L'OTAN et ses alliés ont renoncé à dissuader Poutine d'agresser son voisin ukrainien. Il appartient désormais aux Européens de faire preuve de détermination et d'unité pour arrêter une tragédie qui peut en appeler d'autres, écrit Jean-Dominique Giuliani.

The French presidential election is being held on 10 and 24 April in a context of crisis: international with the war in Ukraine, and national, with the health situation which continues to give cause for concern. With one month to go before the first round, incumbent President Emmanuel Macron is expected to come out ahead in the first round, with 30.5% of the vote. His potential opponents for the second round are Marine Le Pen (Rassemblement national, RN), who is credited with 16% of voting intentions, Éric Zemmour (Reconquête!) with 13.5% of the vote, Jean-Luc Mélenchon (La France insoumise, LFI) (12%) and Valérie Pécresse (Les Républicains, LR) (11%).

In his book, Jean-Dominique Giuliani, Chairman of the Foundation, freely addresses his fellow citizens, who must refuse to accept the lies about the European Union, while at the same time making a constant contribution to improving it. This book, published by Marie B, is available in paper format on the Foundation's website and in bookshops. Order it here.

On 8 March, the Commission proposed a plan (REPowerEU) to make the European Union independent of Russian fossil fuels by 2030 and to respond to rising energy prices. The measures aim to diversify gas supply, increase imports of liquefied natural gas, replace gas used for heating and electricity generation and build up gas reserves for the coming winter. The Commission proposes to increase production and diversify imports of bio-methane and hydrogen. It details how Member States can regulate prices and redistribute revenues from high energy profits and emissions trading to consumers.

On 8 March, the Commission put forward measures to combat violence against women and domestic violence. The directive aims in particular to criminalise female genital mutilation, online stalking, non-consensual sharing of intimate images and cyber-bullying on the basis of lack of consent. Victims' access to justice should be strengthened.

In a resolution on 8 March, MEPs proposed measures to combat the repression of civil society in Europe. They call for the creation of a "European Civic Space Index" and a comprehensive strategy for civil society, which should introduce common minimum legal and administrative standards for civil society organisations as well as a statute for cross-border and non-profit associations

Meeting on 7 and 8 March in Angers, the Ministers of Culture expressed their support for Ukrainian artists, journalists and cultural and media professionals. They discussed the role of the States and the European Union in consolidating the economic model of the media, insisted on the importance of restoring public confidence in the media, and exchanged views on ways to strengthen cultural diversity online. They recalled the need to strengthen the fight against illicit trafficking in cultural goods and stressed the need to enhance the accessibility and enhancement of heritage, notably through digital means.

The European Central Bank decided on 10 March to reduce its asset purchase programme to €40 billion in April, €30 billion in May and €20 billion in June, whereas it had planned to maintain a pace of €40 billion in the second quarter and reach €20 billion per month by the end of the year. The ECB confirmed that it would discontinue the emergency pandemic purchase programme (EPPP) at the end of March. It said it was ready to take "all necessary measures" to seek price stability and preserve financial stability.

In a judgment delivered on 8 March, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that in the case of an infringement of administrative obligations concerning the posting of workers, a national judge may apply a national system of sanctions contrary to the Posting Directive if that system ensures the proportionality of the sanctions.

The Polish Constitutional Court ruled on 10 March that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) was "not competent" to judge the independence of the Polish judiciary. This is the second decision in which it questions the compatibility between the Polish Constitution and Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees the right to a fair trial.

As part of the fight against Covid-19, the EU helped deploy vaccines by exporting or sharing more than 1.7 billion doses with 165 countries in 2021 and validated 22 national plans for recovery and resilience, according to the General Report on Activity in 2021 published on 9 March. With the adoption of the Climate Act, the European Union has turned its 2050 climate targets into obligations. Measures concerning public life were implemented with the Conference on the Future of Europe, laws on political advertising, electoral rights and party financing. Finally, the Union's international partnerships and capacity for action were strengthened through the Global Gateway initiative and the European Peace Facility.

In the fourth quarter of 2021, GDP increased by 0.4% in the European Union and by 0.3% in the euro area compared with the previous quarter, according to data published by Eurostat on 8 March. Employment increased by 0.5% in both the EU and the euro area.

From 16 to 27 March, Lisbon will host the Monstra animation film festival. Film premieres, retrospectives, documentaries and experimental cinema are on the programme, and exhibitions will be held to showcase the work of international artists.