Europe’s volatile southern neighbourhood

Europe’s Volatile Southern Neighbourhood: Policy Options for North Africa. The “Arab Spring” protests of 2011 upended the political status quo in North Africa, ushering in an era of turmoil and political uncertainty. This policy brief begins by examining regional political developments since the onset of the Arab Spring, and the impact they will have on Europe. It concludes by providing a menu of policy options that European decision makers can pursue to address the crisis in the region. Its aim is not to advocate a particular strategy, but to provide a policy menu that analyses various options, weighing the costs and benefits of each approach.