The EU Global Strategy and the MENA Region: In Search of Resilience

Europe has made some progress in implementing the EU Global Strategy, yet, when it comes to the Middle East and North Africa region, implementation has been less straightforward. While a number of key developments between 2016 and 2018 could have provided the EU with important opportunities to strengthen its image and credibility, three dimensions of EU policy deserve praise: the EU’s continued support for Tunisia and Europe’s principled opposition to the Trump administration’s unilateral moves towards Iran and the Palestinians. These should be accompanied by more forceful efforts in the realm of public diplomacy.