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Elections :

Petr Pavel elected President of the Czech Republic with 58.32% of the vote.

Petr Pavel, former chief of staff of the Czech army and independent candidate, was elected President of the Republic with 58.32% of the votes in the second round of the presidential election on 27-28 January. He beat former Prime Minister Andrej Babis... Read more

Foundation :

European Recovery Plans: figures and priorities

In response to the economic and social consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the European Union has established a €672.5 billion recovery fund. On 27 January, the Commission assessed positively Malta's request for a first payment of €52.3 million. The Foundation offers you an interactive map of the plans country by country, showing the amounts and timetables... Read more

Energy Crisis: European Measures

To tackle rising energy prices, the Spanish Parliament voted on 24 January for a new package of anti-inflation measures, including free travel on suburban and regional trains for the year 2023. On 25 January, the Austrian Parliament decided to extend the electricity price cap mechanism, in force since the beginning of December, to households with more than three people. The Foundation provides you with a regularly updated map of the measures in place... Read more

Ukraine/Russia :

Vote on the creation of an international tribunal for Russian and Belarusian leaders

At its plenary session on 23-27 January, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe unanimously demanded the establishment of a special international tribunal in The Hague to prosecute the Russian and Belarusian leaders responsible for the war of aggression in Ukraine. Furthermore, they called on states to act in favour of the establishment of an international compensation mechanism for Ukraine to make good the losses caused by the war... Read more

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Sauli Niinisto in Kyiv and Catherine Colonna in Odessa

On 24 January, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto visited the city of Kiev to discuss his country's political and material assistance to Ukraine with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna visited Odessa on 26 January to restate France's support for Ukraine and assess the country's humanitarian and military needs... Read more

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Delivery of tanks to Ukraine

On 25 January, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that Germany will soon deliver 14 Leopard 2A6 tanks to Ukraine, and that it will issue transfer permits to European states wishing to supply Ukraine with the same tanks they have. Training of Ukrainian crews and logistical support are planned. Poland has announced the delivery of 14 Leopard tanks, as well as Polish tanks. Denmark and Sweden could also give up some of their Leopard 2A6s to Ukraine. Finally, the United Kingdom and the United States have pledged to deliver 14 Challenger 2 tanks and 31 Abrams tanks respectively to Ukraine, which should arrive at the end of March... Read more

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Launch of the Donor Coordination Platform for Ukraine

The donor coordination platform to support the process of repair, recovery and reconstruction in Ukraine was launched on 26 January. The aim is to improve the coordination and coherence of financial support, which has amounted to €49 billion so far. The first meeting brought together officials from Ukraine, the European Union, the G7, as well as financial institutions such as the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank... Read more

Extension of economic sanctions against Russia

The Council decided on 27 January to extend economic sanctions against Russia until 31 July 2023, including a ban on the import or transfer of Russian oil to the EU, the withdrawal of several Russian banks from the SWIFT network and measures to counter Kremlin disinformation. Further sectoral restrictive measures cover trade, finance, technology and dual-use goods, industry, transport and luxury goods... Read more

Commission :

Proposal for pollinator-friendly measures

On 24 January, the Commission presented a pact to combat the decline of pollinating insects in Europe and reverse it by 2030. The aim is to improve the conservation of pollinators, i.e. to protect species and habitats, to improve knowledge of this decline and to put in place national strategies by including civil society and citizens... Read more

Support Programmes for investments in neighbouring countries

The Commission announced on 26 January the approval of 24 guarantee programmes, amounting to €2.4 billion, to support investments in the countries covered by the neighbourhood and enlargement policies. These guarantees should generate investments worth €17 billion and will support SMEs, particularly in the renewable energy and digital sectors... Read more

Google complies with EU consumer protection rules

According to a Commission press release of 26 January, Google is committed to respecting EU rules on transparency and clear information for consumers. The company will make changes to several of its products including Google Store, Google Play Store, Google Hotels and Google Flights... Read more

Parliament :

Commemoration of the Holocaust with the Israeli President

Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke in parliament on 26 January to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day. He called on MEPs to act to eradicate anti-Semitism in Europe. He called for a stronger partnership between the EU and Israel, which "are linked by an unbreakable bond"... Read more

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Presentation of the Swedish Presidency to the Commissions

Ten Swedish ministers presented the priorities of the Council Presidency to 12 committees of the Parliament on 26 January... Read more

Council :

Informal meeting of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers

The ministers for Justice and Home Affairs, meeting in Stockholm on 26 January, exchanged views on migration challenges and committed to improving cooperation with third countries in the system for the return of irregular migrants, in particular, to make greater use of the visa policy. On 27 January, with the participation of Eurojust, they discussed the fight against organised crime, the coordination of cross-border criminal investigations and the development of a new instrument for the transfer of criminal proceedings... Read more

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Agreement on cross-border access to electronic evidence

The Council confirmed on 25 January the agreement reached with the Parliament on cross-border access to electronic evidence, which will allow national judicial authorities to obtain electronic evidence in criminal proceedings. Regardless of the location of the data, Member States will have an obligation to produce, within 10 days, and preserve electronic evidence... Read more

Diplomacy :

Increase in financial assistance to Moldova

On 24 January, the European Commission proposed to increase macro-financial assistance (MFA) to Moldova by up to €145 million. This increase should help Moldova to cope with the consequences of the invasion of Ukraine and a severe energy crisis that has been ongoing since October 2021... Read more

Summit of the Community of States of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAC)

Present at the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit on 24 January, European Council President Charles Michel reiterated the European Union's commitment to strengthening cooperation between the two parties, particularly in the area of digital and climate transformation in the region. The next EU-CELAC summit is scheduled for 17-18 July... Read more

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280 million € for South Africa's green transition

To contribute to its "fair and green recovery", the Commission announced on 27 January that the European Union and its Member States will invest more than €280 million in grants in South Africa, including €87.75 million from the EU budget. The investments will be earmarked for public infrastructure, greening projects, recycling of coal-fired power plants and development of start-ups... Read more

Court of Justice :

Limitation to the processing of genetic and biometric data

On 26 January, the Court of Justice ruled that the indiscriminate and widespread collection of biometric and genetic data of any defendant for police records violates the requirement of enhanced protection of sensitive personal data. It clarified that such collection, without assessing the evidence of the guilt of the accused, may be permitted by national legislation provided that it is strictly necessary and cannot be achieved by less invasive measures... Read more

Judgment on access to Council documents

The Court of Justice ruled on 25 January that access to documents drawn up by Council working groups in the context of a legislative procedure, in this case, does not seriously undermine the Council's decision-making process and does not prejudice the cooperation of Member States in good faith. However, he stressed that European law does not provide for an unconditional right of access to legislative documents and that the institutions may refuse access if duly justified... Read more

ECB :

Banking supervision cooperation

The ECB announced on 25 January that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the six Member States that are not part of the European Banking Supervision System to strengthen their cooperation since their banking systems are linked. To this end, the Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Swedish and Danish competent authorities will share information and coordinate their supervisory activities with the ECB... Read more

New climate-linked statistics for the financial sector

On 24 January the ECB published new statistical indicators to analyse climate-related risks in the financial sector. The first data show that the volume of euro area debt securities labelled as green or sustainable has doubled in the last two years... Read more

Bulgaria :

New elections 2 April

Bulgarian President Ruman Radev announced on 24 January that early parliamentary elections would be held on 2 April. As the last elections did not produce a governing majority, Rumen Radev will dissolve parliament on 3 February. This will be the fifth such election in two years... Read more

Cyprus :

Poll before the first round of the presidential

According to a poll conducted from 20 to 26 January, the independent candidate and member of the Democratic Rally, Nikos Christodoulides, leads the voting intentions for the first round of the Cypriot presidential elections to be held on 5 February, with 26.5%, ahead of the president of the Democratic Rally Averof Neophytou (21.4%) and the independent candidate Andreas Mavroyiannis (19.8%)... Read more

Slovakia :

Agreement for early elections in September

On 25 January, the Slovak Parliament approved an amendment to the Constitution that empowers it to vote for early parliamentary elections to be held on 30 September. This decision comes after the coalition government led by Eduard Heger lost a vote of confidence in December... Read more

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Slovenia :

Ministerial reshuffle

On 24 January, the Slovenian Parliament approved the new government headed by Robert Golob. The portfolios of six ministers were reshuffled and three new ministries were created... Read more

Council of Europe :

GRECO report on Romania

The Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) published on 25 January an evaluation and monitoring report on Romania's anti-corruption measures. It noted several improvements and considered that Romania's level of compliance was no longer "globally insufficient". However, further measures will have to be introduced to prevent the risk of conflicts of interest. These will be assessed by December 2023... Read more

GRECO report on Slovenia

On 26 January, the Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) published its follow-up report on Slovenia's measures to prevent the risk of corruption of parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors. In 2019, GRECO was alerted to possible political interference by the legislative branch in the work of public officials, prosecutors and judges in Slovenia. In its report, it welcomes the efforts of the Slovenian Constitutional Court to guarantee the principle of judicial independence and decides to terminate the ad hoc procedure against Slovenia... Read more

Parliamentary Assembly

At its winter plenary session from 23 to 27 January, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe discussed the tensions between Serbia and Kosovo, the humanitarian consequences of the blockade of the Lachin Corridor and the fight to combat violence against women. The German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, who was present in Strasbourg, called on the member states to comply with the European Convention on Human Rights and to apply the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in view of the next summit of the Council of Europe's Heads of State and Government, which will be held on 16 and 17 May in Reykjavik... Read more

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Moneyval Report on Estonia

In a report published on 25 January, MONEYVAL, the Council of Europe's anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing body, encourages Estonia to increase its capacity to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. It acknowledges Estonia's success in international cooperation, the use of financial intelligence and the implementation of the UN's targeted financial sanctions on proliferation financing, but suggests that the capacity and performance of the private sector and law enforcement authorities should be strengthened... Read more

IMF :

Reports on the economy of the Czech Republic

On 20 January, the International Monetary Fund released a report on the Czech economy. The post-pandemic economic recovery phase has been hampered by the war in Ukraine. Economic growth is expected to fall from 2.5% in 2022 to -0.5% in 2023. The report states that growth is expected to rebound by 2024 and that the pressure on the labour market is expected to ease, particularly as a result of the integration of Ukrainian refugees... Read more

Culture :

Brussels Art Fair

The Brussels Art Fair (BRAFA) is being held until 5 February at the Heysel Exhibition Centre. Art nouveau is the focus of this 2023 edition, which brings together 130 exhibitors from 15 countries... Read more

Leonardo da Vinci and Francis Bacon at the Loredan Palace in Venice

The Palazzo Loredan in Venice is hosting an exhibition exploring the theme of caricature and the alteration of physiognomy in painting until 27 April. More than 75 works, including some by Leonardo da Vinci and Francis Bacon, are on display... Read more

"Histories vraies" at the MAC VAL

The MAC VAL, the Val-de-Marne museum of contemporary art, is presenting the group exhibition "Histoires vraies" from 4 February to 17 February. Through their work, some forty artists question our relationship with reality and fiction... Read more

Poetic resistence in Barcelona

The Foto Colectania Foundation in Barcelona is presenting, from February 2 to May 28, the exhibition "Marcelo Brodsky. Poetic Resistance", devoted to the photographer Marcelo Brodsky, whose work deals with the struggle for human rights. The exhibition brings together some of Brodsky's most famous photographic series, including one dedicated to the consequences of the dictatorship in Argentina... Read more

Janina Wegrzynowska in Warsaw

Until 12 March, the Studio Gallery in Warsaw is hosting an exhibition dedicated to Janina Wegrzynowska and to women artists active in the art world in the 20th century. The exhibition aims to highlight women whose work has gone unnoticed... Read more

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Photos by Gauri Gill

The photographer Gauri Gill is on show at the Louisiana Museum in Humlebæk, Denmark, until 10 April. For more than twenty years, the artist has been observing the daily life of the rural Indian population. By focusing her work on themes such as identity and belonging, she aims to give a voice to the vulnerable in modern India... Read more

Dali and Gaudi at the "Bassins des Lumières" in Bordeaux

The Bassin des Lumières in Bordeaux is hosting two immersive exhibitions devoted to Dali and Gaudi until 7 January 2024. Dali's masterpieces, including the Persistence of Memory, are showcased to the backdrop of Pink Floyd's music. The viewer is also invited to wander through some of Gaudi's greatest architectural works, including the Parc Güell... Read more

Rudolf Levy at the Palazzo Pitti

Until 30 April, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence is paying tribute to Rudolf Levy, a German expressionist painter and pupil of Matisse who died in deportation. The 47 works tell the story of the artist's tormented life, from his early years to his exile in Spain, France, the United States, Dalmatia and Florence... Read more

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The Letter's Editorial Team :

Stefanie Buzmaniuk, Helen Levy ;
Micol Cattana, Eléna Roux, Amandine Guérin

Editors-in-chief: Eric Maurice
Publishing Director: Pascale Joannin
N° ISSN : 2729-6482

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The Robert Schuman Foundation, created in 1991 and acknowledged by State decree in 1992, is the main French research centre on Europe. It develops research on the European Union and its policies and promotes the content of these in France, Europe and abroad. It encourages, enriches and stimulates European debate thanks to its research, publications and the organisation of conferences. The Foundation is presided over by Mr. Jean-Dominique Giuliani.