After the fall of Assad, many Syrians hope for a better future. But intense political and economic challenges risk derailing the transition. Europeans urgently need to do more to help stabilise Syria’s path in line with their own core interests
Turkey didn’t orchestrate Assad’s fall, but it’s certainly cashing in on the aftermath. Now, it wants to mould Syria in its own image—if it can keep the Kurds from spoiling the party
European and Gulf Arab states share common interests in Syria – they should work closely together to ensure a stable transition
A rise in right-wing agendas in European politics is colliding with post-Assad refugee dilemmas for Syrians and the region. European leaders must navigate domestic pressures to support Syria’s transition in a constructive way and ensure voluntary, sustainable returns
Following a ten-day advance, Syrian rebels have toppled the regime of Bashar al-Assad. European governments should step up support for a stabilising, power-sharing transition to protect their regional interests – and Syria’s citizens
Mark Leonard welcomes Julien Barnes-Dacey, Ellie Geranmayeh, and Vali Nasr to discuss shifting dynamics in the Middle East and their implications for global geopolitics
Syrian rebel forces have seized Aleppo, reigniting the country’s civil war. As Bashar al-Assad remobilises, the country is likely to be sucked into a new cycle of devastating violence
European leaders are debating how to increase Syrian refugee returns. But rather than pushing for deportations, the bloc should focus on addressing security concerns and improving economic conditions inside Syria to encourage voluntary returns
In the aftermath of the earthquake, minimal aid is reaching north-west Syria, the most affected region in the country. European governments need to put humanitarian imperatives first, even if this means temporarily abandoning longstanding political positions
Europeans should adopt a new approach to supporting Syrian refugees – one that would also benefit host communities in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan
Europeans should adopt a new approach to supporting Syrian refugees – one that would also benefit host communities in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan
EU member states can find ways to cooperate with Turkey to support stabilisation in parts of the safe zone, without violating their interests and core principle
European governments should pivot to a strategy focused on protecting those societal forces that are still standing and that can help salvage a better future
EU member states have failed to come up with a coherent policy on how to handle the hundreds of their citizens having travelled to join ISIS in Syria
Introduction After eight years of war, the Syrian government has reasserted control over much of the territory it lost to opposition and foreign forces. As…
Introduction After eight years of fighting and destruction resulting in the largest humanitarian and refugee crisis of our time, the government of Bashar al-Assad…
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
National politics need to be front and centre in de-escalation efforts
UK parliament must examine merits of military action in case of further chemical weapons attacks in Syria
Decentralisation offers one of the few ways to hold the country together, albeit in a looser form
After the fall of Assad, many Syrians hope for a better future. But intense political and economic challenges risk derailing the transition. Europeans urgently need to do more to help stabilise Syria’s path in line with their own core interests
Turkey didn’t orchestrate Assad’s fall, but it’s certainly cashing in on the aftermath. Now, it wants to mould Syria in its own image—if it can keep the Kurds from spoiling the party
European and Gulf Arab states share common interests in Syria – they should work closely together to ensure a stable transition
A rise in right-wing agendas in European politics is colliding with post-Assad refugee dilemmas for Syrians and the region. European leaders must navigate domestic pressures to support Syria’s transition in a constructive way and ensure voluntary, sustainable returns
Following a ten-day advance, Syrian rebels have toppled the regime of Bashar al-Assad. European governments should step up support for a stabilising, power-sharing transition to protect their regional interests – and Syria’s citizens
Syrian rebel forces have seized Aleppo, reigniting the country’s civil war. As Bashar al-Assad remobilises, the country is likely to be sucked into a new cycle of devastating violence
European leaders are debating how to increase Syrian refugee returns. But rather than pushing for deportations, the bloc should focus on addressing security concerns and improving economic conditions inside Syria to encourage voluntary returns
In the aftermath of the earthquake, minimal aid is reaching north-west Syria, the most affected region in the country. European governments need to put humanitarian imperatives first, even if this means temporarily abandoning longstanding political positions
If Turkey and other countries begin deporting more Syrians back to Syria, Europe could experience a new wave of arrivals. European policymakers need to devise a more sustainable, longer-term approach to the issue
Europe needs to prepare for a breakdown of multilateral cooperation with Russia. Yet, in doing so, it should be careful not to provide space for Moscow to justify unilateral action of its own
European states face accusations of neglecting the matter of human rights in their southern neighbourhood, and even of being complicit. Yet they are failing to maximise the influence they could bring to bear
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
An ECFR guide to the key disputes threatening to spark a wider Middle Eastern war
Mark Leonard welcomes Julien Barnes-Dacey, Ellie Geranmayeh, and Vali Nasr to discuss shifting dynamics in the Middle East and their implications for global geopolitics
What does the re-engagement of regional actors mean for the future of Syria? And what role can Europe play to create breathing space in the country?
Listen on Mixcloud ECFR Conversation with Ibrahim Kalin, Spokesman and Senior Advisor to the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip…
The European Union faces a multi-crisis situation at the moment. As the conflict in Idlib and the circumstances at the Greek-Turkish border has erupted, Europe…
How will IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s killing impact ISIS as a terror organisation and the situation in Syria? Host Mark Leonard is joined by…
Turkey's offensive into northeast Syria is moving at an unprecedented pace with grave consequences. Europe's utter irrelevance in the face of US withdrawal from the Turkish/Syrian…
Anthony Dworkin steps in for Mark Leonard and discusses the US strategy in Syria with Asli Aydintasbas, Julien Barnes-Dacey and Jasmin El-Gamal. The podcast was recorded…
Podcast de notre conférence du 1 octobre en partenariat avec l’Institut d’études de sécurité de l’Union européenne (EUISS) : « Russia and the Middle East…
Mark Leonard examines the looming Syrian-Russian military action in Idlib in discussion with ECFR experts Asli Aydıntaşbaş, Julien Barnes-Dacey, and Almut Möller. What do Turks…
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
How can Europeans more effectively advance their human rights agenda as part of, and while maintaining, their broader relationships with regional states?
Madame, Monsieur, cher.e.s ami.e.s de l’ECFR, Nous avons le plaisir de vous inviter à un Black Coffee Morning sur le thème suivant :…
A panel discussion on the effects of the withdrawal of American troops from Syria and the EUs possibilities with regards to reacting to the ongoing crisis
Nous avons le plaisir de vous inviter à un Black Coffee Morning, en présence de Marc Hecker, Sharon Weill, Anthony Dworkin et Manuel Lafont Rapnouil, directeur du bureau de Paris de l’ECFR sur le thème suivant : « Le retour des combattants terroristes étrangers dans l’Union Européenne ».
Nous avons le plaisir de vous inviter à une table ronde avec Nicholas Westcott, Directeur la Royal African Society de Londres, Gurvan Le Bras, Chargé de mission au CAPS, Manuel Lafont Rapnouil, Directeur du bureau de Paris de l’ECFR, et Claude Guibal, grand reporter à France Inter
L'ECFR a le plaisir de vous convier à un BCM animé par Julien Barnes-Dacey et Manuel Lafont Rapnouil
Table ronde avec Jihad Yazigi, Bassma Kodmani et Manuel Lafont Rapnouil sur le conflit en Syrie
Ein Berlin Foreign Policy Club Treffen zum Thema “Syrien und die EU”, wobei das neue Papier von Julien Barnes-Dacey “The war next door: Syria and the erosion of stability in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey” vorgestellt wurde.
На организирана медийна закуска от ЕСВП София, заедно с колегата ни от Берлин Себастиан Дулиен ще ви представихме доклада „Цената на бежанската криза в Европа“, който…
How can Europe help to ensure the protection of Syrian refugees in Lebanon?
Moving towards reconstruction and redevelopment, you would need US and European action in tandem
Julien Barnes-Dacey on the EU lifting sanctions on Syria and the importance of the US following suit
The dire state of the economy is clearly one of the biggest challenges facing a positive transition
The EU has been in the direct line of fire of the Syrian conflict in terms of migration, terrorism and wider instability, so there is a clear interest in seeing a stabilised Syria moving forward
If we delay the easing of sanctions and the support that we provide to Syria because we want to condition that with a political transition which will take years, we risk to derail the process
