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Front page! :

In Europe, the awakening of memories past

Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine and the crimes committed by his army have awakened memories in Eastern Europe of the Nazi and Stalinist massacres of the 20th century. This is why the question facing Europeans is not the humiliation of Putin's Russia, but its defeat, writes Jean-Dominique Giuliani... Read more

Elections :

The majority of the presidential coalition and that of the left run neck and neck in France

Ensemble, the confederation that supports President Emmanuel Macron, came out ahead in the first round of the French parliamentary elections on 12 June with 25.75% of the vote, just in front of the left-wing coalition Nouvelle Union Populaire Ecologique et Sociale (25.66%), the Rassemblement National (18.68%) and the Républicains (10.42%). However, Ensemble is still in a position to obtain a majority in the second round on 19 June... Read more

Foundation :

The Schuman Report on Europe, State of the Union 2022

The 2022 edition of the "Schuman Report on Europe, the State of the Union" has just been published by Marie B. With contributions from leading personalities and experts, original maps and commented statistics, the Schuman Report analyses the challenges facing Europe and offers a complete view of the European Union. It is available in paper format on our website and in bookshops in French, as well as in digital version in French and English. Order it here... Read more

European Alliances. Outlook and threats to European unity

As part of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Polish institute In.Europa is organising a seminar on 15 June, on the initiative of the Foundation and in cooperation with the French Embassy in Poland, on the theme of European sovereignty in matters of security and defence in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine... Read more

Common European defence in the context of the war in Ukraine

In the context of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Romanian European Institute organised on 9 June, at the initiative of the Foundation, a conference in Bucharest on the theme of the European defence response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. You can watch the debate online... Read more

Ukraine/Russia :

Ursula von der Leyen in Ukraine

During her visit to Kyiv on 11 June, the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stressed the European Union's desire to help Ukraine rebuild after the war, in particular by setting up a platform between Ukraine and the European Union to implement reforms and channel investment. She recalled that efforts had to be made in the fight against corruption and in modernising the administration in order to attract investors... Read more

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Further European Humanitarian Aid

Visiting Kiev on 9 June, Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarcic announced the release of an additional €205 million to address the surge in humanitarian needs in the country. On 7 June, the Commission had announced the funding of two warehouses in Ukraine, and the signing of road transport contracts to deliver humanitarian aid to people in need. Under the European Humanitarian Response Capability, the EU has helped 18 European and local humanitarian organisations to deliver more than 750 tonnes of humanitarian goods, including food and essential items, since April... Read more

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Speeches by the Ukrainian President

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed OECD members on 9 June, calling on them to help rebuild his country and continue to adopt sanctions against Russia. On 10 June, he spoke at the Democracy Summit in Copenhagen and also interacted with students from British universities. The Ukrainian President also spoke at the Shangri-La Security Summit on 11 June... Read more

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Parliamentary meetings

The Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Ruslan Stefantchuk addressed the European Parliament on 8 June to call on the European Union to support his country's membership application. On 9 June, the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee meeting in Strasbourg published its recommendations. Condemning all forms of military aggression and abuse by Russia, it called on the European Commission to speed up its assessment process to give Ukraine official candidate status. On 7 June, Ruslan Stefantchuk met in Paris with the President of the French Senate, Gérard Larcher, who supports Ukraine's application to join the European Union... Read more

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Support to the International Criminal Court

The Commission launched a new project on 8 June to provide €7.25 million to support the International Criminal Court's capacity to investigate war crimes in Ukraine... Read more

UN warning regarding the risk of food crises

"War, along with other crises, threatens to unleash an unprecedented wave of hunger and misery, leaving behind social and economic chaos," warned UN Secretary-General António Guterres on 8 June, on the occasion of the release of a Global Crisis Response Group (GCRG) report on food, energy and financial systems. The number of food-insecure people is expected to reach 323 million in 2022, up from 135 million before the pandemic. 1.6 billion people in 96 countries are exposed to at least one of the three dimensions of the cost of living crisis (food, energy, finance)... Read more

European Council :

Brussels Declaration regarding women in conflicts

In a joint statement adopted on 9 June, the European Union, UN Women, the Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation and Nadia's Initiative recalled the role played by women in conflict prevention, resolution and peace building. They reaffirmed the responsibility of states to provide care for victims and to prosecute those responsible for violence against girls and women during conflict. The signatories commit to putting in place measures to combat sexual exploitation and to assist states in post-conflict situations to ensure access to justice for victims... Read more

Political Agreement regarding the European prospects of Bosnia-Herzegovina

Meeting in Brussels on 12 June under the aegis of the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the High Representative, Josep Borrell, the leaders of the political parties represented in the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina signed a political agreement on the maintenance of peace in the country, the rule of law and its European prospects... Read more

Commission :

Facilitation of Moldovan agricultural exports

On 9 June, the Commission proposed a regulation to temporarily improve access to the EU market for seven Moldovan products whose export to the EU is still subject to tariff quotas. These products are plums, table grapes, apples, tomatoes, garlic, cherries and grape juice... Read more

Proposed budget of €185.6 billion for 2023

On 7 June, the Commission proposed an annual budget of €185.6 billion for 2023, mobilising investment to ensure strategic autonomy and stimulate economic recovery and job creation. The budget will be complemented by €113.9 billion in grants under the NextGenerationEU programme and will prioritise green and digital investments. 53.6 billion euro will go to the Common Agricultural Policy and 46.1 billion to regional development and cohesion... Read more

Parliament :

Speech by Irish Prime Minister

Speaking to MEPs on 8 June, Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin welcomed the Parliament's support for the Northern Ireland Protocol, and said that "unilateral action to set aside a solemn agreement would be deeply damaging", referring to ongoing discussions with the UK government. He supported Ukraine's application for EU membership and said he was open to treaty change in response to the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe, provided that it was done within the existing framework... Read more

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Greenlight for the introducation of the international public procurement instrument

On 9 June, MEPs approved the introduction of the International Public Procurement Instrument (IPPI) to limit access to European tenders by companies from third countries that do not offer similar access conditions to their public procurement markets. The instrument's measures will apply to tenders worth at least €15 million for works and concessions and at least €5 million for goods and services. The text has to be formally adopted by the Council... Read more

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Votes regarding the "Fit for 55" project

As part of the proposed "Fit for 55" project to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 55% by 2030, MEPs approved on 8 June the proposed ban on the sale of combustion engine vehicles by 2035. They adopted a position on the proposal on land use, land use change and forests. However, they rejected three elements of the draft: the Social Climate Fund, the reform of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and the European Carbon Adjustment Mechanism (ECAM), which have been sent back to the parliamentary committee for further consideration... Read more

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Resolution regarding relations with Turkey

In a resolution adopted on 7 June, MEPs stressed that without significant progress on reforms by Turkey, they could not support the resumption of accession negotiations. They criticised Turkey for the "continuous deterioration of the human rights situation in the country". They asked it to deal "in good faith" with Sweden's and Finland's applications for NATO membership. However, they believe that cooperation between the EU and Turkey in the field of foreign and security policy is essential and support the idea of negotiations to modernise the customs union... Read more

Council :

Meeting of the Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs

Meeting on 10 June, the interior ministers gave broad support to the measures presented by the French Presidency of the Council to advance discussions on the reform of asylum and migration policy. They also adopted a general orientation on the reform of the Schengen Code and its evaluation and control mechanism. They adopted the general guidelines on the exchange of information and the regulation on the automated exchange of data. The day before, the Justice Ministers approved general guidelines on the exchange of digital information in terrorism cases, as well as on the draft directive on environmental crime, and adopted conclusions on children's rights. They discussed the protection of personal data in the context of international data transfers... Read more

Meeting of Ministers responsible for Competitiveness

The ministers responsible for competitiveness, meeting on 9 and 10 June, adopted conclusions on Copernicus 2035, on space traffic management, and on the values and principles for international cooperation in research and innovation. They discussed the resilience and competitiveness of the European space programme, and how to support young researchers in times of crisis. They took stock of the state of play on the Semiconductor Regulation. They unanimously approved a general approach on the review of the consumer credit directive.. Read more

Conclusions before the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference

At the start of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference, EU Trade Ministers adopted conclusions on the organisation's reform. They want to put climate on the agenda, restore a "fully operational dispute settlement system" and support the launch of work programmes on food safety and trade distortion. They want to find solutions to increase the availability of vaccines for countries in need and stress the importance of concluding negotiations on fisheries subsidies to combat overfishing and illegal fishing... Read more

Universal charger for electronic equipment

The Parliament and the Council reached agreement on 7 June on plans to make USB Type-C the common charging port for all small and medium-sized portable electronic devices. This includes phones, tablets, e-readers, digital cameras, headphones and earphones. Computers will be covered after the entry into force of the text. The directive will allow consumers to buy new electronic equipment with or without a charging device... Read more

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Parity on boards of directors

The Council and the Parliament reached a provisional agreement on 7 June to improve the gender balance on the boards of listed companies. Under the agreement, listed companies should aim to have at least 40% of their non-executive directorships filled by members of the under-represented gender by 2026... Read more

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Court of Justice :

Britons no longer have the right to vote in the Union's Member States

In a judgment delivered on 9 June, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that British citizens, no longer citizens of the European Union since the withdrawal of the United Kingdom, are no longer entitled to the right to vote and to stand as a candidate in local elections held in a Member State which is their State of residence... Read more

ECB :

Key interest rates to rise in July

The European Central Bank (ECB) announced on 9 June that it will raise its key interest rates at its next meeting on 21 July, and that a larger increase will be decided in September if the medium-term inflation outlook persists or deteriorates. It highlighted the significant increase in inflation in May and announced that net asset purchases under its asset purchase programme (APP) will end from 1 July... Read more

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Germany :

Tour of the Balkans

On 10 and 11 June, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Kosovo, Serbia, Greece, Northern Macedonia and Bulgaria. He reiterated his country's support for the integration of the countries of the region into the European Union and considered that the European Union has a responsibility to ensure stability in the region. The war in Ukraine and its consequences were discussed in the meetings between the Chancellor and his counterparts in each country... Read more

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Greece :

South East Europe Cooperation Process: Thessaloniki Declaration

The annual summit of the South East Europe Cooperation Process, which involves 13 countries, was held in Thessaloniki on 10 June in the presence of European Council President Charles Michel. In a joint declaration, the participants affirmed their willingness to strengthen the European perspective of non-EU countries. They underlined their priorities such as energy security, cooperation on security, economic growth, responses to the aftermath of the Covid-19 crisis and action to combat climate change... Read more

Lithuania :

Meeting with the German Chancellor

On 7 June, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauséda and Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyté, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins met with the German Chancellor in Vilnius. Olaf Scholz promised the deployment of a "robust combat brigade" to strengthen the Baltic States' border defence, in order to protect them from a possible Russian attack... Read more

Czech Republic :

Meeting of Prime Minister with Emmanuel Macron

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on 7 June. As the Czech Republic will take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from France on 1 July, the two leaders discussed the main issues of the moment, such as support for Ukraine, ecological and digital transitions, the need for European energy independence and the French proposal for a European political community... Read more

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Romania :

Meeting of the heads of State of the Bucharest 9 group

On 10 June, the 9 Heads of State of the Bucharest Group met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg ahead of the Madrid Summit. They reiterated their condemnation of the Russian military attacks and their support for Ukraine. They also repeated the need to strengthen the military presence on NATO's eastern flank through strong transatlantic cooperation. Finally, they reaffirmed their commitment to the preservation of the territorial integrity of Georgia and Moldova... Read more

NATO :

BALTOPS 22 Exercise

Until 17 June, NATO and its allies are conducting Operation BALTOPS 2022 in the Baltic Sea. This military exercise, hosted by the US Naval Forces Europe, is an annual opportunity to strengthen joint response capabilities. The joint training reaffirms the preservation of freedom of the seas and recognises the geostrategic importance of the Baltic Sea region... Read more

OECD :

Concern about a slowing in world growth

In its economic outlook published on 8 June, the OECD expresses concern about the impact of the war in Ukraine on the world economy. The organisation forecasts global growth of 3% in 2022, instead of the 4.4% forecast in December. It also highlights the risk of inflationary trends, particularly in the UK and US, and fears that the rising cost of living could lead to famine... Read more

World Bank :

Declining growth and risks of stagflation

The World Bank estimated on 7 June that global growth will be 2.9% in 2022, down from 5.7% in 2021. The war in Ukraine is adding to the context of the pandemic crisis and is contributing to a slowdown in global growth and an increase in inflation. The institution also assesses the risks posed by rising energy prices and calls for international and national policy action to mitigate their effects... Read more

Eurobarometer :

Support for the euro in countries that have not yet adopted it

Citizens in Member States that have not yet adopted the single currency, namely Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Sweden, are in favour of its introduction, according to a Flash Eurobarometer survey published on 10 June. On average, 60% of respondents are in favour of the introduction of the euro. Support is highest in Romania (77%) and Hungary (69%), and lowest in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic (44%). More than half of the respondents believe that the introduction of the euro would have positive consequences for their country (55%) but that it will lead to higher prices (56%)... Read more

Studies/Reports :

Report on the Union's budget

The 2021 report on the management and performance of the EU budget, published by the Commission on 7 June, shows that EU funds played a "key role in the EU's response to the pandemic", with regard to the financing of the Covid-19 digital certificate and the acquisition of healthcare-related equipment. The report highlights that €146 billion was spent on climate change in 2021, meaning that the EU spent in one year the equivalent of two thirds of the amount reached globally over the 2014-2020 period on climate change... Read more

Culture :

European Solidarity for Ukraine in the cultural domain

Across Europe, the arts continue to mobilise for Ukraine. In Germany, in Hamburg, the photographs of the artist Polina Slyusar are on display until 17 July as part of the "Art Meetings" event. In France, until 30 June for the Digital Art Month, digital works calling for peace in Ukraine are on display in the streets of Paris. On 16 June in London, pianist Ashley Fripp will give a solo concert to raise funds for Ukraine. In Spain, the Minister of Finance and Public Affairs, Maria Jesus Montero, has launched the distribution of a medal, struck as a symbol of the country's solidarity with Ukraine. The proceeds from the purchase of the medal will be donated to those affected by the war. On 17 June in Warsaw the Ukrainian rock band "Okean Elzy" will give a charity concert at the Polonia stadium, the proceeds of which will be donated to children and war refugees... Read more

The Voice of Aida wins the LUX Audience Award 2022

Bosnian director Jasmila Zbanic was awarded the 2022 LUX Audience Award for her film Aida's Voice by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on 8 June. Already winner of the Best European Film Award 2021, the film tells the story of Aida, a translator working with the Blue Helmets in the summer of 1995 in Srebrenica, whose family is among the civilians seeking refuge in the UN camp... Read more

Sculptures by Barbara Hepworth in Amsterdam

Until 23 October, the gardens of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam are home to nine sculptures by Barbara Hepworth. A rare female artist who achieved success with her sculptures in the 1960s and 1970s, she made bronze her speciality... Read more

Fernand Léger, life with a vengeance

The Soulages Museum in Rodez is presenting the exhibition "Fernand Léger, la vie à bras le corps" until 6 November. By linking 40 years of the artist's life through 86 of his works, the exhibition offers a "concentrate of his dynamism" and shows his multicoloured and geometrical paintings, his marked contrasts and his deconstructed forms... Read more

Alex Katz Retrospective in Madrid

Until 11 September, the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid is presenting a retrospective of the work by American painter Alex Katz, one of the leading figures in 20th century American art. The exhibition brings together some thirty large-format oil paintings and several studies by the precursor of Pop Art... Read more

The Lubomirski Collection in Krakow

The National Museum in Krakow is presenting the private collection of Jan Lubomirski-Lanckoronski until 16 October. The exhibition features works by Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Le Corbusier and Joan Miró. The works of pop and street artists, including Andy Warhol and Banksy, are also on display... Read more

Bucharest Biennal

The Bucharest Biennial of Contemporary Art will run until 3 July. By transcending specific political, historical and geographical contexts, it creates a space for the analysis and reorientation of current social, political and economic imaginaries. Artists such as Andreea Chirică or Josef Polleross are part of this project... Read more

Fourvière Nights

Until 30 July, the Fourvière Nights are bringing the city of Lyon to life. On the occasion of this meeting between the archaeological heritage of the Fourvière theatre and art, the festival hosts a rich and multidisciplinary artistic programme... Read more

Dance and Music Festival in Stockholm

Until 19 June, the Lustholmen festival marks the start of the summer season in Stockholm with a programme of dance, music and art exhibitions, as well as hands-on workshops for the public to try their hand at contemporary dance... Read more

Jazz Festival in Ljubljana

From 15 to 18 June, Ljubljana is hosting the 63rd edition of its jazz festival, which brings together musicians from all over the world and offers concerts throughout the city. This year, it pays tribute to the American musician Alice Coltrane... Read more

Art Fair in Basel

From 16 to 19 June, the city of Basel will host the major international art fair ArtBasel, which will bring together the works of more than 4,000 artists and the collections of over 200 galleries from all over the world in the city and its surroundings... Read more

Classical Music Festival of Orheiul Vechi

From 17 to 19 June, the village of Butuceni in Moldova will host the fifth edition of the classical music festival "DescOpera". The event offers a repertoire of the greatest classics, performed in a setting deepin the countryside by several famous Moldovan and foreign artists... Read more

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The Letter's Editorial Team :

Helen Levy ;
Luna Ricci, Justine Ducretet-Pajot,
Monica Amaouche-Recchia, Guillaume Gros, Maëlys Girault

Editors-in-chief: Ramona Bloj, Stefanie Buzmaniuk
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.