Hollande has announced an increase in France’s official development assistance budget for 2017, putting an end to several successive years of funding cuts, due to the report. Today the president told: “France must prepare the example on development assistance,” and arranged an assembly of French ambassadors at a meeting in Paris. Hollande promised to increase France’s development spending, which has suffered year-on-year cuts since he began his mandate in 2012 with negotiations on France’s 2017 finance bill looming on the skyline.

The Finnish Institute of Foreign Affairs (FIIA) issued a report in which we can read that Russia constitute a greater threat for Finland. Russia is using more aggressive measures to achieve its foreign policy objectives. The report said that Finnish decision-makers have to be alert to Russia's use of energy policy in geo-politics.Experts from the FIIA say that Russia's new behavior in foreign affairs means Finland needs improved crisis readiness. The FIIA report created suggestions for Finnish policy makers which can help to avoid risky situation.

With the help of 500 billboards and 500 posters, the Two-Tailed Dog Party has launched a campaign against the migrant referendum which will take place on the 2nd of October in Hungary. Although all opposition parties except the far-right Jobbik have condemned the referendum and called for the boycott of it, this initiative of the Two-Tailed Dog Party is the first vocal campaign against the referendum. The campaign seems to be supported by the local population as the Two-Tailed Dog Party managed to raise around 29 million forints (€ 93,600) from citizens in two weeks.

The Czech intelligence agency, Security Information Service (BIS), published an annual report. According to the report, in 2015 the Chinese and Russian counterintelligence services were the most active in the Czech Republic. The report states that while Chinese intelligence services are mainly interested in extending influence in politics and economy, Russian intelligence services wage an information war. The information campaign primarily focuses on the Ukrainian and Syrian conflicts, but also tries to weaken the Czech Republic – EU and the Czech Republic- NATO relationship.

Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski met with his British counterpart Boris Johnson to talk about last months' attacks on Poles living in the UK after Brexit referendum. The two discussed during a session of the OSCE foreign ministers in Potsdam on September 1. The meeting, which stressed common challenges for the security of the OSCE region and the engagement of the Organisation in crisis and conflict management, and in the fight against terrorism, led Minister Johnson to promise to get to the bottom of the issue. The British declared that anti-immigrant actions will no longer be tolerated in the UK, while reaffirming to do everything to protect Poles and other foreign communities living in the UK. 

On Wednesday, conservative party (PP) leader Mariano Rajoy, who is acting prime minister's of Spain, has not received a vote of confidence from deputies. 180 MPs commented against Rajoy`s tries to form a government. 170 deputies were in after debates in parliament. It was expected that MPs will reject the Rajoys bid to form a government. An absolute majority of 176 seats in the 350-seat assembly was needed. Rajoy was supported only by his party, the centrist Ciudadanos and a lone MP from the Canary Islands.