A power-sharing arrangement that exists between outright independence and integration into Morocco as envisaged by the autonomy plan could be negotiated, writes @hlovatt.bsky.social for @ecfr.eu 👇 ecfr.eu/article/west...

Oil prices barely flinched after June's 12-day war, but it would be a mistake to conclude Gulf producers have lost their leverage. Investing in long-term stability and maritime security in the region remains essential for Europeans, writes @camillelons.bsky.social buff.ly/8jwEoKB

✍️ Europeans should capitalise on the Polisario’s willingness to engage in renewed negotiations that would preserve the current economic interests of Morocco relating to Western Sahara’s natural resources, writes @hlovatt.bsky.social buff.ly/9ducliL

✍️ If European actors adjust their policies on navigating the diverse challenges and interests in Tunisia’s energy transition, a picture of green connectivity between Tunisia and its northerly neighbours may really begin to take shape 👇 @philippwa.bsky.social buff.ly/Bvl0eX2

✍️ If Europe wants credibility when invoking international law in Ukraine, Gaza or elsewhere, it cannot ignore the atrocities happening in Sudan. Though the options are limited, there are ways to hold the responsible accountable @cinziabianco.bsky.social @willbrownecfr.bsky.social buff.ly/B7uIpW9

"El-Fasher in North Darfur is now the epicentre of the world’s greatest humanitarian catastrophe. Europe’s options are limited, but there are still ways to hold the responsible accountable" ecfr.eu/article/suda...

Our publications @ecfr.eu have been going gangbusters recently. This past month we have published a series of must-read policy briefs on Europe's southern flank: ecfr.eu

Glad to see this out! In my latest policy brief with @ecfr.eu, I argue that Europe needs a more coherent, horizontal and context-sensitive approach in its green energy relations with Tunisia to create mutual benefits and people-centered cooperation. #EU #Tunisia #COP30 #energytransition

✍️ A new approach to European-Tunisian clean energy cooperation could not only boost Tunisia’s economic development, but also act as a litmus test for the EU’s green diplomacy in other challenging political environments, writes @philippwa.bsky.social buff.ly/3wrcgvl

📰 For @cnn.com, @muhammadshehada.bsky.social comments on the challenge of isolated Hamas cells with no contact with its remaining leadership 👇 buff.ly/cxIh2t2

✍️ Serious diplomatic efforts from Europeans could help translate Hamas's current pragmatism into a concrete political and ideological shift, but they must move rapidly, writes @muhammadshehada.bsky.social for @ecfr.eu buff.ly/JURYNkm

✍️ Oil prices barely flinched after June's 12-day war, but it would be a mistake to conclude Gulf producers have lost their leverage. Investing in long-term stability and maritime security in the region remains essential for Europeans, writes @camillelons.bsky.social buff.ly/8jwEoKB

✍️ Germany’s policy towards Israel and its adherence to "Staatsräson" undermines its commitment to international law and the EU’s capacity to act as a geopolitical actor, writes Nele Anders @ecfr.eu 👇 buff.ly/ThBSYPE

📰 @tahanimustafa.bsky.social on the US plan to split Gaza into separate zones, for @wsj.com: “Gaza has represented the only patch of territorial contiguity for a Palestinian state. A plan like this could end up creating what Palestinians feared” 👇 buff.ly/nsKim1j

Positive news to see Polisario updating its 2007 peace proposal -- long overdue and something we @ecfr have been advocating for the past 4 years. On why this is needed, and how it can advance a Trump deal, here is my most recent piece: cidob.org/en/publicati...

New by @muhammadshehada.bsky.social @ecfr.eu on internal Hamas dynamics after the ceasefire: “The question is not whether Hamas will change overnight but whether diplomacy can evolve fast enough to meet Hamas at its most flexible before it returns to logic of perpetual war” ecfr.eu/article/dipl...

Instead of using political conditionality, European leaders should back economic and social reforms that empower citizens and lay the foundations for future political change, writes Anthony Dworkin @ecfrmena.bsky.social https://bit.ly/47a3BDh

✍️ As the Gaza fragile ceasefire wavers, political engagement with Hamas offers an opportunity to sustain the truce. Europeans are well-positioned to encourage its political transformation and broader Palestinian political renewal @muhammadshehada.bsky.social 👇 buff.ly/JURYNkm

🔴 The Polisario Front's new peace proposal submitted to the UN this week has brought with it renewed hope of a political resolution to the longstanding conflict between the native Sahrawis and Morocco. @ecfr.eu @hlovatt.bsky.social's analysis below for more 👇

📰 "The Egyptian government has promised reforms to level the playing field, but progress has been slow. European leaders should stress that deepening cooperation depends on Egypt keeping its promises" comments Anthony Dworkin for @euronews.com 👇 buff.ly/RzVvMde

📰 @hlovatt.bsky.social speaks to The Times about the potential for US interest in brokering a peace deal between Algeria & Morocco 👇 buff.ly/mOsKhwO

🎙️ NEW @ecfr.eu podcast: Mark Leonard welcomes @eranetzion.bsky.social and Jamal Nusseibeh to discuss next steps for the Gaza peace plan, namely the fine-tuning of details, gaining buy-in from all parties, and concrete outlooks for Gaza's future. Listen to it here 👇 buff.ly/tU7AB24

✍️ If channelled through a common EU approach, the Mattei Plan can better emphasise constructive dimensions like education, training, job opportunities and legal pathways to migration. @kellyp90.bsky.social and @arturovarvelli.bsky.social for @ecfr.eu buff.ly/RhrE20s

📰 @muhammadshehada.bsky.social speaks to @cnn.com about Hamas's behaviour post-ceasefire in the Gaza Strip 👇 buff.ly/bVTbuOw

📰@tahanimustafa.bsky.social speaks to @AJEnglish's Inside Story podcast about the challenging prospect of PA involvement in Gaza's future governance 👇 buff.ly/VWR5Dld

✍️ Democratic backsliding & shifting geopolitics have made it harder for Europeans to promote human rights in the MENA region. Instead of using political conditionality, Europe should back reforms that empower citizens and enable change, writes Anthony Dworkin buff.ly/rfjHYPb

Today the EU is unveiling its new Pact for the Mediterranean, which aims at establishing comprehensive partnerships between the EU & its Southern Neighbourhood. Take a look at @ecfr.eu's new expert analysis to find out how exactly could this look: 👇

Today at the MED Dialogues: @jbdacey.bsky.social co-chairs with Maha Yahya a special dialogue with Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, Qatari Minister of State, discussing regional approaches to Trump's Gaza plan & outlooks for Syria, Lebanon & Iran.

📰 "If the mandate of a foreign mission was to enforce Hamas disarmament, against Hamas' will, there will be no European contribution, full stop" explains @hlovatt.bsky.social to Deutsche Welle

🔴 NEW policy brief for @ecfr.eu by Anthony Dworkin: Europe’s human rights policy in the Middle East has long relied on broad statements & conditionality with little effect. It should now shift to a pragmatic, step-by-step approach focusing on reform. buff.ly/rfjHYPb

📰 “There’s also no guarantee that the Palestinian prisoners being released won’t be rearrested again" comments @tahanimustafa.bsky.social for @aljazeera.com on the terms of the current Israeli-Palestinian captive swap buff.ly/kZdsSwO

📰 "The key to a successful ceasefire is whether the plans can really be implemented and both sides keep their part of the deal" comments @hlovatt.bsky.social for Deutsche Welle buff.ly/niPIZOd

✍️ In this new @ecfr.eu paper, @kellyp90.bsky.social & @arturovarvelli.bsky.social argue that Italy alone cannot fully address the challenges & opportunities in the Wider Mediterranean, but should rather complement its bilateralism with a symbiotic relationship with the EU 👇 buff.ly/RhrE20s

📰 @hlovatt.bsky.social speaks to @aljazeera.com about pathways and challenges to Hamas' disarmament under the new ceasefire deal 👇 buff.ly/szZTOsI

The absence of clear guarantees—particularly on the scope and timeline of Israeli withdrawal—risks entrenching a fragmented, externally managed and ultimately unsuccessful peace process, write @hlovatt.bsky.social and @muhammadshehada.bsky.social @ecfrmena.bsky.social https://bit.ly/4gRX0Sg

“The absence of clear, enforceable guarantees—particularly on the scope & timeline of Israeli withdrawal—risks entrenching a fragmented, externally managed & ultimately unsuccessful peace process" - @muhammadshehada.bsky.social & @hlovatt.bsky.social @ecfr.eu ecfr.eu/article/an-i...

NEW piece unpacking the security & governance dimensions of Trump's Gaza plan - and outlining necessary benchmarks & guarantees, especially on an Israeli withdrawal, for any hope of success - new by @hlovatt.bsky.social & @muhammadshehada.bsky.social ecfr.eu/article/an-i...

Following the announcement of Trump's Gaza plan this is an important piece to revisit by @muhammadshehada.bsky.social on question of Hamas disarmament @ecfr.eu @ecfrmena.bsky.social ecfr.eu/article/deco...

✍️Trump’s Gaza plan calls for Hamas’ full disarmament, long a red line for the group. But since last year, some moderates have signalled openness to decommissioning. @muhammadshehada.bsky.social explains how this could work in practice 👇 buff.ly/dvzV39X

✍️ Trump's Gaza plan’s success will depend on US pressure on Israel. Europeans should strengthen their hand by committing significant resources to ensure its successful implementation conditioned on Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza. @jbdacey.bsky.social @hlovatt.bsky.social buff.ly/IPy4WOm

Euro support for Trump's plan - which has sound elements to help end the war - needs to be tied to Israel’s explicit acceptance of a Gaza withdrawal & political path. If not the process will surely unravel, trapping Europe as enforcers of Israeli occupation by proxy @ecfr.eu ecfr.eu/article/trum...

Italy can do more. It should immediately stop blocking EU action to suspend the trade clause of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, writes @kellyp90.bsky.social @ecfrmena.bsky.social in @dawnmenaorg.bsky.social https://bit.ly/4gHSAgG

🎤 Tune into Middle East Institute's's virtual event "Palestinian Politics, Publics and Paths forward Post October 7" today at 3pm London/4pm Berlin, featuring @ecfr.eu Visiting Fellow @tahanimustafa.bsky.social 👇 buff.ly/ZRRChtj

🔴 European states should offer support for the broad principles of Trump's 20-point Gaza plan conditioned on a clear Israeli commitment to a full withdrawal from Gaza, write @jbdacey.bsky.social & @hlovatt.bsky.social for @ecfr.eu 👇https://buff.ly/IPy4WOm

✍️ Now that European leaders have reimposed UN sanctions on Iran, they must steer clear of America’s maximum pressure campaign and instead keep the diplomatic door open. Read Ellie Geranmayeh's piece for @ecfr.eu here 👇 buff.ly/w6z0osT

📰 @kellyp90.bsky.social speaks to @en.france24.com about Italy's positioning on the war in Gaza & resistance to amendments in EU relations with Israel 👇 buff.ly/UL8uwYY

🧵Having gone through with snapback, Europe used up its most powerful leverage against Iran. Ellie Geranmayeh argues that instead of joining Washington's maximum pressure campaign, Europe should create a soft landing to preserve diplomatic off-ramps buff.ly/w6z0osT

📰 The aftermath of Israel's attack on Doha could see a joint security alliance emerge in a "6+2 format", consisting of the six GCC states, Turkey, & Egypt, comments @cinziabianco.bsky.social for Deutsche Welle👇 buff.ly/Lchp3z2

#UNGA80 🧵 1/ Today, Mahmoud Abbas virtually joins #UNGA80. On Sunday, Australia, Britain, Canada and Portugal recognized a Palestinian state. What can we expect from Germany? 🔗https://www.dw.com/en/germany-uk-france-say-gaza-humanitarian-crisis-must-end/live-73407430

📰 "[Recognition of a Palestinian state] should be seen as the trajectory of travel. We may not get there tomorrow, but the trajectory is clear" commented @hlovatt.bsky.social for Deutsche Welle 👇 buff.ly/rApxpIO