The turtle and the pilot fish: How the EU and Italy can help each other in the Mediterranean
Italy and the EU must work more closely together in the “Wider Mediterranean” on energy, migration and security. Here’s how they can do it
Experts & Staff
Arturo Varvelli
Head, ECFR Rome
Senior Policy Fellow
Areas of expertise
Geopolitics and International Relations; MENA Region; Libya; EU-MENA relations; Italian-Libyan relations; Italian foreign policy
Languages
Italian, English, basic French
Biography
Arturo Varvelli is the Head of the Rome Office and a Senior Policy Fellow for the European Council on Foreign Relations. His research interests include geopolitics and international affairs, international relations of the MENA region, EU-MENA relations, Italian foreign policy towards the MENA, and transnational terrorism movements affecting the area. His main focus is Libya, a country he has extensively worked on, unpacking its domestic and foreign politics, and Italian-Libyan relations in particular.
Previously, Varvelli worked as the Co-Head of the MENA Center and Head of the Terrorism Programme at the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI). In ISPI, he provided scientific coordination of the “Rome MED – Mediterranean Dialogues” organized by ISPI and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Furthermore, he was also a lecturer of History and Institutions of the Middle East at IULM University in Milan and a Visiting Fellow at the European Foundation for Democracy (EFD).
Varvelli holds a PhD in International History from the University of Milan, and a post-PhD from the CRT Foundation of Turin. He also took part in research projects funded by the Italian Chamber of Representatives and Senate, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Parliament and Commission. In 2015, he was chosen by the US State Department to take part in the International Visitor Leadership Program.
He has extensively published on Libya. His first book, “Italy and the rise of Ghaddafi” (“L’Italia e l’ascesa di Gheddafi”, 2009) focused on Italian-Libyan relations, while later books, published in collaboration with The Atlantic Council and Brookings Institutions, rather delved into Libya’s and the MENA’s foreign projections. In 2018, he took part in a Brooking Institution’s working group on the Libyan crisis.
He is also a regular speaker and commentator on Libyan and MENA issues in the main Italian media. His comments have also appeared in international newspapers such as The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Economist.
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Publications
The turtle and the pilot fish: How the EU and Italy can help each other in the Mediterranean
Italy and the EU must work more closely together in the “Wider Mediterranean” on energy, migration and security. Here’s how they can do it
Rise to the challengers: Europe’s populist parties and its foreign policy future
An array of populist parties are challenging Europe’s foreign policy mainstream. To secure European sovereignty, its politicians need to adapt—which means preparing for a variety of future diplomatic scenarios
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A new ECFR poll points to Europeans’ widespread (but not universal) reassessment of the transatlantic relationship, and extensive opportunities for the new US president to divide them if they do not work together
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Articles
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Albania’s and Italy’s unique model of migration management has not had the intended effect. European countries must disregard it as a blueprint for future policies and work towards a more cohesive, people-oriented solution
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Podcasts
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European solidarity and the Russia-Ukraine war
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Events
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6
Mar
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In the media
Jeremy Cliffe, Teresa Coratella, Camille Lons, and Arturo Varvell on the accusation on the EU for prioritising militaristic spending above investments in education and health
Arturo Varvelli on European dependence on the United States
Arturo Varvelli on Giorgia Meloni’s position on Venezuela and Greenland
Arturo Varvelli on Trump’s strategic interests
Arturo Varvelli on Trump’s possible attack on Greenland