On June 9, the German Marshall Fund (GMF) Washington DC office hosted a conversation on Europe’s response to the Arab Spring, which focused primarily on the new European neighborhood policy and transatlantic cooperation in the southern Mediterranean.  The discussion was moderated by Dr. Emiliano Alessandri, GMF Transatlantic Fellow, who was joined by Kathleen Doherty, Director, Office of European Union and Regional Affairs, State Department; Ettore Greco, Director, Institute of International Affairs (IAI), Rome; and Nathalie Tocci, Deputy Director, Institute of International Affairs, Rome. IAI is a long-time partner of GMF, especially for the Mediterranean Program.

The conversation started by focusing on general policy implications of the Arab Spring for the EU.  It was said that the case of Libya had proved that short-term interests must no longer be prioritized over robust and long-term strategy for the region.   In addition, over-arching region-wide policy would no longer be feasible, for as a result of the rapidly changing situation, it was also clear that EU should now tailor its responses on a case by case basis.  It was also pointed out that dilemmas for policy-makers may arise as a result of contradictions emerging between the need to cooperate with governments in the region, and simultaneously avoid supporting those governments that seek to preserve the status quo.

On the subject of European Neighborhood Policy (ENP), the panelists engaged in a lively discussion of the new features of the recently-published policy review, debating to what extent it departed from previous approaches. It was noted that the arrival of the Arab Spring has served to increase the relevance of the policy reform currently underway.  EU initiatives to promote political reform using economic tools and increased civic engagement policies on a conditional basis were then discussed.

The conversation ended on the U.S perspective of responding to the Arab Spring.  While there is a strong impetus to help foster democratic change in the region, it was noted that domestic economic concerns could limit the degree of assistance.  It would also be important to respect the diplomatic legacy when formulating responses for countries in the region, echoing earlier sentiment that individualized approaches would be essential.  And although the Arab Spring offered a good opportunity for the U.S. to work with closely with the EU, speakers warned that without proper efforts to coordinate the division of labor, duplication of effort could occur. Budgetary and other constraints in Europe and in the U.S. led to discussion on the potential contribution of external actors to the transatlantic response.