The European Union is «caught in an unsustainable balancing act», attempting to maintain strong bilateral ties with both Morocco and Algeria, whose diplomatic relations have been severed since 2021. This is the key takeaway from a recent analysis published by International Politics and Society (IPS), a journal of political analysis published by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES). Ignoring the «rivalry» between the two North African neighbors risks undermining Europe's own security, energy, and migration interests, warns Emmanuel Cohen-Hadria, Executive Board member of Diplomeds, a cross-Mediterranean policy group, and co-editor of a study exploring paths to cooperation between Morocco and Algeria. The solution, he argues, lies in adopting a more proactive stance on conflict resolution between Rabat and Algiers. «The EU has for too long treated the Algeria-Morocco dispute as a manageable issue», Cohen-Hadria notes. But recent regional crises have highlighted the risks of such complacency. «If the EU truly aspires to be a credible security provider, it must prioritize conflict resolution where its interests lie», he said. He urges Brussels to go beyond rhetoric by supporting discreet «track II» dialogue initiatives involving Moroccan and Algerian civil society, academics, and business leaders, aimed at gradually rebuilding trust. These initiatives refer to informal diplomacy efforts in which non-state actors engage in dialogue to reduce tensions and foster mutual understanding. The Union for the Mediterranean, an intergovernmental organization uniting 43 countries from Europe and the Mediterranean Basin, could also play a role by facilitating practical, low-profile cooperation between the two countries, even on technical matters where formal diplomatic recognition is absent. «The question is no longer whether Europe can afford to engage, it's whether it can afford not to try», the paper concludes.
