Outgoing German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was re-elected for another five-year term on 13 February. In the first round of voting by the German Federal Assembly's electorate, he received 1,045 votes out of 1,425. He declared that he would be "above parties" but "not neutral with regard to democracy".

To better understand Europe in 2022, the Permanent Atlas of the European Union, a unique work, offers a complete and easy-to-access view of the European Union, the euro zone and each of its 27 Member States. It is available in digital format.

On 8 February, the Commission tabled measures to ensure the EU's security of supply and resilience in the semiconductor sector. It suggests mobilising more than €43bn of public and private investment to anticipate and respond quickly to any future disruption in supply chains. It proposes the pooling of EU resources to fund research and innovation, the creation of a fund to help start-ups find financing, and a coordination mechanism between Member States to monitor supply and demand for semiconductors.

The fourth European Citizens' Panel of the Conference on the Future of Europe met for the last time in Maastricht from 11 to 13 February to discuss issues related to the European Union in the world and migration. Its recommendations will be discussed at the next plenary meeting of the conference on 11-12 March. All Europeans can contribute to the debates on the conference platform.

The Health Ministers, meeting on 10 February in Grenoble, underlined the positive effects of greater cooperation and intervention at EU level, particularly with regard to non-communicable diseases, rare diseases and mental health. The ministers stressed the importance of taking better account of the impact that other EU policies have on the health of European citizens.

At the "One Ocean" summit held in Brest from 9 to 11 February under the French Presidency of the Council, EU Member States and 16 other countries committed to signing a treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in the high seas. Fourteen countries pledged to fight illegal fishing. Economic actors promised to step up efforts to decarbonise maritime activities and combat plastic pollution.

The president of the Eurogroup, Paschal Donohoe, was hosted by the vice-president of the Spanish government, Nadia Calvino, on 7 February. They discussed the economic recovery, the European response to the crisis, and the labour reform recently adopted by Spain. The Spanish minister stressed that Spain supports a reform of the European budgetary rules that is "realistic and pragmatic" and that is adapted to the situation.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on 10 February in Belfort the lines of the new French energy policy in the framework of the "France 2030" investment plan. In particular, he presented policies in favour of a 40% reduction in energy consumption, the massive development of renewable energies and the consolidation of the French nuclear energy sector with the extension of all nuclear reactors that can be extended and the launch of a programme for new nuclear reactors.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi held a press conference with Justice Minister Marta Cartabia and Economy and Finance Minister Daniele Franco on 11 February. They detailed their plan to reform the Superior Council of the Judiciary, which aims to strengthen the independence of the judiciary and to upgrade careers. Mario Draghi announced a forthcoming reduction in utility bills and gave an update on Italy's macroeconomic situation. He also announced his intention to leave political life after the 2023 elections.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky on 14 February, before travelling to Moscow on 15 February, and announced a further €150 million in aid. On 11 February, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, the UK, Canada and the US, as well as the Commission, the European Council and NATO, met to discuss the risk of a Russian attack on Ukraine. They reiterated their commitment to diplomacy, dialogue and deterrence. On 12 February, French President Emmanuel Macron held talks with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts and with O. Scholz. On 10 February, High Representative Josep Borrell replied on behalf of the EU-27 to a letter from Russia. On 11 February, the Council approved the payment of €1.2 billion in aid to Ukraine.

On 9 February, GRECO published a report on the prevention of corruption of parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors in Moldova. The body had proposed 18 recommendations on transparency in public life and the creation of a parliamentary code of conduct. It reports that only four of them have been implemented, which it considers "globally unsatisfactory".

According to a Eurobarometer survey published on 8 February by the European Parliament, 32% of citizens surveyed consider democracy as the main value to be defended, followed by freedom of expression (27%) and the protection of human rights (25%). 42% consider that public health should be the Parliament's political priority, while 40% consider that the fight against poverty and social exclusion should be given priority.

The 8th Cohesion Report published by the Commission on 9 February shows that cohesion policy has helped to reduce territorial and social disparities between EU regions, notably through the cohesion fund, which is expected to increase GDP per capita in the least developed regions by almost 5% by 2023. However, while convergence between Member States has accelerated, internal regional disparities within fast-growing Member States have increased.

The work of Andreas Mühe will be on show at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt from 16 February to 19 June. The photographer portrays sociological, historical and political themes in an often dramatic and ambiguous light.