In an editorial entitled "Europe and Russia" the chairman of the Robert Schuman Foundation, Jean-Dominique Giuliani reviews the events that occurred in Georgia in August. In his opinion the relationship between the EU and Russia has to be reconsidered to achieve a true European strategy that is specific and shared by all.

Austrians are being called to vote on 28th September next for early general elections after the collapse of the "grand coalition" between the Social Democrat Party (SPÖ) led by Alfred Gusenbauer (SPÖ) and the People's Party (ÖVP) led by Vice-Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer on 9th July last. The National Rat rallies 183 MPs and the Bundesrat 64 representatives of the Länder. The members of the National Rat are elected by proportional representation (a minimum of 4% of the votes cast is vital to win a seat) except in Vienna and in the Land of Voralberg where a majority vote takes place. Polls undertaken by Market and published on 28th August by the magazine 'News' positions the SPÖ ahead in terms of voting intentions with 28% of the vote, followed by the ÖVP with 26%, the Greens (13%), the Liberal Party (FPÖ) - 20% and the Alliance for the future of Austria (BZÖ), 4%.

On 21st September next the Slovenians will be renewing the Drzavni Zbor (the lower Chamber of Parliament), which includes 90 members, elected for a four year period by proportional representation (the Constitution guarantees a seat to each of the Italian and Hungarian minorities). Seven political parties are running: the Demcoratic Party (SDS) led by Prime Minister, Janez Jansa, the Liberal Democrat Party (LDS) the main opposition party; the Social Democrat Party (SD); the People's Party (SLS); New Slovenia (NSI), member of the government coalition; the Democratic Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), member of the government coalition and the National Party (SNS). According to the most recent polls the Social Demcoratic Party is due to win on 21st September next with around 25% of the vote followed by the Democratic Party (23%), Zares (9%), the National Party (7%), the Liberal Democratic Party (7%) and finally the Democratic Pensioners Party (4%).

On 24th June last Belarus President Aleksander Lukashenko made a decree on the date of the next general elections - 28th September. The number of candidates has declined drastically in comparison with the previous election on 17th October 2004. To date only 365 people have come forward in comparison with 692 four years ago. It has to be said that Belarus is under a presidential regime where the Head of State has absolute power and leads the country with an iron hand, controlling everything from the entire administration and down to society. Also none of the elections held in Belarus over the last fourteen years have been considered satisfactory in terms of international democratic standards by western observers. The democratic opposition will put forward its candidates even though the election results are a foregone conclusion. This simulation of an election will change nothing to the dictatorial regime in power.

The European Council which met in extraordinary session on 1st September after the conflict that irrupted in Georgia unanimously recalled its concern with regard to the consquences, notably in human terms, of this situation; its condemnation of the unilateral decision by Russia to acknowledge the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia was re-iterated. EU leaders decided to postpone the discussions started with Russia with regard to the EU-Russia strategic partnership as long as Moscow had not withdrawn all of its troops from Georgia. The European Council decided on the appointment of a special EU representative for the Georgian crisis. It gave mandate to its president to continue discussions in view of the total application of the 6 point plan. With this goal in mind the President of the European Council, Nicolas Sarkozy will travel to Moscow on 8th September together with the President of the Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Policy.

Following the decision by the Russian authorities to acknowledge the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on 26th August the Presidency of the Council of the European Union firmly denounced this initiative. According to the declaration by the Presidency of the Council "this is contrary to the principles of independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, acknowledged by the UN Charter, in the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Resolutions pertaining to the Security Council." The Presidency of the Council recalled that it was attached to the principle of territorial integrity within internationally acknowledged borders. On 27th August French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the president in office of the Council of the European Union spoke by telephone with his Russian counterpart, Dimitri Medvedev and Georgian leader Mikhail Saakachvili. He stressed the urgent need to reduce the tension and to apply the six points included in the ceasefire agreement.

The European Civic Forum, that rallies 80 NGO's of the 27 countries of the EU is organising on 4th, 5th and 6th September "the European Civic Days" in La Rochelle. This meeting has been organised with the support of the European Commission and is part of the public debate programme "Paroles d'Européens" which has the support of the French presidency. Jan Figel, European Commission for Education, Training, Culture and Youth, Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin, French Health, Youth, Sports and Associations Minister together with Jean-Pierre Jouyet, French Secretary of State for European Affairs will be speaking there. To look at the detailed programme and to register visit the site: www.civic-forum.eu

The European Commission and the European Central Bank welcomed a document published on 21st August by the European Payments Council(EPC), the association of banks and banking associations which is setting up the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA). Through this document, which takes the form of Questions & Answers, the EPC clarifies key aspects of compliance with the SEPA Cards Framework (SCF) for payment card schemes and banks, as well as the conditions for geographical coverage of card schemes within the SEPA. This should facilitate the transition from the existing fragmented and monopolistic national payments markets towards a competitive, SEPA-wide, payment cards market where economies of scale and increased competition can drive efficiency and innovation to the benefit of European consumers and companies.

On 22nd August the European Commission attributed by means of its humanitarian aid service (ECHO), 5 million euros to vulnerable people affected by the conflict between Georgia and Russia. This new set of measures comes in addition to the rapid humanitarian aid of 1 million euros released by the Commission on 10th August last, just after the start of the conflict. ECHO experts remain in the region to assess requirements, to co-ordinate activities with humanitarian aid partners and to monitor the use of the community funds.

As from 30th August making or receiving calls during trips around the EU will be cheaper. The ceiling price for one minute of roaming 'eurotarif' introduced by the EU in 2007 will drop from 0.49 euro to 0.46 euro (before VAT) to make a call and from 0.24 euro to 0.22 euro (before VAT) to receive a call when you are in a different country in the EU.

On the occasion of a journey to Sweden, Estonia and Lithuania on 25th and 26th August, German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke with her Swedish, Estonian and Lithuanian counterparts of the situation in Georgia. She firmly condemned Russia's acknowledgement of the independence of the two separatist republics of Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. She qualified the Russian position as "totally unacceptable"; she said that it was contrary to the principle of territorial integrity and that it infringed international law as a consequence. During her declaration in Tallinn the Chancellor recalled the need to apply the six point plan put forward by France as quickly as possible. In addition to this Germany decided on 28th August to send two unarmed officiers to Georgia; they will be in charge of strengthening the mission of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

On 19th August Danish Prime Minister, Anderse Fogh Rasmussen spoke of his "deep disagreement" with a European Court of Justice decision on 25th July that stipulates that a non-community partner of a EU citizen can join the latter without having to have legally stayed in the Member State beforehand. The decision is the cause of lively debate in Denmark where the immigration policy is one of the most restrictive in Europe. Qualifying the Court's decision as "unacceptable" Anders Fogh Rasmussen told the European Commission that he disagreed and he is trying to convince a certain number of Member States who share his point of view to have the 2004 directive on the freedom of circulation of people modified since this was the origin of the decision taken by the Court of Justice.

When speaking to an Ambassadors' conference on 27th August French president Nicolas Sarkozy said that he was ready to go to Dublin again in order to "take everyone towards the Lisbon Treaty". The situation in the Caucasus was also a focus of his speech. Just days before the extraordinary European Council he called on Russia to withdraw "immediately" from Georgia "to the lines it occupied before the start of the fighting."

Irish leaders met their Danish counterparts in August to discuss the means of benefiting from exemptions relative to the Lisbon Treaty. Ireland might accept the new European treaty if it could benefit from exemptions such as these; but this implies the agreement on the part of the 26 other Member States. It appears contradictory however for the Irish to ask advice of the Danish who are planning to give up their exemption clauses.

The Czech electricity company CEZ (Ceske Energeticke Zavody), the majority of which is owned by the State announced on 27th August that it intended to create in Romania Europe's biggest land wind farm. Since it purchased two neighbouring wind farms that lie near the Romanian town of Constanta on the shores of the Black Sea from the international company Continental Wind Partners LLC, the group now wants to invest 1.1 billion euros to creat "the biggest land wind farm in Europe with a total capacity of 600 megawatts".

After the armed conflict with Russia, Georgia decided to interrupt its diplomatic relations with Moscow. In line with the request made by the Georgian parliament on 28th August, Deputy Foreign Minister, Grigol Vachadze announced the breaking off of relations on 29th August. Georgia will withdraw its diplomats from Moscow "within the next few days". It will however maintain "consular relations" with Russia. As a result of this decision: Tbilissi demanded the departure of all Russian diplomats present in Georgia with reference to the Vienna Convention.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushenko received the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, David Miliband on 27th August. The two men notably spoke of the bilateral relations between the two countries, the Ukraine's European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations, the international situation and more particularly developments in Georgia.

On 26th August UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon deplored that the situation in Georgia was "complicated" due to the acknowledgement by Russia of the independence of the Georgian separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

According to figures published by Eurostat on 29th August the annual inflation rate in the euro area lay at 3.8% in August 2008. In July the rate lay at 4%.

According to figures published by Eurostat on 29th August the unemployment rate lay at 7.3% in July 2008 in the Euro Area, unchanged in comparison with June. It lay at 7.4% in July 2007. In the EU the unemployment rate rose to 6.8% in July 2008 unchanged in comparison with June. It lay at 7.1% in July 2007. Amongst the Member States the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Denmark (2.3%) and in the Netherlands (2.6%); the highest levels were in Spain (11%) and in Slovakia (10.3%).

The German Marshall Fund published an analysis on 26th August focussing on the consequences of the Russian presence in Georgia on Turkey's foreign policy. Author, Ian Lesser describes the situation in which Turkey finds itself since it will now have to get used to the idea of having Russia on its border. Ankara will have to make some difficult choices in order to reconcile Russian interests and those of the western countries.

Robert Del Picchia, French Senator (UMP) representative of the French established abroad and Hubert Haenel, French Senator (UMP) of the Haut-Rhin, chairman of the Delegation for the EU have delivered an information report on Turkey.

On 31st August the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI) published a study by Susanne Nies entitled "Gaz et Pétrole en Europe". This work presents the network and the potential of the energy infrastructures in Europe together with their present use, their cost and how they are funded.

Issue n°4 of the review "Sécurité Globale" (directed by Pascal Lorot, Chairman of the Choiseul Institute, and Jean-François Daguzan, Head Researcher at the Foundation for Strategic Research) focusses on "La Révolution du Renseignement". This issue includes articles by several personalities including the Airforce General Michel Masson, director of military information for the army HQ and Alain Chouet, former head of security information at the DGSE.

Georges de la Loyère has published with "Les Quatre Chemins" a book entitled "Europe: un défi français"; the preface was written by Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.

The 34th American Film Festival in Deauville will take place between 5th and 14th September. More than 100 films will be presented to the public.