On 2 September, French President Emmanuel Macron, King Charles III and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham opened the exhibition of the Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum in London. Measuring 70 metres in length and depicting the conquest of England in 1066, this 11th-century tapestry is on loan from France to the United Kingdom until 11 July 2027.

Until 13 September, Perpignan is hosting the 38th edition of the Visa pour l'Image festival. Exhibitions, screenings, talks and personal accounts form the backbone of this international photojournalism festival. From Ukraine to Iran, and from climate change to the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, the programme invites visitors to explore current affairs, crises and conflicts from a new perspective.

On 2 September, Ülle Madise was elected President of the Republic of Estonia by the members of the Riigikogu, with 71 votes out of the 78 cast – three more than the 68 votes required to achieve the two-thirds majority stipulated by the Constitution. Until now, she served as Chancellor of Justice, a post she had held since 2015, which involves, amongst other things, overseeing the constitutionality of legislation. She will take office on 12 October and succeed Alar Karis for a five-year term.

The new King of Norway, Haakon VIII, was sworn in on 1 September before the Norwegian Parliament, the Storting, pledging to uphold the Constitution. King Haakon VIII succeeded his father, King Harald V, following the latter's death on 28 August at the age of 89, after a reign of thirty-five years.

On 1 September, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham delivered his first speech to the House of Commons. He began by praising his predecessor, Keir Starmer, for his work on immigration policy and support for Ukraine. He then set out the policy priorities he intends to pursue during his term in office, notably a return to growth through measures to ease the cost of living, a renewed role for the state in the economy, an ambitious industrial policy and a continuation of both economic and political devolution.

On 3 September, the European Space Agency's Epsilon mission became Europe's longest crewed space mission, after 202 days in space. French astronaut Sophie Adenot, who has been on board the International Space Station since February 2026 as part of this mission, has notably conducted a series of European scientific and technological experiments and carried out three spacewalks (EVAs). The experiments cover topics ranging from human physiology to technologies useful for future missions to the Moon and Mars.

French President Emmanuel Macron travelled to Eindhoven in the Netherlands on 2 September to meet Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten to discuss their shared priorities for strengthening European sovereignty, against an international backdrop characterised by significant imbalances and profound economic and technological transformations.

On 3 September, the Council gave its final approval to a review of the EU's customs framework, which is the most comprehensive reform of its kind in decades. The updated legislation provides the EU with new, innovative tools designed to better facilitate global trade – particularly e-commerce – to collect customs duties more efficiently, and to strengthen controls on non-compliant, dangerous or unsafe goods.

The Swedish general election on 13 September is taking place against a backdrop of a fragmented political landscape. The Social Democrats lead in the polls (29.2 per cent), ahead of the Sweden Democrats (18.9 per cent) and the Moderates (16.4 per cent). Immigration, crime and the economy are among voters' main concerns, alongside the environment and security. The ruling right-wing bloc, supported by the Sweden Democrats, faces a left-wing opposition that could form an alternative majority, with 175 seats required to secure an absolute majority in the Riksdag. Finally, the Liberals, credited with 3 per cent of voting intentions, are at risk of failing to win any seats in Parliament, as they are unlikely to reach the required 4 per cent threshold.

On 31 August, the European Commission approved Sweden's third and final payment request of €332.8 million under the Recovery and Resilience Facility. With this approval, Sweden has become the second Member State, after Denmark, to have achieved 100 per cent of the reforms and investments set out in its recovery plan. The Foundation provides a summary of the various national recovery plans on its website, setting out the amounts, timetables and priorities.

Both contested and sought after, Europe embodies the relative exercise of sovereignty in the 21st century. Just as the 'European reflex' has taken hold amongst the continent's economic and social actors, Europe's neighbours are quietly embracing it. Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and the United Kingdom are signing an increasing number of agreements with the EU to reap its benefits, whilst declining to join fully. Will the 2027 elections provide the opportunity for political leaders to acknowledge Europe's appeal... which is so evident elsewhere?

On 24 August, the leaders of the Coalition of Willing met to mark the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's independence at a gathering in Kyiv chaired by British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The meeting provided an opportunity for the Coalition to reassert Ukraine's right to defend itself, as well as to reach agreement on the need to continue economic sanctions against Russia and on the urgent need to support Ukraine's energy sector ahead of the coming winter.