A nation must think before it acts.
Competing Power Schemes over Libya and the Challenge for Europe
In May 2020, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian coined the word “syrianisation” to describe the growing complexity of the conflict in Libya. He described the “Syrian scenario” of a proxy war involving more and more uncontrollable Islamic mercenaries and setting the ground for military escalation between Turkey and Russia. He also expressed his fears that this fierce competition for power between foreign actors would have very dire consequences for Europe. While France pretends to speak on behalf of Europe, the European Union looks impotent as it is riddled by internal divisions, which always appear more acute when it comes to defining a strategic outlook. Libya is another especially hard test, as Europeans seem willing to engage, but fail to coordinate—to the point of antagonizing one another. Disagreements have taken an even bitter turn with Turkey’s aggressive moves in the Eastern Mediterranean, finally connecting different areas of conflict into a single strategic concern.
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