If Italy was the front facing east during the cold war, then today it is vulnerable to the south: the country has been drawn into a geopolitical competition that looms over the Strait of Sicily
The tide of Libya’s war is turning against renegade general Khalifa Haftar. Italy should seize this opportunity to lead European countries to a harmonised Libya policy.
European countries should try to revive the political approach to resolving the Libya conflict, particularly given that Turkey may want to do so from its current position of strength
Europe’s latest move seems likely to marginalise it and damage its credibility as an honest broker
Europe seems unconcerned by the chaos smouldering on its doorstep, as Libya’s five-year-old conflict becomes world’s main theatre of drone combat
Without aerial power, the ‘new Operation Sophia’ will simply upset Turkey and encourage the UAE and Haftar to go for total victory in Tripoli
A new mandate for Operation Sophia could be just what the Italian government is looking for – but much will depend on what the lead players in Libya do next
ECFR’s national offices explore whether the conference marks a fresh beginning for Europe’s engagement with war-torn Libya
Italy has achieved little through independent diplomacy in Libya. It may have more success by acting within a European framework.
European countries and the EU can still use the strength of their diplomatic assets to reassert their influence in Libya. But they will first need to overcome their internal divisions to do so.