Welcoming Words

It is almost a cliché to say that Mediterranean Europe is the cradle of what we know as the Western world today. It was home to the Greek and Roman civilisations, Christian faith, the Italian trade cities, and, later, it was the region the states of which explored the globe and opened up new horizons, skirting the edge of the known world during the Age of Discovery. Mediterranean Europe, therefore, used to be an important part and the shaper of European and world history. But does it continue to do so? Although it still has a prominent role in the EU and forms a vital part of it politically, as well as demographically and economically, its one-time splendour appeared to be lost in recent times. Its troubles became painfully manifest during the last roughly one and a half decades, especially following the crises that started in 2008 and with the outbreak of the global pandemic. Faced with these pressing problems, and lest they could lose their favourable position in the global world order for good, these countries lined up with those who wished to give the EU new stimulus for changing the way it works. Now, all eyes are on them to see whether they can take this opportunity to rise and thrive again or are destined to fail. With insight from several experts from different fields, our latest issue invites our readers to ponder the scenarios this region is likely to face and the odds it is expected to defy. The COVID-19 crisis has had terrible effects on the European economy and highlighted the big divide between Northern and Southern Europe. However, today the EU could respond to this challenge unlike after the 2008 financial crisis. At that time, Southern European member states were the main victims of the EU’s short-sighted economic decisions that created divisions within the union and threatened with its collapse. Last year, however, the EU made a U-turn on its former approach: the European debt mutualisation and the creation of a recovery fund, called Next Generation EU, represent a reversal of the former approach, and, therefore, Italy, Spain, and other Mediterranean countries might be their biggest beneficiaries.

This issue aims to show that Mediterranean Europe, contrary to common perception, represents a heterogeneous group of countries which share only a few similarities. Our authors try to shed light on each country’s particularities, proving that any prejudicial classification is flawed. There is one element, however, that unites them: their awareness of facing a momentous crisis and a generational challenge. This means that all their efforts will be directed at taking full advantage of this (hopefully not) one-shot fund, which is their last chance to restore their competitiveness and to catch up with the EU’s core. Should they manage to do so, it will benefit the whole union and help integration enter a new phase.