Deputy Head, Paris Office
Policy Fellow
Middle East geoeconomics; China – Gulf relations; Gulf region; Red Sea geopolitics
French, English, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese
Camille Lons is a policy fellow and deputy head of the Paris office at the European Council on Foreign Relations, where she works on geoeconomics and relations between China and the Gulf countries. Prior to joining ECFR, Lons was a research associate at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), based in Bahrain and Taiwan, where she worked on Gulf-Asia relations and co-authored the report “Gulf Bailout Diplomacy: Aid as Economic Statecraft in a Turbulent Region” (2023). Before that, she was the coordinator of the Middle East and North Africa programme at ECFR and project editor of the policy paper “China’s great game in the Middle East” (2019). She was also a Schuman Fellow at the European Parliament, focusing on Middle East policy.
Lons holds an MSc in population and development from the London School of Economics, an MA in international relations from Sciences Po Aix, and an MA in middle eastern studies from Aix-Marseille University.
This ECFR project maps the Red Sea region as a nexus of conflict, regional rivalries and global power plays. To address the risks of this instability, Europeans need to develop a more comprehensive approach
The sentencing of far-right politician Marine Le Pen for embezzling EU funds will not only change the 2027 race for the French presidency. It also risks emboldening anti-establishment narratives across Europe and the US
Mark Leonard welcomes Camille Lons, Marta Prochwicz Jazowska, Jana Puglierin, José Ignacio Torreblanca and Arturo Varvelli to discuss how European capitals are responding to Trump’s dramatic return to the White House
French prime minister Michel Barnier has been ousted following a vote of no confidence. European governments need to demonstrate that, despite France’s internal political turmoil, they maintain a united front in foreign and security policy
Severe weaknesses in the Egyptian and Tunisian economies provoke recurrent crises. There is a better way for Europeans to support Cairo and Tunis
To form a workable government after the snap election, French parties will need to make coalitions and concessions. But such cooperation runs contrary to French political culture, and the likely divisions risk weakening France’s voice on the international and European stage
Vessela Tcherneva welcomes Camille Grand, Camille Lons, Marta Prochwicz Jazowska, and Jana Puglierin to discuss the 75th NATO summit, and how Europe can defend itself with less America
The far-right National Rally is leading the polls ahead of the second round of the French election. Its success would have inevitable consequences for French foreign policy
China is strengthening its ties to the Gulf in areas well beyond the energy sector. The EU clearly has stakes in the region, but it should not try to directly counter China’s influence. It should instead build its own Gulf partnerships
Mark Leonard welcomes Cinzia Bianco, Agathe Demarais, and Camille Lons to discuss the geoeconomics of the Gulf
Severe weaknesses in the Egyptian and Tunisian economies provoke recurrent crises. There is a better way for Europeans to support Cairo and Tunis
China is strengthening its ties to the Gulf in areas well beyond the energy sector. The EU clearly has stakes in the region, but it should not try to directly counter China’s influence. It should instead build its own Gulf partnerships
Europeans should monitor China’s influence on regional stability and political dynamics, especially in relation to surveillance technology and arms sales
The sentencing of far-right politician Marine Le Pen for embezzling EU funds will not only change the 2027 race for the French presidency. It also risks emboldening anti-establishment narratives across Europe and the US
French prime minister Michel Barnier has been ousted following a vote of no confidence. European governments need to demonstrate that, despite France’s internal political turmoil, they maintain a united front in foreign and security policy
To form a workable government after the snap election, French parties will need to make coalitions and concessions. But such cooperation runs contrary to French political culture, and the likely divisions risk weakening France’s voice on the international and European stage
The far-right National Rally is leading the polls ahead of the second round of the French election. Its success would have inevitable consequences for French foreign policy
The Gulf states have loudly condemned Israel’s offensive in Gaza. But beneath the rhetoric – and amid unfolding regional escalation – many Gulf capitals are hesitant to put their national interests at risk
After weeks of attacks on ships in the Red Sea, the Iran-backed Houthi militia has now threatened to target all Israel-bound vessels in retaliation for Israel’s war in Gaza, threatening freedom of navigation and regional security
Amidst the Israel-Hamas war, Beijing sees an opportunity to differentiate itself from the West’s unconditional support for Israel and gain favour in the global south. But the conflict has revealed China’s lack of political weight in the region – and an opportunity for European engagement
The ongoing conflict in Gaza between Hamas and Israel is tearing apart an already polarised French society, resonating with some of the country’s deepest divisions
Oman's decision to grant the US Navy access to strategically important ports reflects intensifying global rivalry between the US and China. Europe can work to keep Oman a neutral mediator
Oman has historically been careful to balance its relations with Saudi Arabia and Iran, allowing it to play a useful role mediating regional disputes. However, as the region’s anti-Iran rhetoric is ramping up and the Sultanate is having to deal with its own domestic issues, neutrality is becoming harder to maintain
This ECFR project maps the Red Sea region as a nexus of conflict, regional rivalries and global power plays. To address the risks of this instability, Europeans need to develop a more comprehensive approach
Mark Leonard welcomes Camille Lons, Marta Prochwicz Jazowska, Jana Puglierin, José Ignacio Torreblanca and Arturo Varvelli to discuss how European capitals are responding to Trump’s dramatic return to the White House
Vessela Tcherneva welcomes Camille Grand, Camille Lons, Marta Prochwicz Jazowska, and Jana Puglierin to discuss the 75th NATO summit, and how Europe can defend itself with less America
Mark Leonard welcomes Cinzia Bianco, Agathe Demarais, and Camille Lons to discuss the geoeconomics of the Gulf
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Podcast de notre BCM du 5 février « Irak : quels enjeux pour l'Europe ? » en présence de Delphine O, députée La…
In 2020, the covid-19 pandemic laid bare the vulnerability of global sea trade to external shocks. A year later, the Suez Canal blockage sounded the alarm on…
Camille Lons on France’s view on the new German government
This decision has profound implications, not only for the French political system but also for the wider narrative battle surrounding democracy in the West
Camille Lons on the conviction of Marine Le Pen
Camille Lons on the consequences of Marine Le Pen’s verdict
Camille Lons on Marine Le Pen’s political constraints in the near future
Camille Lons on Marine Le Pen’s conviction
