Pirates (of football) in the Gulf versus Qatar’s soft power
A dispute between Arab neighbours has turned into a battle of sports rights that extends as far as Spain’s top-flight football competition
Challenges and opportunities in the neighbourhood
From the depths to the surface: conflict drivers in the MENA region
2011 Arab uprisings as a breaking point announcing the need for a regime overhaul in the region, and therefore a long overdue revision of Western policy
From the depths to the surface: conflict drivers in the MENA region
Failing to acknowledge the 2011 Arab uprisings as a breaking point announcing the need for a regime overhaul in the region, and therefore a long overdue revision of Western policy, would be a mistake with serious adverse consequences.
Nigeria’s 2019 elections: so many choices, so difficult to choose
The 2019 Nigerian elections comes at a time of great challenges for the nation, in economic, security and other terms. With 73 candidates competing, only two seem to be serious contenders for the role. However, both seem to lack aspects of leadership that Nigeria needs.
Destabilising the Middle East by absence
The announcement by Donald Trump of a unilateral military withdrawal of US forces from the Middle East is another step in the area’s destabilisation.
The CEO who is changing Algeria’s energy landscape
The new Sonatrach team’s reformist spirit opens a window of opportunity to establish a closer cooperation framework between the EU and Algeria.
Algerian presidential elections and the energy reform agenda
A new hydrocarbon law seems imminent in Algeria and progress has been made in improving the country's relations with international oil and gas companies. However, it appears that the introduction of substantive reforms will have to wait for the 2019 presidential elections.
The European Council and migration: any progress?
The European Council has come up with a vague agreement, but it has avoided a political crisis and at the same time made more visible the seriousness of the migration challenge to the EU.
The Immortal Regiment: the pride and prejudice of Russia
The March of the Immortal Regiment has been celebrated each year since 2012 in hundreds of Russian cities and many others beyond Russia.
The challenges of the IOM in a migration tricky era
The Portuguese António Vitorino will head the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for the next five years from 1 October.
Jamā’at Nuṣrat al-Islām wa-l-Muslimīn: a propaganda analysis of al-Qaeda’s project for the Sahel
The lessons that al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has learnt after years of activity in the Sahel have crystallised in the creation of JNIM. This paper analyses its propaganda to shed light on this new alliance and its relationship with the regional organisational structure.
What is behind the African miracle? Implications for European cooperation
The evolution of African economies since the end of the raw-materials boom has been marked by a growing heterogeneity. The EU’s development cooperation should adapt to the new realities unfolding on the continent.