Counterterrorism and democracy: EU policy in the Middle East and North Africa after the uprisings

Abstract

This paper explores European Union (EU) counterterrorism (CT) policy in relation to the Southern Mediterranean in the aftermath of the Arab Uprisings. A number of themes may be observed in the recent literature on Euro-Mediterranean relations. Firstly, the rhetoric of the EU repeatedly lays stress on its commitment to democracy and human rights. However, secondly, and equally repeatedly, the actions (or inaction) of the Union in its dealings with Southern Mediterranean regimes demonstrate that when the perceived security interests of the EU or its member states are threatened by its normative commitments, concern for the latter is readily sacrificed. Thus, while the formal responses of the EU to the Arab Uprisings have, once more, invoked its concern to promote economic development and build democracy, critics have focused on their incoherence as reflecting an underlying concern to restore the pre-2011 ‘stability’ that characterized the region. This framing of the core interests and priorities of the Union carries through to its CT policy and practices with respect to the Southern Mediterranean, and determines the nature of its engagement with key actors in the region in ways that carry the potential for counter-productive outcomes.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. I am grateful to Mattia Toaldo of the European Council on Foreign Relations for this suggestion.

2. The CT clauses in the agreement with Egypt express undertakings to exchange information and experiences in relation to terrorism and counterterrorism and to engage in ‘joint research and studies in the area of terrorism prevention’. The terms of the Algerian agreement are equally vague.

3. Frontex is the European Border and Coastguard Agency.