Title: Euro-Mediterranean relations and the Arab Spring. EU Centre Background Brief No. 6, October 2011
Abstract: This background paper begins with a reflection on Euro-
Mediterranean relations from the 1970s to the launch
of the Union for the Mediterranean initiative in 2008.
Many analysts believe that the recent events in the
Middle East / North Africa (popularly referred to as the
Arab Spring) is a test for the future of Euro-
Mediterranean relations. Some scholars have even gone
as far as to suggest that the unfolding of these events,
in which the EU was caught unprepared, reflect a failure
of the EU’s neighbourhood policy in promoting
democracy and human rights. As the countries in
Middle East and North Africa undergo difficult
transitions toward democracy, it is time that the EU
reflects on its policy and rethinks its approach in
engaging that region. The paper concludes with some
reflections on the EU’s longer term concerns and
interests in the region, and consequences of the Arab
Spring on the EU-Mediterranean partnership.
Publication Year: 2011
Publication Date: 2011-10-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 2
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