Outgoing Slovakian president Ivan Gasparovic was re-elected with 55.53% of the vote in the second round of the presidential election on 4th April in the face of his rival Iveta Radicova who won 44.46% of the vote. Turnout was higher than in the first round lying at 51.67% ie +8.04 points in comparison with 21st March last. Ivan Gasparovic became the first Slovakian President to be re-elected as Head of State since the country's independence in 1993. His second term in office will officially start on 15th June next.

The candidate of the present Prime Minister Nikola Grueski's party - the Revolutionary Organisation-Democratic Party for National Unity (VMRO-DPMNE) - Gjorgji Ivanov won the second round of the presidential election on 5th April in Macedonia. According to incomplete results covering 97% of the polling stations he is said to have won 63.41% of the vote in comparison with 36.56% for his rival Ljubomir Frckoski, former Home and Foreign Affairs Minister who had the support of the main opposition parties, the Social Democratic Union (SDSM) and the New Social Democratic Party (NSDP). Turnout rose to 42.86% ie -14.02 points in comparison with the first round on 22nd March last but above the vital 40% threshold for the election to be deemed valid. The Albanian speaking population which represents one quarter of the country's electorate and none of whose candidates qualified for the second round mostly boycotted the urns.

The Communist Party (PRCM) led by President of the Republic Vladimir Voronine won the general elections in Moldova on 5th April. It won nearly 50% of the vote and took 62 of the 101 seats in Parliament ie the absolute majority and above all the vital 2/3 majority of the seats to be able to elect the new President of the Republic. The Liberal Party came second with 12.75% of the vote followed by the Liberal Democratic Party, 12.26% and the Our Moldova Alliance (AMN), 9.81%. With the Communist Party these three movements are the only ones to have risen above the necessary 6% threshold of votes cast to be represented in parliament. Turnout rose ot 59.52% ie -5.28 points in comparison with the general elections on 6th March 2005.

In an editorial published on his site the Chairman of the Robert Schuman Foundation, Jean-Dominique Giuliani, employing a marine leitmotif, comments the return of clement weather over the Atlantic after the G20, NATO and EU meetings.

On 31st March the INSEE published its first assessment of France's public accounts in which public deficit worsened by 14.6 billion euros in 2008 rising from 2.7% to 3.4% of the GDP. Public debt lies at 68% of the GDP. The INSEE points to the fact that "the central administrations, particularly the State, are at the origin of this deterioration." This can be explained by a rise in public income lower than expenditure due to the economic crisis which is diminishing tax revenues and making financial intervention on the part of the State necessary.

On 2nd April brought its main interest rate down to 1.25%, an historical low.

According to figures communicated on 1st April by the Central Statistics Office the Irish unemployment rate rose to 11% in March - the highest level since November 1996 whilst it had not risen above 6.4% in 2008, and 4.6% in 2007. This represents an 87% rise in comparison with March 2008. The GDP contracted by 2.3% in 2008 but by 7.5% in the fourth quarter in comparison with the fourth quarter of 2007. Ireland was the first country in the euro area to slip into recession in 2008 but also into deflation. The authorities are expecting a 6% decrease in the GDP this year. In spite of the crisis the Irish government is finalising a budgetary package that will be presented on 7th April to Parliament and this is meant to halt the budgetary deficit by means of spending cuts and tax increases in an attempt to maintain public deficit at 9.5% of the GDP in 2009. The Central Bank of Ireland is forecasting a decrease of 7.1% in the GDP in 2009 and 3.2% in 2010.

Austria's public deficit reached 0.4% of the GDP in 2008 and the debt reached 62.5% of the GDP according to official figures that were published on 2nd April by the Statistik Austria institute. This was the lowest deficit recorded by Austria since 2001, a year in which public accounts were balanced. However public debt plunged beyond the 60% of the GDP established by the Maastricht Treaty.

On 3rd April the German Parliament finally adopted the law on the nationalisation of the banks, thereby allowing, if need be, the expropriation of the shareholders - this law was tailor-made for the floundering institution Hypo Real Estate. The Bundesrat, the upper Chamber in the German Parliament adopted the law which is limited in time. The Bundestag MPs already gave their approval on 20th March. The German government made its entry into HRE capital at the end of March, by taking slightly less than 9% via the federal aid fund for the banking sector (Soffin).

The G20 summit that rallied the leaders of the planet's main powers in London on 2nd April laid the foundations of a "new world economic order" using new resources granted to the IMF to fight against the crisis and by hammering a nail in the coffin of tax havens. The G20 leaders decided to triple IMF resources to 750 billion dollars, allow it to issue Special Drawing Rights to a total of 250 billion dollars and to sell gold. In all these measures represent a sum of 1,100 billion dollars. A list of tax havens (including a black list naming Costa Rica, Malaysia, Philippines) - was published on the OECD site to discourage tax evasion. The G20 press release maintains that "the era of banking secrecy was over" and that "sanctions" would be taken about non-cooperative tax centres.

The Swedish government is forecasting a recession of 4.2% in 2009, the biggest since the Second World War; it is also forecasting a constant rise in unemployment until 2011 according to new pessimistic forecasts announced on 2nd April. Growth is due to return next year but at a slow pace (+0.2%), it will then be more vigorous in 2011 (+2.4%). In 2008 the GDP contracted by 0.2%. In 2011 unemployment is due to have leaped to 11.7% after 8.9% in 2009 and 11.1% in 2010. The government did not review its growth forecasts down from December when it counted on a recession of 0.8%. The Swedish Central Bank forecast a recession of 1.6% in February. Like its Finnish neighbour which has reviewed its forecasts down with a recession of 5% Sweden is suffering the effects of the crisis.

The weekly financial report by the IMF has just been published. Tables that are updated weekly enable a detailed coverage of financial statistics, financial agreements, progress made in the "heavily indebted poor countries" initiative and the multilateral abolition of the debt.

The Spanish economy, one of the hardest hit in Europe, has not stopped declining warned the Bank of Spain on 3rd April;it is forecasting two years of recession and an enormous unemployment rate that may rise to 20% by 2010. In its monthly report in March the bank "indicates that the recession is deepening in Spain with a decline in activity to a total of 3% this year - there will be a recovery at the end of 2010, although the entire financial year will be marked by negative growth (-1%).

The grant of a 200 million euro loan to Latvia by the IMF has been postponed since the government delayed in amending its budget as requested by the IMF said Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis on 2nd April. "Payment was expected in March but it did not occur, since the previous government had not prepared the appropriate amendments. This sum totals 200 million euros," said the Prime Minister in the Latvian daily Dienas Bizness.

The Belgian government approved a "stability programme" on 5th April which plans for a return to budgetary balance in 2015, after an increase in debt due to the support granted to the financial sector and to recovery plans said Finance Minister Didier Reynders.

The entire European economy depends on electronic services and communication networks. 93% of EU companies and 51% of Europeans have used the internet in an active manner in 2007. Major cyberattacks launched against Estonia, Lithuania and Georgia show that vital electronic services and networks were constantly under threat. The strategy put forward on 30th March by the European Commission aims to prepare Europe to react in the event of disruption or serious attacks. The Commission wants all parties involved, particularly companies, public administrations and citizens to work on the following points: preparation and prevention of cyberattacks, detection and reaction, mitigation and recovery, international cooperation and the establishment of criteria for European infrastructures in the IT sector.

On 31st March the European Commission published a quarterly report on the euro area which looks into developments in terms of price competitiveness since the launch of the euro. Over the last decade some Member States have witnessed a clear decrease in their competitiveness (costs and prices) in comparison with the rest of the euro area whilst others have evidently made progress. These various trends also show in the increasing differences between ongoing deficits. According to the report to re-balance competitiveness within the euro area it is necessary to employ budgetary policy better and make production and labour markets more flexible, with notably increased competition in the services sector to increase productivity and reduce prices to the benefit of employment.

On 31st March the European Commission launched the 2009 TEN-T Calls for Proposals, making nearly 1 billion euros of financing available for European transport infrastructure projects. This year's Calls include a 500 million euro call in the framework of the Commission's European Economic Recovery Plan, aimed at giving an immediate boost to the European economy by accelerating investments in infrastructure. In addition, there will be funding opportunities under the TEN-T Annual Programme and Multi-Annual Programme, whose priorities in this Call include Motorways of the Sea, Intelligent Transport Systems for Road, and the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). The Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency (TEN-T EA), which manages the technical and financial implementation of the TEN-T programme, is responsible for the management of the calls for proposals and the evaluation of project proposals submitted on behalf of its "parent", DG Energy and Transport.

On 31st March the European Commission adopted the 2009 Working Programme "Intelligent Energy-Europe" (IEE) that aims to co-fund non-technological projects designed to promote energy effectiveness, renewable energies and non-pollutant transport systems. For the first time financial support will involve technical assistance to towns for the development of viable investment projects or programmes in the area of urban renewable energy. The IEE budget in 2009 totals 96 million euros including 15 of which are to be used to develop town and regions' ability to accelerate local investements, notably in buildings and urban transport.

On 3rd April American President Barack Obama met German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the NATO summit in Strasbourg-Kehl. The Afghan issue comprised one of the summit's priorities. Discussions also focused on subjects such as relations with Russia, the rapprochement with France and the effects of this on relations between NATO and the EU as well as the preparation of a new strategic concept for the Alliance.

Danish Welfare State and Equality Minister, Karen Jespersen announced that she was resigning on 3rd April saying that the portfolio was too vast in a ministry that notably rallies Social and Home Affairs and also Housing.

Spanish Economy and Finance Minister Pedro Solbes will be replaced on 7th April by the present Public Administration Minister Elena Salgado on the occasion of a major ministerial reshuffle said the Spanish media on 5th April. According to radio Cadena Ser and the site of the newspaper El Mundo the president of the region of Andalusia, Manuel Chaves is to be appointed Minister for Territorial Policy with the rank of Vice-President and Deputy Secretary General of the Socialist Party (PSOE) José Blanco, Transport and Infrastructure Minister, also with the rank of Vice-President.

The annual report by the Office for the protection of refugees and the stateless published on 2nd April notes that in 2008 France was the primary destination of asylum seekers in Europe and the world's third destination behind the USA and Canada. 42,599 requests were made in France in one year, ie a rise of 19.9% in comparison with 2007. The request acceptance rate rose to 36% in comparison with 29.9% the year before. Asylum seekers who find it easiest to gain refugee status in France are Iraqis, Eritreans and Somalians.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy met American President Barack Obama for their first bilateral interview in Strasbourg. They spoke of Afghanistan, the future of NATO and the closing of Guantanamo. On this subject the USA formally requested the EU to receive former inmates of Guantanamo, promising to provide "all the necessary information" to the countries which may accept them. This request will be studied on 6th April by the Justice/Internal Affairs Council. Following their interview the French and American President held a joint press conference.

On 5th April Gordon Bajnai, the independent Economy Minister was formally sworn in as candidate for the position of Prime Minister in replacement of Ferenc Gyurcsany during an extraordinary congress of the Socialist Party (MSZP) in Budapest. The Socialist MPs who have 188 seats of the 386 in parliament should lodge a "constructive motion of censure" on 6th April. It will enable the change in head of government without dissolving the assembly and allow for the organisation of early general elections.

The UN would like peace negotiations in Cyprus to be completed in November to be able to submit the reunification plan to the Cypriots by referendum in January 2010 said the Cypriot daily Politis on 5th April. UN leaders do not want to let the negotiations drag on and established November as the deadline for the writing of an agreement between the two communities continues Politis.

On 3rd and 4th April the 28 Member States of NATO celebrated the 60th Anniversary of the Atlantic Alliance in Strasbourg and Kehl; they notably finalised the accession procedure for Croatia and Albania which are now full NATO members. They also adopted a Declaration on the Alliance's Security which confirms its values, its principles and its fundamental objectives; they also welcomed the return of France to integrated NATO command. They appointed a new Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former Prime Minister of Denmark.

According to a press release by Eurostat on 2nd April real agricultural revenue decreased by 3.5% in 2008 after a rise of 9.3% in 2007. This decrease can be explained by the reduction in agricultural labour input, the increase in the value of agricultural output at basic prices, a rise in costs, the stability of the real value of tax-free subsidies and an increase in depreciation in real terms.

According to an estimate published on 31st March by Eurostat inflation slowed in March 2009 in the euro area to 0.6% over one year because of the economic crisis. This figure is unique since it is the first time this had happened since the creation of the euro area in 1999 and is its lowest ever level.

The Institute for Public Affairs (ISP) of Warsaw has published a study by Jan Pieko entitled "Russia Today: Neo-Imperialism and Crisis - the Polish Perspective." Although Russo-Polish relations have never been so good the author shows that in times of crisis it is necessary to get on well with one's neighbours. The international community should cooperate with Russia and show great discretion, prudence and determination.

According to figures published on 1st April by the research institute Point Carbon based in Oslo, under the effects of the economic crisis CO2 emissions in the 27 countries which are taking part in the European Emissions Quota System declined by 6% in 2008 (2.2245 billion tonnes) in comparison with 2007 (2.111 billion tonnes). The biggest reductions took place in the "cement, lime and glass" sectors (-9%) and "paper and paper pulp", "indicating that potentially these are the sectors most affected by the recession". The "electricity and heat producing" sector, reduced its emissions by 6% and the "oil and natural gas" together with the "metal" sectors reduced by 1% each. Germany was the main source of emissions in Europe (22%) ahead of the UK (13%).

The Centre for Applied Policy Research in Munich (CAP) has published a study entitled "NATO is dead - Long Live NATO!". Just as the Atlantic Alliance is celebrating its 60th anniversary its future seems more uncertain and more unpredictable than ever before. As some are forecasting the end of NATO others talk of its rebirth thanks to the new American government and the return of France to the integrated command. The German Society for Foreign Policy (DGAP) also devotes one of its publications to NATO entitled "Nur wer liefert, darf mitbestimmen - Die NATO wird 60" (Only those who contribute can decide - NATO is 60 years old).

Nane publishing (Nouvelle arche de Noé Editions) has released an informative book by Fabrice Serodes entitled "The European Parliament". The author explains the area of competence of the European Parliament, how it contributes to the writing of European laws, its running, its budget, the role of MEPs. The work is prefaced by the President of the Parliament Hans-Gert Pöttering. A must before going to vote!

The Victoria and Albert Museum is presenting an exhibition between 4th April and 19th July entitled "Baroque 1620-1800 : Style in the Age of Magnificence". It looks back on this style that originally came from Italy and France which then spread across all of Europe and consequently to the rest of the world by means of colonies and trading posts.