Foreign Affaris & Security Policy – Working Group
Middle East & North Africa
Fostering resilience in a region of transformation
The Working Group Middle East & North Africa, covering conflicts, energy security, and political stability, analyses regional power struggles, military dynamics, and economic resilience in MENA. It assesses the influence of external actors, counterterrorism, and humanitarian challenges. Monthly briefings offer data-driven insights and visualisations on the evolving geopolitical landscape and security dynamics of the region.
Working Group Leader
Working Group Members
Publications
From Proxy War to Nuclear Brinkmanship
Twelve-Day WarOn June 12, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) launched 200 aircrafts (including F-35I, F-16) and several uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) against 100 targets in the Islamic Republic of Iran, beginning 'Operation Rising Lion'. The Main aim of the operation was to inflict damage on the Iranian nuclear programme and the Iranian military, indeed the primary targets were the atomic sites of Natanz, Isfahan, Fordow, Arak, as well as the ...
Eugen Bulboaca
The Arab League: Different responses towards Gaza
The Israeli-Palestinian situation has always been a sensitive issue for Arab countries. Since the 7th ofOctober 2023, this conflict has escalated and turned into a war in the Gaza Strip. Thus, the Arab League is now caught in a complex position between Israel and Palestine. While the Arab League has regularly issued strong diplomatic statements in support of Palestine, its actions show the complexity and limits of its influence. During ...
Hezbollah
Why a Ground Offensive Against Lebanon’s Shadow Rulers is a Risky UndertakingDisclaimer: This article refers to the status as of August 5th, 2024, and changes to the dynamic situation may have occurred in the period up to its publication. It is intended to provide a basic foundation of understanding, but in view of the size and complexity of the subject, it cannot, of course, claim to be fully comprehensive.The trend ...
The Impact of the Israel-Hamas War on Egypt’s Tourist Industry
With the Israel-Hamas war raging since October 2023, the Middle East is in the grip of a crisis. Due to its geographical proximity and political influence, Egypt is particularly vulnerable to the war's fallout. In this report, we delve into the profound impact of the conflict on Egypt’s already fragile economy, using a multi-faceted approach to underscore the challenges of predicting the exact outcomes. Egypt’s gross domestic product, generally an ...
Europe’s Struggle for a United Stance in the Middle East Conflict
Following the EU's successful formation of a strong and united coalition against Russia in the Ukraine conflict, it appeared that the EU was united in its foreign policy. However, the recent conflict in the Middle East has revealed a divided EU rather than a united one. The EU has created an inner conflict between the current European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and its core values. At the bottom of the ENP ...
The Difficult Question About Money at COP29
During this November, the COP29 of the UNFCCC took place in Baku, Azerbaijan. The UNFCCC is the main international and legally binding treaty of the UN that focuses on global warming and the impacts of the climate crisis. During COP21 in Paris (2015) the well-known Paris Climate agreement was negotiated, in which states agreed to limit global warming to 1.5°C. During the yearly COP (Conference of Parties) all UN member ...