At the precipice: Averting a civil war in Libya
After weeks of rising tensions between Libya’s political elites, the country is nearing collapse. Europeans must act fast to avoid another conflict on their doorstep
Libya
21 Feb
The externalization of Europe’s borders: the only solution?
Migration in the Mediterranean has been a crisis factor for Europe for decades. To shed light on the issue, the discussion will revolve around ECFR’s policy brief edited by Lorena Stella Martini and Tarek Megerisi, which examines the case study of the Central Mediterranean route to analyse European externalization policies, focusing primarily on migration to Italy
The politics of catastrophe: Morocco, Libya, and how Europeans should respond
The disasters that have struck Morocco and Libya in recent days demand an urgent response. Europeans have an imperative to act – but should bear in mind the political complexities underlying the provision of aid
Infinity war: Libya’s reoccurring conflict
Libya is trapped in a degenerative cycle of war. Yet Europeans could use the current stalemate in the country to restart an electoral process that would end the cycle
Hedge politics: Turkey’s search for balance in the Middle East
Ankara is trying to normalise its relationships with Middle Eastern governments. The EU needs to adjust to the new Turkey that is emerging from this process
Never let a good crisis go to waste: How Europe can respond to Libya’s riots
European policymakers should look on current protests in Libya as a rare opportunity to push for change in what has long been a stagnant political environment
Tools of influence: Drone proliferation in the Middle East and North Africa
States in the region increasingly design and produce their own drones. The EU should respond by investing in European drone technology and creating a shared accountability regime for the use of such systems
Building security: How Europeans can help reform Libya
Europeans can play a meaningful role in the reform of Libya’s security sector if they adopt a shared strategy and operational principles
The man from Misrata: Why Libya has two prime ministers (again)
If Libya is to avoid the same political dynamics that sparked its long-running civil war, European states that are invested in Libyan diplomacy will need to focus on establishing a new electoral road map
Unsettled: The impact of the Russia-Ukraine crisis on the Middle East and North Africa
Heightened conflict in Ukraine could have serious consequences for European interests in the Middle East and North Africa. It could further disrupt energy supplies, exacerbate food insecurity, and help states in the region gain leverage over the US and Europe
Publications
Hedge politics: Turkey’s search for balance in the Middle East
Ankara is trying to normalise its relationships with Middle Eastern governments. The EU needs to adjust to the new Turkey that is emerging from this process
Building security: How Europeans can help reform Libya
Europeans can play a meaningful role in the reform of Libya’s security sector if they adopt a shared strategy and operational principles
Spoiler alert: How Europe can save diplomacy in Libya
Europeans should provide stabilisation, technical, and diplomatic support to strengthen Libya’s governance and accountability mechanisms to ensure a new government can successfully hold elections in 2021
Libya’s global civil war
Introduction The Libyan National Army’s (LNA) recent advance on Tripoli, under the leadership of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, has pushed Libya into what could become…
Order from chaos: Stabilising Libya the local way
The tragedy of Libya in well known in outline but poorly known in detail – to many in Europe, that is. But Europe has a role in the country’s stabilisation
Alone in the desert? How France can lead Europe in the Middle East
France sees the MENA region as a state for foreign policy and great power politics and an opportunity to shape global politics and punch above its weight
Don’t close borders, manage them: how to improve EU policy on migration through Libya
Attempts to close Europe’s borders are counter-productive – legal channels must be opened in exchange for return of illegals
After ISIS: How to Win the Peace in Iraq and Libya
Recent terror attacks in Berlin, Baghdad and Istanbul demonstrate that defeating ISIS militarily is only half the battle
Intervening better: Europe’s second chance in Libya
The unity government offers the best chance of stabilising Libya, stemming refugee flows and pushing back ISIS, and Europe should focus on strengthening it
Five years on: A new European agenda for North Africa
Five years after the Arab uprisings in North Africa, the EU needs to avoid an “either-or” mentality on stability versus progress
Articles
At the precipice: Averting a civil war in Libya
After weeks of rising tensions between Libya’s political elites, the country is nearing collapse. Europeans must act fast to avoid another conflict on their doorstep
The politics of catastrophe: Morocco, Libya, and how Europeans should respond
The disasters that have struck Morocco and Libya in recent days demand an urgent response. Europeans have an imperative to act – but should bear in mind the political complexities underlying the provision of aid
Infinity war: Libya’s reoccurring conflict
Libya is trapped in a degenerative cycle of war. Yet Europeans could use the current stalemate in the country to restart an electoral process that would end the cycle
Never let a good crisis go to waste: How Europe can respond to Libya’s riots
European policymakers should look on current protests in Libya as a rare opportunity to push for change in what has long been a stagnant political environment
Tools of influence: Drone proliferation in the Middle East and North Africa
States in the region increasingly design and produce their own drones. The EU should respond by investing in European drone technology and creating a shared accountability regime for the use of such systems
The man from Misrata: Why Libya has two prime ministers (again)
If Libya is to avoid the same political dynamics that sparked its long-running civil war, European states that are invested in Libyan diplomacy will need to focus on establishing a new electoral road map
Unsettled: The impact of the Russia-Ukraine crisis on the Middle East and North Africa
Heightened conflict in Ukraine could have serious consequences for European interests in the Middle East and North Africa. It could further disrupt energy supplies, exacerbate food insecurity, and help states in the region gain leverage over the US and Europe
Turkey’s drone diplomacy: Lessons for Europe
Turkey has shown how drones can be a powerful foreign policy asset. The EU and its member states should work with the country to lead the development and regulation of this technology
Plot twist: How Europe should deal with Libya’s new government
Europe should support the UN process in Libya by working to ensure that the country’s upstart new government focuses on preparing for and holding the general election in December
How new street protests can help diplomacy in Libya succeed
Rival camps in Libya will likely sabotage political processes that could undermine them. The international community can head this off by harnessing protesters’ justified anger.
Specials
Deep sea rivals: Europe, Turkey, and new eastern Mediterranean conflict lines
The eastern Mediterranean is becoming ever more perilous as geopolitical fault lines steadily enmesh the region. These rifts emerge from the Cyprus ‘frozen conflict’, competition for valuable gas fields, and the increasingly entangled wars in Libya and Syria
A quick guide to Libya’s main players
In Libya there are very few truly national actors, the vast majority are local players. This guide explains who the players are and what they control
Podcasts
Russia’s Syria, Turkey’s Libya?
The attempt of a peace process in Libya is facing several substantial hindrances, where a variety of actors keep on inducing significant upheavals in its…
The Berlin Libya Conference: a moment to shine for European foreign policy?
Anthony Dworkin stands in for our usual host, Mark Leonard, to de-brief the Berlin Conference on Libya. Together with the ECFR’s experts Asli Aydıntaşbaş, Tarek…
Quelle issue pour la situation en Libye ?
Podcast de notre BCM du 5 mai « Quelle issue pour la situation en Libye ? » en présence de Tarek Megerisi, chercheur…
Les politiques migratoires et de sécurité de l’Union européenne dans le Sahel
Podcast de notre BCM du 9 octobre : « Les politiques migratoires et de sécurité de l’Union européenne dans le Sahel » avec Giovanni Faleg,…
Is Libya falling apart again?
Mark Leonard speaks with Julien Barnes-Dacey and Tarek Megerisi about the Libyan conflict, the impact of the Paris summit, and Europe’s fight over migration policies…
The role of France in the Middle East
Is France alone in the desert? ECFR experts Julien Barnes-Dacey and Manuel Lafont Rapnouil discuss how France can lead Europe in the Middle East
Quelle stratégie pour l’après-Daech en Irak et en Libye ?
Podcast du Black Coffee Morning “Quelle stratégie pour l’après-Daech en Irak et en Libye ?” du 10/02, animé par Florence Gaub, Analyste senior…
ECFR’s World in 30 Minutes: The Vienna talks on Libya and Syria
ECFR’s director Mark Leonard speaks with ECFR policy fellows Ellie Geranmayeh, Julien Barnes-Dacey and Mattia Toaldo, about the recent talks in Vienna where foreign minister…
How to Escalate Political Efforts to Stabilise Libya?
Listen on Mixcloud After more than a year of efforts, some Libyan factions have signed a UN-backed political agreement
What role for Europe in settling Libyan political crisis?
BCM du mercredi 17 février portant sur le rôle pour l'Europe dans le règlement de la crise poliique libyenne. Avec Mattia Toaldo, Policy Fellow à…
Events
21 Feb
The externalization of Europe’s borders: the only solution?
Migration in the Mediterranean has been a crisis factor for Europe for decades. To shed light on the issue, the discussion will revolve around ECFR’s policy brief edited by Lorena Stella Martini and Tarek Megerisi, which examines the case study of the Central Mediterranean route to analyse European externalization policies, focusing primarily on migration to Italy
11 Feb
After Berlin: What options for peace in Libya?
A breakfast discussion on the peace options in Libya following the Berlin conference
22 Jan
Après la Conférence de Berlin, des espoirs de paix en Libye ?
Nous avons le plaisir de vous inviter à un Black Coffee Morning en présence de Tarek Megerisi, Mary Fitzgerald, Olivier Vallée et Leela Jacinto
4 Nov
European Foreign Policy In An Era Of Great Powers Competition
How can the EU demonstrate resolve and respond to the interests of Russia, Turkey, Iran and Saudi-Arabia?
2 Oct
Bridging the Divide: How Germany can help stabilise Libya
Roundtable discussion on Germany's role in the Libyan Civil War and what Germany can do to help stabilize the country
3 May
Quelle issue pour la situation en Libye ?
Nous avons le plaisir de vous inviter à un Black Coffee Morning, en présence de Tarek Megerisi, Mary Fitzgerald et Virginie Collombier, sur le thème suivant : « Quelle issue pour la situation en Libye ? »
12 Feb
Conferencia: Migraciones en el mundo Árabe
Conferencia, celebrada en colaboración con Casa Árabe, para tratar las cuestiones migratorias que conciernen a Europa y al Norte de África
7 Nov
Briefing privado: “Europa, España, Libia y la crisis migratoria”
La oficina de ECFR en Madrid organizó una sesión informativa sobre la crisis en Libia y la experiencia migratoria de España con los representantes de las diferentes embajadas e instituciones europeas en Madrid.
1 Oct
Russia and the Middle East
Nous avons le plaisir de vous inviter à un évènement en partenariat avec l’Institut d’études de sécurité de l’Union européenne (EUISS) avec Nicu Popescu, Stanislav Secrieru, Julien Barnes-Dacey et Timofey Borisov
8 May
Desayuno de trabajo sobre Túnez y Libia
El pasado viernes 28 de abril, la oficina de ECFR en Madrid, organizó un desayuno de trabajo sobre la situación actual en Túnez y Libia y las principales opciones para Europa y para la política española
In the media
Tarek Megesiri on Italy on alert for the movement of Russian defence systems in the Cyrenaica region
There’s a paradox, because on the one side, all the regional crises have made Egypt weaker, but at the same time they’re all making it even more significant to be kept afloat
The situation will create a socio-economic crisis for Libya’s long-suffering population, one that could quickly turn violent given the rivalries still tearing the country apart