The international contemporary art fair "ArtVilnius" will be held from 1 to 4 October. ArtVilnius is the largest contemporary art fair in the Baltic region and one of the leading platforms for bringing together contemporary art movements from Central, Eastern and Northern Europe.

Until 10 January 2027, the Mapfre Foundation in Madrid is hosting three exhibitions: "Pre-Raphaelite Art: Women's Perspectives (1850–1914)", "The Other Face of the Avant-Garde" and "Minor White". They explore, respectively, how women artists approached and adapted Pre-Raphaelitism, the links between the works of psychiatric patients and avant-garde art, and the work of the American photographer Minor White to mark the 50th anniversary of his death.

On 27 September, the Swiss rejected the popular initiative "Safeguarding Swiss Neutrality (Neutrality Initiative)" by 70.15 per cent voting 'no'. The initiative aimed to enshrine enhanced neutrality in the Constitution, which would have ruled out any membership of a military alliance as well as any adoption of economic sanctions against a third country, with the exception of those decided by the UN. On the same day, they also rejected the popular initiative "For safe food – through the strengthening of sustainable domestic production", with 72.52 per cent voting against it.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced his resignation on 27 September. He is thus bringing his second and final five-year term to an early end; it was due to end in 2027. On 9 September, he had announced that early parliamentary elections would be held, a demand that had been championed by the student movement since the collapse at Novi Sad railway station in November 2024. These will take place on 25 October, and Aleksandar Vučić intends to stand in them and run for the post of Prime Minister. His resignation will also trigger a presidential election, which is expected to take place by the end of this year.

On 21 September, French public and private radio stations issued a joint statement calling on the French and European authorities to guarantee access to terrestrial radio for all drivers. On 10 September, a similar appeal was issued by MEPs and representatives of the broadcasting sector, calling for amendments to the legislation on digital networks (Digital Networks Act – DNA). Indeed, French and European radio stations are warning of the growing number of vehicles on the market that lack FM and DAB+ receivers and offer only streaming services, particularly from US providers. This is therefore a matter of public safety and sovereignty, as terrestrial radio is "the only free, anonymous and resilient medium in the event of a major crisis".

On 23 September, the sixth summit of the International Crimea Platform was held in New York, focusing on the need to prevent any normalisation of the Russian occupation, the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, the protection of the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and international law, the human rights situation in the temporarily occupied Crimea, and the need to hold Russia accountable for its international crimes. At the conclusion of the summit, the participants reiterated their unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, as well as their policy of non-recognition of Russia's attempt to illegally annex Crimea.

On 24 September, EU ministers adopted temporary measures aimed at supporting the Armenian economy following Russia's recent imposition of trade restrictions against it. These measures provide for a suspension of customs duties on around 80 per cent of Armenian exports to the European Union for a period of two years from the date they come into force. Safeguard measures have also been put in place to protect European producers in the event that imports have a negative impact on the EU market.

On 24 September, the ministers responsible for the internal market and industry discussed the key priorities of the 'Chips Act 2.0', emphasising the need to consolidate Europe's semiconductor ecosystem and to strengthen the continent's resilience and competitiveness. They emphasised the need to reduce strategic dependencies without, however, closing off markets or severing cooperation with reliable international partners. They stressed the urgency of accelerating the transition from research to industrialisation and commercialisation, mobilising public and private funding, securing access to critical raw materials and developing the necessary skills.

The book "Robert Schuman, Father of Europe" by Jean-Marie Pelt, with a foreword by Jean-Dominique Giuliani, presents a detailed biography of Robert Schuman, the French minister and founding father of the European Union. The author explores the key stages of his life, his political career, and his commitment to a Europe founded on peace, solidarity and cooperation. You can also order Robert Schuman's only book, "For 'Europe'". The books are available for purchase in French and English on the Foundation's website.

On 25 September, the European Commission approved Luxembourg's third payment request, amounting to €92.2 million, under the NextGenerationEU programme. To date, Luxembourg has received 37 per cent of its total allocation of €241.1 million under the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The Foundation provides a summary of the various national recovery plans on its website, setting out the amounts, timetables and priorities.

As China's commercial stranglehold tightens on Europe, the European Union must rethink its approach to free trade. With European markets flooded with Chinese exports that threaten jobs and widen the trade deficit, the EU has adopted coercive measures and is stepping up trade agreements with third countries (Canada, Mercosur, India, Australia). The "Industrial Accelerator", currently under negotiation, would introduce a European preference clause in public procurement, but the forthcoming European Council meeting on 15–16 October should provide an opportunity to adopt the measures needed to stand up to the Middle Kingdom.

From 25 to 28 September, Pope Leo XIV undertook an apostolic journey to France. On the 25th, he was hosted at the Élysée Palace by President Emmanuel Macron. He then travelled to the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Paris. On the 26th, he celebrated Mass before an audience of over 600,000 people before travelling to Lourdes, where he met with the bishops of the French Bishops' Conference. Finally, on the 28th, he travelled to Metz for an interfaith gathering at the Robert Schuman Congress Centre, followed by a speech entitled "At the roots of Europe for peace and unity". The choice of this city, the birthplace of Robert Schuman, is highly symbolic: it emphasises the importance of European values and pays tribute to one of the "Fathers of Europe".

In London, the Rest of the World were defeated by Europe on the final day of the Laver Cup, on 27 September. A tennis showdown between Europe and the Rest of the World, the Laver Cup saw Team Europe, coached by France's Yannick Noah, emerge victorious.