Conflict in the Middle East:The European Union and the

Arab Spring

Caitlin Gheller

Lecture Outline• Brief timeline of the Arab Spring • The EU’s relationship with the Middle East- The European Neighbourhood Policy• The EU’s response to the Arab Spring - A critical and divided initial response - Development projects• Conclusion- What is the role of the EU in the Arab Spring?

TunisiaSelf-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi on December 17th 2010 – ended with the exile of

President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on January 14th 2011

Egypt Non-violent protests began on January 25th 2011 – ended with the resignation of Hosni Mubarak/military coup on February 11th 2011

LibyaClashes with Security Forces February 15th 2011 – NTC Captures Major Libyan Cities 23rd

October 2011 – Death of Muammar Gaddafi 20th October 2011

Yemen Protests for Government Reforms January 27th 2011 – Swearing

in of Abd Rabbuh Mansur al-Hadi February 25th 2012

SyriaProtests demanding the resignation of Bashar Al Assad March 15th 2011 – Present Day

UN Figures 3rd January 2013 – Death Toll at 60,000

Unrest Across the Middle East• Algeria - 19 year state of emergency lifted• Bahrain – Release of prisoners, economic reforms• Jordan – Kind Abdullah II dissolves Parliament, calls for early

elections• Oman – Economic concessions, powers granted to elected

legislature• Iraq – Prime Minister Maliki rules out running for a 3rd term• Kuwait – Resignation of Prime Minister, dissolving of

Parliament• Morocco – Political concessions by King Mohamed VI,

referendum on constitutional reforms• Saudi Arabia – Municipal elections held, women promised right

to vote and run in 2015 elections (still not allowed to drive, mix with non-familiar men!)

The EU’s Relationship with the Middle East and North

Africa

• The EU’s relationship with the Middle East/North Africa is facilitated by the European External Action Service – foreign ministry and diplomatic core of the EU

• EU’s relations with the area are grouped into the ‘Euromed’ region as a part of its European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP).

• ENP adopted in 2004, a solution to the hard line approach taken by the US towards the Middle East, ‘avoid the emergence of new dividing lines’ and promote economic prosperity, security and stability.

• The ENP drew up individual action plans (and Free trade agreements) for each member state, no ‘one size fits all approach’

King Abdullah II meeting with High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton

The EU’s Response to theArab Spring

A Critical Response• The response of the EU was weak and indecisive,

acted as a bystander.• ‘Hesitation before it resorted to a rather incoherent

mix of activism and pacifism.’• Tunisia reaction, ‘Dialogue is key...willingness to find

lasting democratic solutions’ – falls short of supporting change of government

• Egypt: Stronger reaction, ‘called on Egyptian authorities to ‘meet the aspirations of the Egyptian people with political reform, not repression’, fell short of calling for Mubarak’s resignation

A Divided Response • The response of the Member States was divided • Instead of acting as a unified body, individual member states

pursued their own agendas • France: Offered security support for the Ben Ali regime in

Tunisia, occasionally called for change of power in Egypt, supported No-Fly Zone in Libya

• Germany: Hesitant to involve itself in Libya, didn’t want to be stuck in a North African Conflict. Lack of involvement a ‘scandalous mistake’ that damaged its ‘credibility in the UN and the Middle East’

• Britain allied with France and supported action in Libya, Italy hesitated

• Even with a Common Defence and Security Policy, member states fail to take the necessary steps to intervene in conflict via the EU

‘The European Union isn't the problem. The member states are the problem. They are pursuing interests that are sometimes widely divergent. The EU does what it can. But why exactly, are all the EU foreign Ministers travelling to the region, and, on top of that, saying different things?’

Martin Schulz, Socialist Group European Parliament

What sort of Actor is the EU?• In the case of the Arab Spring, rather than a defence actor, the EU

plays a development role • Revising of the NEP – now a ‘more for more’ approach, the more a

state implements reforms, the more funding/EU support the receive

• ‘Less for less approach’ – states who fail to engage in reforms, the EU will enforce sanctions

• Three Ms (money, mobility, markets)• €1.2 billion added to the €5.7 billion 2011-2013 budget for the

Euromed region• European Investment Bank lending to increase development loans• Proceed with FTAs for Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan, €20

million investment scheme to invest in Mediterranean small business

• Individual agreements through finance and dialogue proposals

• Tunisia: Facilitated the first Tunisian elections in October 2011, EU-Tunisian Task Force, increased its aid budget to €400 million from €240 million,

• Egypt: €20 million Civil Society Package to ‘assist the democratic process’, funding for the 2012 Presidential elections

• Morocco: ‘more for more’ after the 2011 creation of a parliament, increased it aid budget by 20%

Support to Partnership, Reform and Inclusive Growth (SPRING) programme in Tunisia

Conclusion: What is the Role of the EU in the Arab Spring?

• The Arab Spring has shown that the EU is not a defence actor

• Initial responses to the Arab Spring were reserved, and calling for dialogue, no concrete democratic reforms

• EU member states act in a divided manner, not unified and assertive action, EU unable to act

• The EU is an actor poised to remain in the long term, development work

• Adapted partnerships with Euromed states – a ‘more for more approach’

• Support for development projects to states once reliant upon autocratic regimes

• Financial funding – budgets boosted, financial support for businesses, economic development

• ‘There are many who stand ready to construct a new agenda for Europe. An agenda built on human values, on a constructive and open partnership with our neighbours’ – Cecilia Malmstrom, Commissioner for Home Affairs