United Russia (ER), the party of the President of the Federation of Russia, Vladimir Putin, won the general elections in Russia that took place on 2nd December. It won 62% of the vote and 315 seats of the 450 in the Duma. Three other parties will be represented in the Duma, the Lower House in Parliament. The Communist Party (KPRF) won 11.6%, the Liberal Democrat Party (LDPR) led by Vladimir Jirinovski, 8.2% and Fair Russia (SR), a leftwing party created on 28th October 2006 after the merger of Rodina and the Life Party (PJ) and the Pensioners' Party (PP), the leader of which is the present Chairman of the Council of the Federation, Serguey Mironov, 7.8%. Fair Russia and the Liberal Democrat Party are the two parties which support Vladimir Putin. It is necessary for a party to win a minimum of 7% of the votes cast to enter the Duma. Turn out rose to 59.29%, a higher result than the one registered during the general election on 7th December 2003.

On 3rd, 4th and 5th December the Bureau of European Political Advisers is organising a conference with regard to "Change, innovation and distribution : social, political and economic trends and threats". Jean-Dominique Giuliani, Chairman of the Robert Schuman Foundation will be the rapporteur of the round table on "Globalisation and Nation-States in the 21st Century."

During the 8th EU-India Summit in New Delhi on 30th November each side said it hoped to strengthen their strategic partnership by preparing the signature of a bilateral free trade agreement in 2008 (the Union is India's first trade partner and India is the EU's 9th most important partner) and by enhancing certain co-operation agreements (energy, environment, cultural, between civil and internparliamentary societies). They pointed to Indian progress with regard to the application of the Joint Action Plan.

On 29th November MEPs adopted a resolution by a wide majority to provide a mandate to its President Hans-Gert Pöttering to proclaim solemnly the European Union's Charter of Fundamental Rights, before the signature of the treaty. He will do this together with the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission.

New rules governing advertising on TV are to be adopted by the end of 2007. "Audiovisual media services will now be considered as economic and cultural goods thanks to this directive. The pluralism of the media and cultural diversity are guaranteed just as the opportunity of developing new economic models," said rapporteur Ruth Hieronymi (PPE-DE, DE). The new law aims to update the directive governing TV without frontiers(1997) which has been renamed 'directive relative to audiovisual media services,' in order to adapt it to new developments in technology and audiovisual advertising.

The Chairman of the Court of Auditors, Hubert Weber presented the Court's annual report that takes an indepth look into the management of community funds over the financial year 2006. In its report the Court points to a number of errors with regard to the structural funds in particular. It reveals some improvements, notably in the area of agriculture expenditure, some errors which continue to affect the legality and regularity of most of community expenditure due to weaknesses in the internal auditing systems both at the Commission and amongst the Member States. In this respect the Robert Schuman Foundation has just published a study entitled "What controls exist for Europe's public funds" This work is available for purchase on the Foundation site either in paper form or PDF.

On 26th November the Commission published the 2007 version of its report on "Employment in Europe" that indicates that four million jobs were created in 2006. This was the greatest rise since 2000. In order to continue improvements in the labour market Member States had to draw up more integrated policies with regard to employment and training so that the security of European Union workers could be enhanced in the face of a changing world economy.

According to an annual report published by the Commission on 27th November the European Union is moving closer to achieving its Kyoto Protocol targets for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases but additional initiatives need to be adopted and implemented swiftly to ensure success. The latest projections from Member States indicate that measures already taken, together with the purchase of emission credits from third countries and forestry activities that absorb carbon from the atmosphere, will cut European Union emissions in 2010 to 7.4% below levels in the chosen base year (1990 in most cases) - just short of the 8% reduction target for 2012.

Despite technological progress and enhanced competition, more than one in three Europeans are still excluded from fully benefiting from the digital society. Benefits of 35-85 billion euros over five years could be generated if society would be made more inclusive, websites more accessible and broadband Internet made available to all EU citizens. On 29th November, the Commission presented its e-Inclusion initiative, calling on Member States to support a number of key actions, including an awareness campaign for 2008 "e-Inclusion, be part of it!" e-Accessibility legislation, similar to that of the USA, is also under consideration.

During the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council on 29th and 30th November the 27 ministers discussed how to strengthen the internal market for mobile TV. They invited Member States to adapt their legal framework to technological developments. They welcomed the Commission's initiative to strengthen information society based on new technologies. Finally they addressed the issue of freight transport, hoping to simplify administrative procedures. They call for an enhancement of intermodal communication networks.

During the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council on 29th and 30th November the 27 European Transport Ministers agreed by qualified majority, firstly without Spain, which finally joined the project, to continue the satellite navigation programme, Galileo, a leading European technological project and competitor to the American GPS as from 2013. Galileo promises detailed navigation capabilities in comparison with GPS which is not so accurate. "We shall be able to launch Galileo by 2013 and offer Europeans many services," said Jacques Barrot, Vice-President of the Commission in charge of Transport.

On 30th November the Bundestag, the lower house in German Parliament, adopted the 2008 budget. Chancellor Angela Merkel intends to continue work to increase growth, develop employment and complete the overhaul of public budgets. The 2008 Finance Law is based on the "balance, reform and invest" method that has proved its worth. Hence the Chancellor can pride herself on the revival of growth (2.4% planned for 2007), a reduction of public debt by half, a decline in unemployment, success in research and also on having almost reached her objectives with regard to the reduction of CO2 emissions established by the Kyoto Protocol.

On 28th November German Chancellor Angela Merkel re-iterated Germany's commitment with regard to sustainable development, the leitmotif of German policy. The goal is to achieve a balance worldwide between protecting the environment, profitability and social responsibility. Whilst the world's population is growing at a high rate it would appear appropriate to reduce the inequality that exists in access to resources which comprise a potential source of conflict. The Chancellor called on the countries of the European Union to keep their promises with regard to the reduction of CO2 emissions if they want to set an example and lead the way for other continents.

Several Belgian media reported on 3rd December that outgoing Belgian Prime Minister, Guy Verhofstadt who has been managing "current affairs" since 10th June last is to lead an "emergency government" which will have increased competences in the wake of Yves Leterme's resignation on 1st December in his mission to form a new government after the general elections of June 2007. Belgian King Albert II met outgoing Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt on 3rd December; he asked him "to find a way out of the dead end," in which Belgium has been plunged.

On 26th September Danish Climate Minister, Connie Hedegaard announced that her new ministry was going to send five climate 'envoys' to the countries believed to be vital for the conclusion of an agreement designed to replace the Kyoto Protocol, during the UN conference on the climate which will take place in Copenhagen in 2009. Although the list of countries has not been decided upon it is due to include the USA, China and India. The envoys' work will contribute to the pressure put on companies by the government to oblige them to help in the fight against climate change.

In a column published in the International Herald Tribune on 30th November British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and French President, Nicolas Sarkozy exhorted the international community and the Association of South-Eastern Asian Nations to commit themselves and mobilise to bring about a positive change in Burma. Amongst other things they denounced "the denial" of Human Rights. Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy advised for pressure to be put on the Burmese junta so that the military regime starts talking with the oppositionagain. A combination of persuasion (carrot) and coercion (stick) might be applied according to the European Union's model whereby aid to the population is increased whilst toughening up on multilateral sanctions which target the rulers.

During a press conference on 3rd December in Moscow, Luc van den Brande and Göran Lennmarker, heads of the delegations of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) declared that the Russian elections on 2nd December had not met "the OSCE's criteria and obligations with regard to democratic elections." They stressed that the vote had taken place in an atmosphere "that seriously limited political competition" and that they were biased by "frequent abuse of administrative resources, a media coverage that was greatly in favour of the ruling party and an electoral code which combined together prevented political pluralism."

The 3ème version of "Consumers in Europe, facts and figures," published on 27th November by Eurostat and the Commission's Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection focusses on network industries which supply services of general interest to European consumers. These services of public utility such as transport, energy, water and electricity supply, telecommunications, interet, post, banks play a fundamental role in citizens' economic and social life.

According to figures published by Eurostat on 29th November in 2006, European Union external trade in services recorded a surplus of 68.5 billion euro, an increase compared with 52.9 bn in 2005 and 46.4 bn in 2004. The increased surplus in 2006 was mainly due to an improved balance in insurance services, where the deficit of 2.2 bn recorded in 2005 turned into a surplus of 7.0 bn in 2006, to increased surpluses in financial services (+24.5 bn in 2006 compared with +20.8 bn in 2005) and computer and information services (+11.3 bn compared with +8.6 bn) and to a reduced deficit in travel (-14.0 bn compared with -18.4 bn), partially offset by the decreased surplus in transportation services (+13.6 bn compared with +16.8 bn).

According to Eurobarometer 45% of inhabitants in the new European Union member states are in favour of the introduction of the euro in their country against 35% who are not in favour. 53% believe that the introduction of the euro would be positive against 33% who think the contrary. The euro will make it easy to travel (89%) and to purchase things (84%) in the euro area; it will be possible to compare prices (80%) and it will do away with exchange charges (74%). 44% of those interviewed believe that the euro will protect against the effects of international crises but 69% fear that the change in currency will lead to fraud and price increases. 41% only believe they know enough about the euro and are more confident in the national, central banks (81%), in European institutions (74%) and in trade banks (55%) for their information. 79% have already seen euro notes, 50% have used them; knowledge about coins is not as extensive.

The DGAP (Germany Association for Foreign Policy) has published "The Conflicting Objectives of the European Energy Security" focussing on the energy strategy adopted by the European Union and relations between the European Union, Russia and Central Asia.

According to a "Comparative Study of European Countries with high employment levels of Senior Citizens" undertaken by experts at the Observatoire français des conjonctures économiques 'OFCE', the UK and Scandinavian countries have succeeded in maintaining the over 50's in the world of work by focussing on life-long training, part-time work and low retirement pensions. The employment level of senior citizens reaches 69.5% in Sweden, 59.8% in Denmark, 56.8% in the UK and 52.7% in Finland. With an employment level of 40.6% for the 55-64 year olds, France lies very much below the European average (42.5%) and far below the target of 50% established for 2010 on a Community level.

Armand Colin has published "Géopolitique de l'Union européenne." This work lays out the history of the political project to build Europe. Sylvain Kahn analyses national views (French, British, Germany) and looks into the present challenges: Is enlargement an uncontrollable development? What kind of relations does the European Union have with the rest of the world?

The National Opera of Finland in Helsinki is playing "Carmen" until 22nd January 2008. French director Arnaud Bernard has rearranged George Bizet's drama and it now takes place in Spain of the 1930's to a backdrop of civil war.

The film, "Four months, three weeks and two days," by Romanian Cristian Mungiu won the European Film Prize 2007 on 1st December in Berlin - awarded by the European Film Academy this is the equivalent of an Oscar. It is a tragic film which provides a harsh and powerful account of abortion, prohibited in Romania during the Communist era. It already won the Palme d'Or in the last Cannes Festival.