The Mediterranean is part of Europe, yet its major institutions have placed it on the back burner, according to diplomat Shlomo Ben Ami. This historian and statesman knows the region and its challenges deeply, and he revisited them on the second day of the Mediterranean Economic and Social Forum organized by Prensa Ibérica with support from the La Caixa Foundation. From the political instability troubling North Africa to the enduring Arab–Israel conflict, these themes were laid out by one of the paramount diplomatic figures of the late twentieth century.
Ben Ami’s earliest view of the Mediterranean came from cosmopolitan Tangier. He later explored the region in depth from the heart of the Arab–Israeli dispute. He spoke of a childhood dream: a pacified Mediterranean in which Jewish and Arab peoples can rebuild unity within diversity after a thorough review of the region’s broad history. He stressed that civilization is inseparable from the Mediterranean, a maritime basin where Greek democratic culture began, followed by the rise of Islam, the Christian Roman republic, and the Carolingian Renaissance of the twelfth century and the second Renaissance that followed.
Nevertheless, the Mediterranean region has lost the focus of the European Union, which remains more concerned about the Russia threat and the war in Ukraine. The eastward expansion of the EU and the integration of former Communist Bloc countries have directed the institutions’ energies away from resolving the basin’s problems, Ben Ami lamented. He added that Europe is no longer the sole actor driving Mediterranean engagement. The axis is shifting toward the Persian Gulf, where nations are increasingly eager to trade and extend influence in the area.
Construction of a stable southern front has been a recurring theme in Ben Ami’s remarks. He surveyed North African countries surrounding the Mediterranean and underscored that regional stability is essential for a secure southern flank for the European Union. If Europe seeks a stable south, attention to the Mediterranean is non negotiable.
At the same time, Ben Ami warned about persistent political instability in North Africa that challenges security across the region. Libya stands as the clearest example. More than a decade after the fall of Gaddafi, no durable solution has emerged to pacify the country. Debates over whether a future government should base its legitimacy on the 1951 Constitution of the Senussi or on a government formed after civil war show that a new approach is necessary to resolve the conflict. A path forward remains unclear.
Beyond Libya, Ben Ami reviewed the other North African nations. Morocco has achieved a degree of political stability, but Tunisia, Egypt, and Algeria have not built strong institutions. The Arab world’s dilemma remains consistent: Islamist movements versus secular authoritarian rule. Where elections have been free, Islamist options have sometimes triumphed, as seen in Gaza and Egypt. Republics have not strengthened after the Arab Spring, while monarchies have managed to some extent, he explained.
To counter this landscape, Ben Ami recommended that Europe focus more intently on Mediterranean affairs and use its available tools to advance regional integration. He argued that the northern states do not fully grasp that the Mediterranean serves as Europe’s backyard and has been relegated to a secondary role. The Barcelona process raised hopes for pacifying the entire region, but those hopes have faded by today. He also noted that Europe’s greatest challenge in the future may be deciding whether to preserve the nation-state or to move toward a system closer to the United States. He reflected that the United States rests on a constitution allowing all to belong, while Europe has evolved around a nation-state model. Given demographic shifts and immigration, Europe faces the significant task of accepting foreigners as part of its evolving identity, he concluded.
[Attribution: Remarks from a Mediterranean-focused forum on regional security and integration, featuring Shlomo Ben Ami, dialogue on Europe’s role and regional stability.]