Director, Middle East and North Africa programme
Middle East; Syria; Lebanon; Jordan; Iraq
English, Arabic, French
Julien Barnes-Dacey is the director of the Middle East & North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. His primary topic of focus is European policy towards Syria, the wider Mashreq, and the Gulf.
Barnes-Dacey’s recent publications include “To end a war: Europe’s role in bringing peace to Syria,” “The war next door: Syria and the erosion of stability in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey,” and “Responding to an Assertive Gulf.” He has worked as a researcher and journalist across the Middle East. Based in Syria from 2007 to 2011, he reported for the Wall Street Journal and the Christian Science Monitor. Previously, he was editor of Niqash, an Iraqi news service and worked for the Cairo Times in Egypt. He also headed the MENA practice at Control Risks, a private sector political consultancy.
Barnes-Dacey holds a BA in History from the London School of Economics, an MA in Middle Eastern Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, and studied Arabic at the Institut Français du Proche-Orient.
When Biden enters the White House, he will look for a Europe that brings solutions rather than problems. Europeans should show they can be an equal partner & offer him a new transatlantic bargain.
Dans une collection de huit essais, l’ECFR explore la manière dont les politiques européennes peuvent s’adapter aux défis créés par l’effondrement des structures traditionnelles des Etats centraux et la montée en puissance des groupes armés qui agissent de plus en plus comme des sources alternatives de gouvernance à travers une région fracturée
I governi europei e l’UE dovrebbero intavolare un dialogo con quei gruppi armati non statali che, con grande probabilità, eserciteranno un effettivo potere sul campo nella regione MENA nel corso dei prossimi anni
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
Victory for Joe Biden is likely to bring three big policy shifts in the region, opening new possibilities and challenges for Europeans
The US will continue to retreat from the Middle East and North Africa, whoever wins the presidency. Europe needs to get its house in order to defend its interests.
Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq are all teetering on the brink of economic collapse. Europe cannot afford to be a helpless bystander.
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.
Les Européens doivent rejeter l'approche contre-productive de la "pression maximale" et adopter une stratégie de "société maximale".
La stratégie de « société maximale » renforcera les forces en Syrie qui survivent encore sous la domination du régime
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
National politics need to be front and centre in de-escalation efforts
Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey have so far been resilient to the spillover from Syria’s civil war, but now the region's stability is hanging by a thread
The sixth ECFR Foreign Policy Scorecard highlights the EU's diminishing ability to influence its neighbours, and the neighbourhood's growing impact on the EU
An “Islamic State first” strategy, that neglects the urgent need to secure political progress and de-escalation in Syria will fail
Europe’s relationships with the six Arab Gulf states that make up the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have failed to keep up with their increasing importance
The fifth edition of ECFR's Foreign Policy Scorecard examines EU's response to a year of crisis
Essay collection on the regional dimensions of the IS crisis
How regional actors shape the conflict in Syria
A diplomatic strategy for the conflict in Syria
Victory for Joe Biden is likely to bring three big policy shifts in the region, opening new possibilities and challenges for Europeans
The US will continue to retreat from the Middle East and North Africa, whoever wins the presidency. Europe needs to get its house in order to defend its interests.
Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq are all teetering on the brink of economic collapse. Europe cannot afford to be a helpless bystander.
The coronavirus has hit the Middle East and north Africa at a time when the region is already burdened with multiple problems, including a series…
A horrific humanitarian crisis is unfolding on Europe’s doorstep and Europeans are nowhere to be seen.
Europeans can help the Lebanese and Iraqi people achieve their reform goals. Here’s how.
Turkey’s invasion means Europeans can no longer be bystanders to Syria. They must now take three urgent steps.
Rebuilding Syria will not be needs driven, rather the regime will aim to subdue the emergence of meaningful civilian opposition
Boris Johnson's first foreign policy test will be avoiding stumbling the UK into a broader confrontation with Iran
If European-Russian cooperation is to move forward in Syria both sides need to settle for an outcome that delivers less than what they currently seek
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
An ECFR guide to the key disputes threatening to spark a wider Middle Eastern war
When Biden enters the White House, he will look for a Europe that brings solutions rather than problems. Europeans should show they can be an equal partner & offer him a new transatlantic bargain.
ECFR Conversation with Ibrahim Kalin, Spokesman and Senior Advisor to the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Chaired by Julien Barnes-Dacey, Director of ECFR’s…
Last week’s episode saw our experts dissecting the coronavirus’ implications for Europe. In today's episode, we’re breaking down how the crisis is unfolding in the…
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…
With the US-killing of the Iranian military leader, Qassem Soleimani, the Middle East has been yet again sent in the heart to geopolitical uncertainty and…
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…
This week, ECFR director Mark Leonard discusses with experts Ellie Geranmayeh and Julien Barnes-Dacey the French president Emmanuel Macron's bold initiative: Europeans are now to…
Podcast de notre discussion du 17 mai « Where next for Syrians ? » en présence de Jasmine El-Gamal, chercheuse invitée au programme…
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…
Mark Leonard speaks with Asli Aydintasbas, Jeremy Shapiro and Julien Barnes-Dacy about what effect the incident might have on relations between Saudi Arabia, the US…
Julien Barnes-Dacey said Trump's policy had revealed a split between the president and other members of his administration.
Julien Barnes-Dacey being interviewed on the recent clashes in Northern Syria
Julien Barnes-Dacey assesses the US’s attempt to reduce its role in the Middle East.
Leading experts from the European Council on Foreign Relations express their thoughts on US global strategies in the event of a Biden or Trump presidency.
The Danish newspaper quotes from the Deep Sea Rivals report.
