The Middle East and North Africa programme seeks to support a coherent European agenda in pursuit of regional interests. The programme works with European and regional governments, local voices, and civil society to advance channels of dialogue as well as providing direct policy prescriptions to secure conflict de-escalation, regional stabilisation, and democratic transition.
Hollowed out by violent Israeli control and Mahmoud Abbas’s personal rule, the Palestinian Authority is losing its grip on the West Bank. European and Arab states must intervene to rebuild legitimate governance and keep Palestinian self-determination alive
The US president’s Board of Peace has less to do with peace, in Gaza or elsewhere, and more to do with enforcing a new, transactional global order. Welcome to the America-First Trumpian world
Tehran has used a communications blackout to suppress nationwide protests and control information flows. French and UK governments can use their own satellite terminals to provide Iranians with independent internet access
The Saudi-UAE clash is reshaping dynamics across Yemen and the Horn of Africa. Europe needs to pay attention as new alignments crystallise against what is increasingly framed as a UAE-Israel-Ethiopia axis
The US is locked in a cat-and-mouse game of escalation with Iran. Europeans should work with partners in the Middle East to restrain Trump’s military attacks, prevent broader war and pursue measures to protect against the fates that befell Libya and Syria
The US president’s Board of Peace has less to do with peace, in Gaza or elsewhere, and more to do with enforcing a new, transactional global order. Welcome to the America-First Trumpian world
Tehran has used a communications blackout to suppress nationwide protests and control information flows. French and UK governments can use their own satellite terminals to provide Iranians with independent internet access
Mark Leonard and Ellie Geranmayeh discuss the ongoing protests in Iran and the chance of US intervention
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are experiencing a fracture in their diplomatic relationship. Europeans need to understand the potential impact on their economic and political interests
Mark Leonard welcomes Ellie Geranmayeh and Hugh Lovatt, fresh from the Doha Forum, to unravel the geopolitical changes and diplomatic efforts shaping Middle Eastern politics
The UN Security Council has passed a resolution to enact Trump’s Gaza plan. To sustain the fragile ceasefire, Europeans need to work with Arab partners to implement it in a way that addresses its flaws and secures Palestinian sovereignty
Roma, 3 dicembre 2025 Via del Quirinale 26, 00187 Roma La Commissione europea ha recentemente presentato il nuovo Patto per il Mediterraneo, con l’obiettivo di rilanciare la cooperazione politica, economica e di sicurezza con i Paesi partner del Mediterraneo meridionale, e ha rinnovato il suo impegno nella promozione di partenariati strategici in geografie chiave attraverso…
Ellie Geranmayeh speaks with Syrian minister Hind Kabawat about the country’s turbulent first year after Assad, the challenges ahead, and her push to bring more women into leadership during Syria’s reconstruction
Hollowed out by violent Israeli control and Mahmoud Abbas’s personal rule, the Palestinian Authority is losing its grip on the West Bank. European and Arab states must intervene to rebuild legitimate governance and keep Palestinian self-determination alive
The ethos of the EU’s “Pact for the Mediterranean” could help revitalise cooperation on clean energy with Tunisia—but only if Europeans learn how to better factor in the country’s politics
European credibility to uphold human rights in the Middle East has faded, but the EU can still have an impact by backing social and economic rights, empowering people through reform
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
A European-backed UN body explored mass graves in Iraq between 2018 and 2024, supporting steps towards justice and reconciliation—and providing wider lessons for the region
How Europe can use the current moment of flux in the Middle East to help stabilise Iraq, Lebanon and Syria
Russia’s re-entrenchment in Libya, Europe’s soft underbelly, offers profound lessons on how it exploits geopolitical instability—and how Europeans can push back
With a two-state solution at risk, Europeans must work closely with Arab states to bring the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to an end
Saudi-Iran diplomacy offers a rare path to prevent deepening conflict in the Middle East and support regional stability. Europeans should see this diplomacy as a chance to address their core interests, and not just as Iran’s attempt to bypass Western pressure
Severe weaknesses in the Egyptian and Tunisian economies provoke recurrent crises. There is a better way for Europeans to support Cairo and Tunis
The Saudi-UAE clash is reshaping dynamics across Yemen and the Horn of Africa. Europe needs to pay attention as new alignments crystallise against what is increasingly framed as a UAE-Israel-Ethiopia axis
The US is locked in a cat-and-mouse game of escalation with Iran. Europeans should work with partners in the Middle East to restrain Trump’s military attacks, prevent broader war and pursue measures to protect against the fates that befell Libya and Syria
The US president’s Board of Peace has less to do with peace, in Gaza or elsewhere, and more to do with enforcing a new, transactional global order. Welcome to the America-First Trumpian world
Tehran has used a communications blackout to suppress nationwide protests and control information flows. French and UK governments can use their own satellite terminals to provide Iranians with independent internet access
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are experiencing a fracture in their diplomatic relationship. Europeans need to understand the potential impact on their economic and political interests
The UN Security Council has passed a resolution to enact Trump’s Gaza plan. To sustain the fragile ceasefire, Europeans need to work with Arab partners to implement it in a way that addresses its flaws and secures Palestinian sovereignty
Recent changes in US policy have brought the US and Gulf states together again on AI—creating new openings for European decision-makers
President Donald Trump’s quest for a peace prize has led him to Western Sahara, where American diplomacy risks either sparking more violence or seizing a rare chance to end a half-century-old war
Oil prices barely flinched after the Iran-Israel 12-day war in June, but it would be a mistake to conclude Gulf producers have lost their leverage
Germany’s policy towards Israel undermines its commitment to international law and the EU’s capacity to act as a geopolitical actor
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
This new ECFR mapping project identifies the spillover effects of the Gaza war in countries across the Middle East
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
Mark Leonard and Ellie Geranmayeh discuss the ongoing protests in Iran and the chance of US intervention
Mark Leonard welcomes Ellie Geranmayeh and Hugh Lovatt, fresh from the Doha Forum, to unravel the geopolitical changes and diplomatic efforts shaping Middle Eastern politics
Ellie Geranmayeh speaks with Syrian minister Hind Kabawat about the country’s turbulent first year after Assad, the challenges ahead, and her push to bring more women into leadership during Syria’s reconstruction
Mark Leonard welcomes Eran Etzion and Jamal Nusseibeh to unpack the fragile Gaza ceasefire and Trump’s ambitious 20-point peace plan
Mark Leonard welcomes Hugh Lovatt to unpack Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza and what it means for Israel, Hamas, and Europe
Mark Leonard is joined by Hugh Lovatt and Tahani Mustafa to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank
Mark Leonard welcomes Ellie Geranmayeh and Eran Etzion to unpack the latest developments in the conflict between Iran and Israel
Mark Leonard welcomes Ellie Geranmayeh to unpack Israel’s unprecedented strikes on Iran and the risk of regional escalation
Mark Leonard welcomes Julien Barnes-Dacey to unpack the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Europe’s escalating response
Ellie Geranmayeh welcomes Dina Esfandiary, Yasmine Farouk and Dania Thafer to unpack how Arab Gulf monarchies used Donald Trump’s recent visit to showcase their geopolitical strength
Roma, 3 dicembre 2025 Via del Quirinale 26, 00187 Roma La Commissione europea ha recentemente presentato il nuovo Patto per il Mediterraneo, con l’obiettivo di rilanciare la cooperazione politica, economica e di sicurezza con i Paesi partner del Mediterraneo meridionale, e ha rinnovato il suo impegno nella promozione di partenariati strategici in geografie chiave attraverso…
As Africa becomes an increasingly central arena for Russia’s interests, the role of the United States and China is undergoing significant transformation. With Trump’s return to the White House, a broader US economic-military repositioning in Africa to contain external influences seems to occur, while Beijing continues to deepen its structural economic presence across the continent,…
Nella sua edizione 2025, la quarta da quando il progetto è stato lanciato, il Rome Foreign Policy Club riunisce giovani think tanker italiani under-40 per elaborare ipotesi di scenario rilevanti per la politica estera e multilaterale italiana ed europea. Tale esercizio si pone come obiettivo la formulazione di raccomandazioni a supporto delle attività di policy…
Il tema di questa edizione de Il Circolo dell’ECFR sarà focalizzato sul ruolo degli Emirati Arabi Uniti in Africa. Mentre i leader europei riflettono sul futuro strategico dell’Unione Europea in un contesto di crescenti tensioni geopolitiche, un gruppo influente di potenze medie, che include paesi come India, Turchia e le monarchie del Golfo, sta assumendo…
Negli ultimi anni, la presenza della Russia in Africa è cresciuta significativamente, sia nel Nord Africa che nell’Africa Subsahariana, presentando una sfida strategica per l’Europa e, in particolare, per l’Italia. Mosca ha rafforzato la sua presenza nel continente attraverso una serie di accordi bilaterali, cooperazioni militari, e investimenti economici e nel settore energetico. Questo incremento di influenza è stato percepito come una mossa strategica per aumentare il suo peso globale e per contrastare l’influenza occidentale
Josep Borrell Fontelles is the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission. He was President of the European Parliament from 2004-2007 and Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation from 2018-2019. Abraham “Avrum” Burg is a former Knesset Speaker, author, peace activist and founder of…
As European leaders navigate the EU’s strategic future amid rising geopolitical tensions, a critical mass of middle powers, from India and Turkey to the Gulf monarchies, is increasingly affecting Europe’s engagement across Africa. The United Arab Emirates has emerged as an exceptionally active player in Africa over the last few years, focusing particularly on Africa’s…
La discussione “Corridoio India-Medio Oriente-Europa: tra sfide attuali e potenziale strategico”, organizzata dall’ufficio di Roma dello European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) ed ELEC – European League for Economic Cooperation, avrà luogo, in forma virtuale, mercoledì 12 giugno 2024 dalle ore 16:30 alle ore 18:00 sulla piattaforma Zoom
A discussion assessing Iranian foreign policy following Hamas’s attacks of 7 October, Israel’s war on Gaza and the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi
L’IMEC è un progetto a lungo termine che richiede investimenti considerevoli e presenta notevoli ostacoli interni ed esterni. Ma il potenziale del corridoio di rafforzare i legami tra potenze diverse potrebbe rivelarsi prezioso in questo mondo frammentato e turbolento, con benefici geopolitici e geoeconomici per Europa ed i suoi partner
Hugh Lovatt on the structure and key figures of Trump’s BoP, as well as its impact on Gaza and the international order
Cinzia Bianco on the low likelihood of a severe rupture between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, despite Saudi Arabia’s new security deals
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