In the wake of Iraq’s parliamentary election, European states should be highly cautious about publicly engaging with Iraqi policy on armed groups. They should only help Baghdad deal with this issue following a direct request.
It is important for Europeans to be realistic about the Iraqi government’s ability to enact reforms. As Iraq’s next governing coalition will include many deeply reactionary groups, the country will continue to struggle to address the long-standing challenges that create domestic instability.
The EU’s highest court has again backed Western Sahara self-determination. It is now time for the EU’s political institutions to bring their policy into line with the law – for the benefit of regional peace.
It is time to assemble an anti-Houthi negotiations delegation that reflects the realities on the ground – and that can actually enforce an eventual settlement
Iran was more economically dependent on Afghanistan than many people realise. The change of regime will impact on Tehran in four main ways.
Europeans cannot stand apart from the chaos in Tunisia – indeed, active European involvement now can help restore stability to the country
The new Iranian administration may agree on a revised JCPOA with the US. But if the economic benefits are paltry, political support will drain away.
The convergence of geopolitical rivalries in the eastern Mediterranean has enhanced Greece’s standing. But it could also expose it to feuds that outpace its diplomatic and security capacity.
Emmanuel Macron took allies by surprise when he announced the end of Operation Barkhane. But his new plans do not appear to offer the change of tack the Sahel needs.
Even if the JCPOA is restored, European companies will hesitate to trade in Iran. European and American officials should work together to give companies the comfort they need.
The Egyptian regime has become somewhat more open to discussing matters such as human rights than Western capitals sometimes assume
ECFR’s policy experts examine what the Taliban takeover means for countries and regions around the world: Europe, the US, the Middle East, Russia, China, Iran, Turkey, and the Sahel
Lebanon is home to key strategic interests for the EU, which does not want another failed state on the Mediterranean
The EU and its member states can assist Tunisian leaders by providing new investment – and thereby reboot the democratic transition
The UN should pursue a “free association” option for Western Sahara – a third way that offers a realistic means of fulfilling Sahrawi self-determination
An Iraq that has diverse regional relationships is more likely to be stable and secure, in line with European interests in the Middle East
The EU and the US have a decisive role to play in ensuring the electoral process succeeds. In doing so, they can support Palestinian political renewal and improve prospects for a sustainable peace agreement with Israel.
Instead of using the UAE to push back against Turkey or vice versa, Europe should develop its own strategy on their rivalry
North African countries such as Morocco and Tunisia can help Europe meet its carbon emissions targets and strengthen its position in the face of fierce competition from China
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
In the wake of Iraq’s parliamentary election, European states should be highly cautious about publicly engaging with Iraqi policy on armed groups. They should only help Baghdad deal with this issue following a direct request.
It is important for Europeans to be realistic about the Iraqi government’s ability to enact reforms. As Iraq’s next governing coalition will include many deeply reactionary groups, the country will continue to struggle to address the long-standing challenges that create domestic instability.
The EU’s highest court has again backed Western Sahara self-determination. It is now time for the EU’s political institutions to bring their policy into line with the law – for the benefit of regional peace.
It is time to assemble an anti-Houthi negotiations delegation that reflects the realities on the ground – and that can actually enforce an eventual settlement
Iran was more economically dependent on Afghanistan than many people realise. The change of regime will impact on Tehran in four main ways.
Europeans cannot stand apart from the chaos in Tunisia – indeed, active European involvement now can help restore stability to the country
The new Iranian administration may agree on a revised JCPOA with the US. But if the economic benefits are paltry, political support will drain away.
The convergence of geopolitical rivalries in the eastern Mediterranean has enhanced Greece’s standing. But it could also expose it to feuds that outpace its diplomatic and security capacity.
Emmanuel Macron took allies by surprise when he announced the end of Operation Barkhane. But his new plans do not appear to offer the change of tack the Sahel needs.
Even if the JCPOA is restored, European companies will hesitate to trade in Iran. European and American officials should work together to give companies the comfort they need.
European governments need a deeper engagement strategy to draw these powerful actors into inclusive political processes and power-sharing structures that can help stabilise the region
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.
Turmoil in the Middle East and north Africa directly affects Europeans. Yet their influence in the region has never been weaker. This project maps Europe’s role across the Middle East and north Africa, making the case that Europeans can do more to leverage their influence in pursuit of core interests
ECFR’s Differentiation Tracker provides a snapshot of third state relations with Israel – and the extent to which these contain a clearly defined territorial definition that explicitly excludes Israeli settlements constructed on occupied territory in line with UNSCR 2334
Violence is tearing Mali and the Sahel apart. But who are the armed groups behind the bloodshed? Where are international actors stationed in the region? And what motivates them all?
An ECFR guide to the key disputes threatening to spark a wider Middle Eastern war
This interactive web project charts the constellation of political players as Palestinians approach a period of political change. Over 100 pen portraits reveal new insights into the personalities and power structures that will shape the future of Palestinian politics.
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.
A multimedia exploration of Yemen's multi-faceted civil war
This series examines the reaction of key Middle Eastern actors, as well as looking at European policy options, the dynamics driving IS itself, and the impact within Syria and Iraq respectively.
Who is filling the vacuum which the US is increasingly leaving behind in the MENA region? How are regional actors reacting to US disengagement?
What does the end of Operation Barkhane in its current form mean for the Sahel?
Does the election of Raisi represent a significant change of direction following the term of President Rouhani?
What is the Western Sahara conflict is all about, and how will the most recent developments between Morocco and Spain influence this conflict?
Discussion about the political shifts from the March Israeli elections and dynamics surrounding the upcoming Palestinian elections
How can the EU prevent the Turkey-UAE rivalry from destabilising European security and foreign policy?
Mark Leonard and Jeremy Shapiro predict ten bright and bold policy projections for the year to come
To what extent can and will Iran policy be a priority of the incoming administration? What can Europeans do to bolster transatlantic diplomacy on Iran?
In the eastern Mediterranean, a scramble is under way between countries in the region for access to recently discovered gas fields, often overlapping with wider…
In this special ECFR discussion, MENA Policy Fellow Hugh Lovatt interviews Daniel Seidemann, the Founder of Terrestrial Jerusalem and an Israeli attorney that specialises in…
I think now they are having to pay the consequences of that very short sighted approach to the issue
Hugh Lovatt describes the EU policy’s on Western Sahara as one viewed “exclusively through the prism of its relations with Rabat.”
This election appointment is undoubtedly a small step that can be a start on the path the widening of the political debate in the Country
Cinzia Bianco’s comment on the upcoming elections in Qatar of the members of the Shura council and on the influence that the World Cup will have on the votes
The Algerian authorities rely on the external enemy, in this case Morocco, to divert the attention of its population from internal problems
The comment by Lorena Stella Martini on the tension between Algeria and Morocco
Michaël Tanchum writes on Morocco’s “first in North Africa” electric car production and how this represents a European manufacturing gain over China
The Biden administration is not going to invest in placing the Assad regime under significant pressure […]The result is regional actors recalibrating
Julien Barnes-Dacey comments on how the US is using a softer touch in the Middle East under President Joe Biden