The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership Assessed: The Realist and Liberal Views

In: European foreign affairs review, Band 8, Heft 2, S. 181-199

Abstract

Draws upon assessments of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EMP) in the political science literature to analyze the role of the European Union & the impact of the 1995 Barcelona Declaration, which aims to establish a Mediterranean Free Trade Area by 2010 & encourages a wide range of political, social, & economic cooperation. The minimal success achieved to date has prompted debate about reforming basic elements of the project. The EMP process is examined in the context of the new regionalism research that has emerged in the face of increasing globalization & global problems. Current Mediterranean dynamics are addressed from two key political science perspectives: the hegemony/domination view & the socialization/inclusion view. A comparison of the two views in this case reveals their similarity to realist & liberal theories of world politics. It is concluded that neither the hegemony or socialization objective is close to being fulfilled in the Mediterranean region, especially in light of the present situation of Arab countries, which have heavily imbalanced economic relations with Europe. Future prospects are discussed. 1 Table. J. Lindroth