the programme's priorities, such as the long-term strengthening of health systems, their digitisation and the reduction of dependency in supply chains. Ministers also stressed the importance of ensuring coordination between the programme and other EU funding instruments.

On 12 June the ministers responsible for industry and the internal market examined the recovery plan proposed by the Commission. They called on the Commission to update the industrial strategy proposal it presented in March. They emphasised the importance of ensuring the Union's resilience and strategic autonomy with regard to new technologies and called for the modernisation of competition and State aid tools.

Energy Ministers On 15 June, Energy Ministers exchanged views on the future challenges for the sector in the context of the European recovery plan. They emphasised the importance of smart electricity networks, hydrogen, renewable energies and the renovation of buildings, as these technologies will make it possible to create jobs and increase the continent's competitiveness.

The Presidents of the three European institutions, Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel and David Sassoli, met on 15 June with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to take stock of the negotiations on the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom. Both sides endorsed the UK's rejection of any extension of the transition period after 31 December and agreed to intensify discussions in July with a view to clarifying the "principles underlying an agreement" before the end of the year. On 12 June the second meeting of the Joint Commission, responsible for monitoring the implementation of the UK withdrawal agreement, was held.

On 9 June MEPs on the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee approved a plan to temporarily ease regulatory constraints on banks to help them support economic recovery. The plan relaxes certain EU banking prudential rules (the Capital Requirements Regulation) to maximise banks' ability to lend and absorb coronavirus-related losses. It is due to be finally adopted in plenary session.

On 15 June, the ministers responsible for cohesion discussed the importance of the cohesion policy for the Union's recovery. They also emphasised the importance of adopting an ambitious new European budget for the period 2021-2027 in order to continue the support aimed at mitigating the negative effects of the economic crisis caused by the pandemic.

Foreign Ministers exchanged views on the state of the transatlantic relationship on 15 June with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. They discussed relations with China as well as the situation in Hong Kong. On these subjects, Josep Borell, High Representative of the Union, suggested the establishment of a reinforced dialogue with Beijing. Ministers also called on Israel and Palestine to engage in a "credible and meaningful" political process, and stressed the importance of the United States in stabilising the countries of the Union's Eastern Partnership, in particular Ukraine.

Ministerial-level negotiations between the Union and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP) for a "post-Cotonou" partnership resumed on 12 June, for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The expiry of the Cotonou Agreement, which governs relations between the two entities, was postponed from 29 February to 31 December 2020. Discussions focused on a common set of values and principles defining priority areas for action. The future agreement should also include regional partnerships

The first ministerial meeting of the Coalition for the Sahel was held on 12 June with the participation of 45 ministers and representatives of international institutions, under the chairmanship of French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, Mauritanian Foreign Minister Ismaïl Ould Cheikh Ahmed, and European Union High Representative Josep Borrell. The participants reiterated their support for the four dimensions of the coalition: counter-terrorism, the development of the military capabilities of the 5 Sahel countries, the return of the State and the administration to their territories and development aid.

In the 2020 report on the blue economy published on 11 June, the Commission notes that despite the strong impact of coronavirus on fisheries and aquaculture, economic activity related to the seas and oceans has a significant potential for recovery and just transition. In 2018, the sector employed more than 5 million people and generated €750 billion in revenue. By 2050, 35% of the EU's electricity is expected to come from offshore sources, and the fisheries sector has seen its CO2 production decrease by 29% between 2009 and 2017.

On 10 June the European Central Bank and the Commission published their biennial reports on the progress of non-euro area Member States towards the adoption of the common currency. The Commission notes that only Sweden and Croatia fulfil all the convergence criteria except the exchange rate criterion and that only Croatia's legislation is compatible with euro area rules. The Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Poland have inflation well above the reference value of 1.8%. The ECB underlines that Bulgaria and Croatia have taken steps to join the exchange rate stabilisation mechanism ERM2, which will have to be assessed in the next report.

On 11 June the Commission published the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) for the year 2020. The 5 indicators used (connectivity, skills, usage, digitisation of businesses and public services) show progress. The Commission considers that Member States should step up their efforts to improve coverage of very high capacity networks, assign 5G frequencies to launch commercial services, improve individual digital skills and continue the digital switchover of businesses and the public sector.

On 11 June, the Commission published its annual review on road safety in Europe. It notes a 2% decrease in the number of road deaths in the Union in 2019 compared to 2018, and a 23% decrease compared to 2010. While the average number of road deaths in the Union is 51 deaths per million inhabitants, Sweden and Ireland have the lowest figure and Romania, Bulgaria and Poland the highest. France and Germany have the lowest figures. The Commission notes that the reduction in road fatalities is slowing down, however, the target of halving it by 2020 will not be met.

The Gagosian Gallery in London is reopening its doors as of 15 June with a "sculptural happening" by the Italian conceptual artist Piero Golia. It will be showing until 31 July.

Until August 23, the MAPFRE Foundation in Madrid is hosting an exhibition dedicated to Rodin-Giacometti, two artists who are a century apart but whose works share many similarities.

The Pompidou Centre in Metz is once again welcoming the public and extending the exhibitions "Frémissements", by Susanna Fritscher, on the theme of air and light, and "Folklore", which retraces the relationship between European artists and folklore, until September and October. On 20 June, Nadia Lauro's fictional landscape "I hear voices" will be shown.

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow presents an exhibition devoted to the philosopher and photographer Roman Ingarden, as well as "The Pope", an exhibition on the representations of the Supreme Pontiff, on the occasion of the centenary of the birth, near Krakow, of Karol Wojtyla, who became John Paul II.