Arab Spring
Keeping the light bright in Tunisia ten years after the Arab Spring
Ten years ago, anti-government protests began in Tunisia, leading up to the toppling of the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali regime in January 2011, the country's transition to democracy, and the start of the Arab Spring that saw the ousting of autocratic rulers across the Maghreb.
The EU must speed up its Southern Neighbourhood strategy
A Union that protects must be pragmatic in its Southern Neighbourhood - starting from the Sahara and placing security and counterterrorism at the centre of its thinking for the region, writes Mario Mauro.
Europe should be prepared for an Arab Spring rerun
The pandemic is making a reboot of the Arab uprisings more likely. Europe should be prepared, argues Nikki Ikani.
As mass protests return in Middle East and North Africa, Europe must rethink its approach
A decade on from the Arab Spring, it is clear that the EU’s strategy of working with existing regimes in its Southern Neighbourhood has delivered neither stability and security nor any progress towards democratization and government accountability. It is time to start listening to the word on the street, writes Dylan O’Driscoll.
The EU in a changing Middle East: A lone bystander or positive player?
While the European Union is struggling to stay relevant with its self-proclaimed ‘geopolitical Commission’, the United States in the Middle East is at the forefront of geopolitical shifts with its visionary leadership, writes Charlie Weimers. Charlie Weimers is a Swedish member...
Europe and the New Middle East
Alliances in the Middle East are changing but the EU is been little engaged with the new diplomatic shifts and risks becoming irrelevant in the region, writes Jonathan Spyer.
After Berlin, the EU needs to translate commitments on Libya into actions
Following a positive Libya peace summit in Berlin, the EU needs to back up commitments with actions, although the path ahead remains fraught with difficulty, writes Tom Garofalo.
Moscow fumes at Ankara over meddling in Libyan crisis
Russia has condemned Turkey’s intention to send troops to Libya to support Fayez al-Sarraj, prime minister of the UN-backed Government of National Accord of Libya against the head of the Libyan National Army, General Khalifa Haftar.
Diplomacy heats up in the Mediterranean amid escalating Greece-Turkey row
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) recently signed between Turkey and Libya to demarcate maritime zones has shaken up politics in the Mediterranean, with Greece preparing a diplomatic counter-offensive.
EU foreign affairs chief ready to go to Libya
EU Foreign Affairs chief Josep Borrell stands ready to go to Libya and help solve the ongoing crisis between the different parties, EU spokesperson Peter Stano said on Wednesday (18 December).
Europe calls for ‘urgent restraint’ as US hits Iran with extra sanctions
The European Union called for an "immediate de-escalation" of tensions in the Middle East on Monday (24 June), as the US government announced new "hard-hitting" sanctions on Iran after launching a series of cyber attacks on the country last week.
Watad: The oil company that came from nowhere and became a key player in Syria
Life in rebel-held northwest Syria has, without a doubt, been made easier by Watad Petroleum’s presence. But with no information available publicly about who owns or runs it, there is a persistent suspicion about it, writes Haid Haid.
EXCLUSIVE: Germany blocking EU plans to stop spyware trade with dictators
EU proposals to establish export restrictions on spyware are being held back by Germany, which has adopted an ambiguous stance on the plans, EURACTIV has learnt.
A divided EU and a divided Arab League put on a fragile show of unity
Neither the EU nor the Arab League really knows where it is going. Yet, divided as they are, both sides also face harsher and more cohesive adversaries: China, Russia and the US, writes Fiasal Al Yafai.
How a gas pipeline to Europe is transforming the Turkish-Israeli relationship
The discovery of massive natural gas fields off Israel’s northern coast more than a decade ago and subsequent attempts to export this gas to Europe have highlighted the true fault lines in the Turkish-Israeli alliance, writes Joseph Dana.
Angela Merkel’s legacy in the Middle East
German Chancellor Merkel's momentous 2015 decision to accept asylum-seekers from the region fell flat: the Chancellor did not rise to the occasion and chart a new course for both Europe and the Middle East, writes Faisal Al Yafai
Nagorno-Karabakh: 30 years on, time for the EU to raise its game
Thirty years after the Karabakh conflict, it is time for the EU to turn its attention back to Nagorno-Karabakh and do better in acknowledging the territory, writes Diogo Pinto.
We need to talk about climate refugees
Climate change is not just about polar bears, it is about all life on our planet, and it poses a threat to humanity as great – or greater – than war or terrorism. Steve Trent warns that climate change is increasingly viewed as a threat to global peace.
EU socialists make ‘progressive’ push in Tunisia ahead of election
The European Parliament's Socialists and Democrats (S&D Group) is exploring ways to bring progressive centre-left forces in Tunisia into the fold in order to ensure a democratic transition ahead of the country's first post-revolution municipality election.
‘Golden visas’ candidates should be thoroughly screened
The EU is bribing Libya to prevent desperate young men and women reaching the safety of our shores, while member states open wide their doors to corrupt foreign politicians who can buy ‘golden visas’, writes Ana Gomes.
Sanctioning Poland over refugees would be wrong
The European Commission is threatening Poland with financial penalties for refusing to take in refugees. But that approach misses the bigger picture, writes Bartosz Brzeziński.
Time to consider refugee protection in partnerships with third countries
On World Refugee Day and just before the European Council, we call on the EU and its member states to assess the impact of the Partnership Framework approach on the right to seek and enjoy asylum, writes Denis Haveaux.
Trump tells Middle East to ‘drive out’ Islamist extremists
President Donald Trump urged Arab and Islamic leaders yesterday (21 May) to unite and do their share to defeat Islamist extremists, making an impassioned plea to "drive out" terrorists while toning down his own harsh rhetoric about Muslims.