Gudrun Harrer, Christian Berger & Myriam Benraad: EUROPA’S ROLE IN THE MIDDLE EAST - BETWEEN ASPITRATION AND ACTION

In cooperation with the Austro-French Centre for
Rapprochement in Europe (CFA/ÖFZ) 


 


Raimund Löw in conversation with Gudrun Harrer, Christian Berger
and Myriam Benraad





EUROPE’S ROLE IN THE MIDDLE EAST: BETWEEN ASPITRATION AND
ACTION





Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attack on Israel set off a devastating war
in Gaza, followed by a twelve-day clash with Iran. Both conflicts
have been reshaping Middle Eastern politics. They have sidelined
the United Nations and left little space for diplomacy, exposing
the limits of multilateral action. For the European Union, the
war poses a strategic dilemma. The EU is the largest donor to the
Palestinians and has long positioned itself as a normative power,
yet it remains largely excluded from peacemaking efforts.
Internal divisions and strained transatlantic ties hamper a
common strategy, even as Europe’s own security is directly
affected by turmoil on its doorstep. To stay relevant, the EU
must move beyond the role of donor and define a coherent approach
that balances humanitarian credibility with strategic influence
in a region where force increasingly trumps principle.





Opening
Sabine Kroissenbrunner, Secretary General of the
Bruno Kreisky Forum





Discussion
Gudrun Harrer, Senior Editor and Middle East
editor at the newspaper Der Standard



Christian Berger, Director of the Crisis
Response Centre at the European External Action Service (EEAS),
Brussels



Myriam Benraad, Political scientist
specialised in the Middle East, Institut catholique de Paris
(ICP) / Sciences Po, Paris
Moderation
Raimund Löw, Historian, journalist, columnist
for the Vienna Weekly „Falter“





Conclusion
Dietmar Schweisgut, Secretary General of the
Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe