Academic Articles by luigi narbone
Policy Paper, 2023/01 10 November 2023, 2023
Until Hamas’ terrorist attack on 7 October 2023, the MENA region appeared to be gradually moving ... more Until Hamas’ terrorist attack on 7 October 2023, the MENA region appeared to be gradually moving away from the belligerent dynamics of the 2010s. In this Policy Paper for the Luiss Mediterranean Platform I analyse the trajectory of the recent reconciliation process in MENA, and how it has been shaped by the gradual consolidation of multipolarism in the region. I also explore the role played by socio-economic factors and their interplay with regional geopolitics.
The multiple challenges which emerge from the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict have drastically changed this situation. Were the Gaza War to turn into a multi-country conflict, it would torpedo the modest advances made in the last three years and open the way to numerous negative scenarios.
However, the post-crisis scene could also provide opportunities for de-escalation and conflict resolution if regional players succeed in building on the recent détente to push for a common agenda in regional affairs.
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EUISS Chaillot Paper 173, 2022
The new scramble for Africa characterised by renewed interest in the continent by foreign powers ... more The new scramble for Africa characterised by renewed interest in the continent by foreign powers eager to expand their influence there, has been a salient feature of Africa’s geopolitical dynamics in recent years. This Chaillot Paper asks the question: what are the emerging spaces where power competition is taking place in the African continent? It argues that a space today is not just conceptualised as a territory, but can encompass a broader range of non-territorial dimensions, such as cyberspace or the ‘infosphere’, which have recently gained prominence due to the emergence of new innovations and technologies.
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Journal of Southern Europe and the Balkans, 9: 3, p. 233-245, 2007
As Turkey’s integration with the EU has proceeded, the ups and downs in EU–Turkey relations have ... more As Turkey’s integration with the EU has proceeded, the ups and downs in EU–Turkey relations have increasingly interacted with Turkey’s domestic transformation, at times promoting change while at other times hindering modernization and democratization. This paper delves into this interaction, exploring how and why the EU dimension has affected the acceleration, deceleration or retreat of Turkey’s reform process.
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Papers by luigi narbone
Routledge eBooks, Sep 13, 2013
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The struggle for natural resources has historically been central in the modern Middle East and No... more The struggle for natural resources has historically been central in the modern Middle East and North Africa, yet it has also recently contributed to destabilising it. This ebook explores the role of natural resources in reshaping geopolitics, driving and perpetuating conflicts and deepening socioeconomic inequality in the MENA. The ebook takes natural resources as a prism to understand the newly emerging political and regional order, situating natural resources at the core of recent transformations. It focuses on oil and natural gas but also looks at water, minerals and food, taking a holistic approach that contributes to exploring common trends. By identifying connections and drawing comparisons across a range of themes and case studies, the ebook offers innovative new directions for policymaking
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Iran is the country most affected by COVID-19 in the Middle East and was one of the first after C... more Iran is the country most affected by COVID-19 in the Middle East and was one of the first after China to experience an exponential development of the pandemic The pandemic has coincided with three parallel and interlinked crises: a geopolitical confrontation with the US and Iran's Arab neighbours;the dual shock of the oil price decline and hard-hitting US secondary sanctions, and the US refusal to ease its sanctions during the pandemic Sanctions had already affected Iran's health security system and crisis preparedness before COVID-19, reducing access to medical supplies and increasing the country's vulnerability But the interplay of multiple crises could shape Iran's capability handle a second wave of COVID-19 in the future and complicate the transnational management of the pandemic However, adopting a cooperative approach could create positive incentives for a change of direction in the Middle East, reducing pressures on a stressed global health security system © 2...
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The School of Transnational Governance (STG) of the European University Institute, Florence, cont... more The School of Transnational Governance (STG) of the European University Institute, Florence, continued its High-Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD) series on Donbas’ Future with its fifth installment on 9 July 2021.1 After discussing the Concept of the Strategy of Economic Development of Donetsk and Luhansk regions at its fourth meeting, this Dialogue focused on the finalization of the Strategy and ways to maximize its impact and effectiveness.2 The Strategy was presented by Oleksii Reznikov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Reintegration of the Temporary Occupied Territories of Ukraine. Representatives from the United Nations, the European Investment Bank, the European Union and the OSCE, as well as high-level policy makers, think tankers and business representatives from Ukraine engaged in the debate. The Strategy targets the government-controlled territories in Eastern Ukraine. It seeks to change the region’s economic model, improve living conditions and create new economic opport...
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This Chaillot Paper is the outcome of a Task Force on African Futures, launched in November 2019 ... more This Chaillot Paper is the outcome of a Task Force on African Futures, launched in November 2019 by the EUISS in partnership with leading African and European research institutions. The Task Force identified the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a key factor driving economic, technological and societal transformations in Africa in the next decade. Based on the premise that continental integration is critical for Africa’s economic recovery and future resilience, the publication portrays what an integrated and prosperous African continent could look like in 2030, thanks to the full implementation of the AfCFTA. It describes the pathways, milestones and initiatives that can lead to such a desirable scenario in ten selected, cross-cutting areas, showing how coordinated policy action in these sectors is essential to achieve trade integration. In contrast, it also warns about what could happen if negative sectoral trends are not addressed, highlighting ...
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The third High-Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD) on the Donbas region was organised by the School of T... more The third High-Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD) on the Donbas region was organised by the School of Transnational Governance (STG) of the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence, on 8-9 February 2020, in cooperation with a Ukraine-based team involved in supporting the Minsk negotiations. Building on discussions at the first two HLPD editions of December 2018 and July 2019 that had addressed the post-conflict economic perspectives for the Donbas region as a whole and the issue of the institutional framework for reintegration, this dialogue focused on designing a vision for Donbas reintegration and on the possible role of the international and business communities in achieving it. It brought together high-level Ukrainian decision-makers and policy influencers, leading economists, academics, actors from civil society as well as representatives from European and US international institutions and businesses. Under the Chatham House rule, they provided analysis and discussed policy re...
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With rising socioeconomic problems reigniting popular contestation, Tunisia’s democratic system i... more With rising socioeconomic problems reigniting popular contestation, Tunisia’s democratic system is under strain. This report critically analyses the EU’s policy responses to Tunisia's transition and evaluates how they have evolved in line with the shifting challenges that Tunisia has faced. The report shows that, while EU policies have helped Tunisia in establishing formal democratic institutions and in tackling security challenges, they have produced disappointing results in supporting Tunisia in addressing its socioeconomic challenges and in fostering social resilience. The report concludes by offering policy recommendations for promoting more ambitious EU policies in Tunisia as well as in the wider North African region
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A series of incidents have recently brought the Persian Gulf to the brink of war. While all the c... more A series of incidents have recently brought the Persian Gulf to the brink of war. While all the countries in the region are wary of the catastrophic consequences that a war could have, they appear trapped in a highly risky vicious cycle of mutual suspicion, inflammatory rhetoric and tit-for-tat actions. The region is in dire need of a functional regional security system capable of managing risks, facilitating dialogue and enabling peaceful resolution of conflicts while at the same time favouring the emergence of cooperative order to replace confrontation. To address the shortcomings of the Gulf security environment, this ebook aims to answer several questions and to propose a new approach to exit from the current stalemate. What are the key drivers of the current regional insecurity? What options are there to respond to the unfolding crisis and why have previous efforts to create an effective regional security architecture failed? How can a new regional security-building approach em...
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The Red Sea region is becoming increasingly important in global geopolitics. Given its importance... more The Red Sea region is becoming increasingly important in global geopolitics. Given its importance for global trade and security, growing geo-economic projections, military rivalries and the risk of confrontation between key regional players and international actors are growing and could have far-reaching and disruptive repercussions. This report explores the critical economic and security issues that link littoral, regional and international powers to the Red Sea region. It shows how efforts by countries in the broader Gulf region and external powers to extend their influence to the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa can produce a potential new conflict zone. It concludes by offering some reflections on how to promote regional security and economic development in the region, with a view to minimising the risk of conflict and increasing opportunities for cooperatio
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Building on the progress of the first High-Level Policy Dialogue on the Donbas region (HLPD), whi... more Building on the progress of the first High-Level Policy Dialogue on the Donbas region (HLPD), which had discussed the lack of a credible socio-economic development strategy and the lack of proper policies, implementation mechanisms, data and resources as some of the most important obstacles on the path to a successful and safe reintegration of the Donbas, the second meeting, which took place during a time of significant political change in Ukraine, focused on the political and economic context of the Donbas’ recovery and its institutional and policy aspects. The HLPD, convened by the Peace and Security cluster of the EUI School of Transnational Governance, brought together high-level policy influencers and decision-makers, leading economists, experts, academics, practitioners, businessmen and civil society representatives to discuss policy recommendations and provide analysis, under the Chatham House Rule, intended for use by Ukrainian policy-makers and the international community
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IAI-TEPAV Report, Istituto Affair Internazionali, 2007
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The International Spectator, 2008
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A common assumption among policy-makers and pundits is that stabilisation and reconstruction will... more A common assumption among policy-makers and pundits is that stabilisation and reconstruction will come a er con icts in the Middle East and North Africa region have been settled. Indeed, in most previous cases, con ict settlements – brought about by the decisive victory of one party or by the successful conclusion of a peace agreement – had always preceded post-war stabilisation. Internationally-assisted reconstruction, intended as both the physical rebuilding of destroyed infrastructure and the rehabilitation of the economy and governance institutions, were considered part and parcel of stabilisation e orts2.
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High-Level Policy Dialogue held on 10 December 2020 organised by the School of Transnational Gove... more High-Level Policy Dialogue held on 10 December 2020 organised by the School of Transnational Governance (STG) of the European University Institute, on Donbas’ Future
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Academic Articles by luigi narbone
The multiple challenges which emerge from the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict have drastically changed this situation. Were the Gaza War to turn into a multi-country conflict, it would torpedo the modest advances made in the last three years and open the way to numerous negative scenarios.
However, the post-crisis scene could also provide opportunities for de-escalation and conflict resolution if regional players succeed in building on the recent détente to push for a common agenda in regional affairs.
Papers by luigi narbone
The multiple challenges which emerge from the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict have drastically changed this situation. Were the Gaza War to turn into a multi-country conflict, it would torpedo the modest advances made in the last three years and open the way to numerous negative scenarios.
However, the post-crisis scene could also provide opportunities for de-escalation and conflict resolution if regional players succeed in building on the recent détente to push for a common agenda in regional affairs.