ECFR’s Middle East and North Africa programme seeks to support a coherent European agenda in pursuit of regional interests, working to advance openings for conflict de-escalation, regional stabilisation and democratic transition.
The war in Ukraine has led to unprecedented levels of cooperation between Russia and Iran. This new relationship poses a significant threat to European countries, whose governments should seek to mitigate the potential damage
African leaders are undertaking a mission to end Russia’s war on Ukraine. European leaders should not dismiss the effort
Middle powers are shaping a fragmented world for which Europe is ill prepared. To protect its interests and values, the EU needs a foreign policy strategy that emphasises its wide range of interdependencies
Middle powers are shaping a fragmented world for which Europe is ill prepared. To protect its interests and values, the EU needs a foreign policy strategy that emphasises its wide range of interdependencies
Recent escalations in Iraq’s contested Kirkuk province reveal the structural tensions inherent in the coalition government, posing a risk of Turkish and Iranian intervention and wider instability in the region
Mark Leonard welcomes Ellie Geranmayeh and Alistair Burt to understand the new multipolar order in the Middle East
The Biden administration has secured the release of five US citizens from unjust detention in Iran. European countries should now coordinate with the US to tackle the use of arbitrary detention as diplomatic leverage in Iran and beyond
On the occasion of the 30-year anniversary of the ‘Oslo peace process’, ECFR and MEI are hosting a hybrid conference, assessing the legacies of the Oslo process, ways to address today’s harsh realities on the ground, alternative strategies and outcomes for the future
A new trade corridor linking India to Europe via the Middle East can offer opportunities for Europeans to strengthen their geo-economic influence with the Gulf. It can also be an opportunity for de-risking, but Europe should not expect to dislodge Chinese influence
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
Europeans should leverage their relationships with the Palestinian Authority to revive Palestinian institutions and reverse the PA’s slide towards authoritarianism
Ellie Geranmayeh speaks to Tara Sepehri Far, Sussan Tahmasebi, and Sanam Vakil about the situation in Iran a year after the Mahsa Amini Protests
The war in Ukraine has led to unprecedented levels of cooperation between Russia and Iran. This new relationship poses a significant threat to European countries, whose governments should seek to mitigate the potential damage
Middle powers are shaping a fragmented world for which Europe is ill prepared. To protect its interests and values, the EU needs a foreign policy strategy that emphasises its wide range of interdependencies
Europeans should leverage their relationships with the Palestinian Authority to revive Palestinian institutions and reverse the PA’s slide towards authoritarianism
The war in Ukraine has led to unprecedented levels of cooperation between Russia and Iran. This new relationship poses a significant threat to European countries, whose governments should seek to mitigate the potential damage
Europe and Algeria need each other. Their range of overlapping interests creates the opportunity to build a broad and mutually beneficial partnership
Europeans should view COP28 as a catalyst to upgrade their energy relations with the Gulf states to long-term cooperation on the green transition and decarbonisation
Post-invasion Iraq has proven resilient in the face of many challenges – but problems remain that Europeans could assist with resolving
Tunisia’s autocratic president is leading the country to the brink. The EU and member states should act now to support Tunisian democracy.
The EU should invest more Global Gateway funding in the southern neighbourhood, helping it achieve strategic nearshoring, clean energy, and regional connectivity goals
Europeans should adopt a new approach to supporting Syrian refugees – one that would also benefit host communities in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan
North African states hold great potential to partner in Europe’s longer-term energy transition – if the EU takes the right steps in the coming years
Recent escalations in Iraq’s contested Kirkuk province reveal the structural tensions inherent in the coalition government, posing a risk of Turkish and Iranian intervention and wider instability in the region
The Biden administration has secured the release of five US citizens from unjust detention in Iran. European countries should now coordinate with the US to tackle the use of arbitrary detention as diplomatic leverage in Iran and beyond
A new trade corridor linking India to Europe via the Middle East can offer opportunities for Europeans to strengthen their geo-economic influence with the Gulf. It can also be an opportunity for de-risking, but Europe should not expect to dislodge Chinese influence
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
Quran desecration in Sweden and Denmark has drawn the ire of Muslim-majority countries. European governments should act now to prevent an escalation of tensions
Following the recent thaw in relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Iraq is strengthening its ties with GCC states. European countries should support this development, which could help Iraq address its domestic challenges
Israel’s operations on the West Bank are a counterproductive way to deal with armed groups. European action should focus on helping to address the drivers of the recent surge of violence.
The recent ceasefire between Israel and Islamic Jihad, the detente between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and the de-escalation in Yemen have all been accomplished with minimal Western involvement. While this may be just a temporary lull in Middle Eastern violence, it may also offer a glimpse into the multipolar future
Algerian leaders remain reluctant to switch away from oil and gas. EU decision-makers should provide Algeria with financing and new incentives to develop renewable energy
Recent fighting on Israel’s borders with Lebanon and Syria shows how spiralling Israeli-Palestinian violence could drag the region into a renewed war
The conversation around achieving peace and prosperity in the Middle East and North Africa needs to become more inclusive and diverse, through an injection of fresh ideas and perspectives from regional voices
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.
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.
Mark Leonard welcomes Ellie Geranmayeh and Alistair Burt to understand the new multipolar order in the Middle East
Ellie Geranmayeh speaks to Tara Sepehri Far, Sussan Tahmasebi, and Sanam Vakil about the situation in Iran a year after the Mahsa Amini Protests
Ellie Geranmayeh speaks to Nadereh Chamlou and Sheikha Najla Al Qassimi about the geo-economic trends in the Middle East
Mark Leonard welcomes Merav Michaeli to talk about Israel
The first episode of ECFR’s WOMENP mini-series brings together leading experts to discuss what can be expected from Iran and Saudi Arabia’s de-escalation after the…
Mark Leonard is joined by Theodore Murphy, Julien Barnes-Dacey and Marie Dumoulin to talk about Sudan
Mark Leonard welcomes Julien Barnes-Dacey, Cinzia Bianco and Andrew Small, to talk about the new Saudi – Iran deal
Mark Leonard is joined by Vali Nasr to learn more about the Iranian perspective on global order
Mark Leonard, Ellie Geranmayeh, Hossein Mousavian, Vali Nasr, and Ali Vaez discuss the latest developments in the negotiations around the Iran nuclear deal and evaluate different possible outcomes and their consequences
On location at the Doha Forum 2022, Mark Leonard and his guests discuss Western energy sanctions on Russia and why is there a reluctance in the Gulf states and the West to cooperate on energy supplies
On the occasion of the 30-year anniversary of the ‘Oslo peace process’, ECFR and MEI are hosting a hybrid conference, assessing the legacies of the Oslo process, ways to address today’s harsh realities on the ground, alternative strategies and outcomes for the future
Expert workshop on a new Mediterranean agenda for the EU, organized by the Rome office of ECFR and the Regional Program Political Dialogue South Mediterranean of the Konrad-Adenauer- Stiftung (KAS PolDiMed)
Tavola rotonda su sfide e opportunità per il Nord Africa organizzata dal Centro Studi Americani in collaborazione con l’Ufficio di Roma di ECFR, ENI e Atlantic Council
La conferenza è l’evento finale del progetto “Rome Foreign Policy Club: Gruppo di riflessione strategica su Italia, multilateralismo e interconnessioni”, con focus sugli scenari globali e per il Mediterraneo allargato dopo l’invasione dell’Ucraina
A panel discussion organized in collaboration with the Regional Program Political Dialogue South Mediterranean of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) in the framework of the 8th edition of the Rome MED – Mediterranean Dialogues, promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation the Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI)
This Twitter Space will discuss important lessons from the ongoing protests in Iran and their implications for the country’s future
How can Europeans more effectively advance their human rights agenda as part of, and while maintaining, their broader relationships with regional states?
The Youth Forum is part of the one-day conference “The future of popular mobilization in the Middle East and North Africa: Insights from 10 years of struggle” jointly organized by the Rome office of ECFR, Centro Studi di Politica Internazionale (CeSPI) and Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI)
This event will consider how women peace-builders in Yemen are providing essential gender-responsive humanitarian and peacemaking support
The EU’s lack of strategic sovereignty in the MENA region need not be permanent
EU is now focused on sealing its external borders. Instead, it should have championed stability and economic growth in the countries of departure and transit, while creating regular migration routes.
Arturo Varvelli analyses the politicization of the migration issue in UE between electoral deadlines and NGO’s criminalization
Moscow is focused on having an outpost in Libya and consolidating the relations with the country, while Haftar seeks new credibility and support from the Kremlin after Prigozhin’s death
Arturo Varvelli comments the encounter between Khalifa Haftar and Vladimir Putin, the first since 2019
The West finds itself in a position where it cannot conclude agreements with the Kremlin on Iran, but with Tehran there is an opportunity for openness
Ellie Geranmayeh and Nicole Grajewski examine the growing convergence between Russia and Iran, shedding light on the extent of their burgeoning partnership and elucidating the fresh challenges that the Western world confronts as this alliance intensifies
Russia and Iran can work in areas where there are common interests, but also avoid areas of tension and work more towards where they really have synergies
Ellie Geranmayeh and Nicole Grajewski discuss the extent to which Russia and Iran have come closer together and outline the new risks the West faces as the union deepens
Kelly Petillo comments on the responses to the recent surge of immigrants on the Italian island of Lampedusa
