Parliamentary Diplomacy and the Arab Spring: Evidence from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean and the European Parliament

Abstract

The literature includes numerous analyses of the role played by regional organizations during the Arab Spring. However, the emerging role played by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), as the only truly intra-regional pan-Mediterranean institution, has not been sufficiently explored. This essay helps fill this gap by assessing the parliamentary diplomacy activities performed by PAM vis-à-vis the Arab Spring countries between 2011 and 2016. A comparative perspective is adopted, using the literature on the European Parliament (EP) as the point of reference. This approach allows one to grasp how the EP and PAM have reacted to common problems and challenges affecting the Mediterranean and identifies possible overlaps and divisions of labor between the two international parliamentary institutions.

Democratisation without Coercion: Parliamentary Bodies as Democracy Promoters in the Mediterranean

“…As outlined above, parliamentary diplomacy is normally differentiated in terms of acting as a moral tribune, parliamentary legislation, listening, international exchanges and training as well as field missions in crisis areas (Cofelice, 2016b). Through these activities, parliaments can contribute to democracy promotion and crisis management, as was the case in the Mediterranean with the EP and the PAM.…”

“…In addition to the individual visits, the Monitoring Group on the Situation in the Southern Mediterranean facilitated the diffusion of information among various stakeholders including the European External Action Service and the Commission. PAM also functions in this capacity; in particular, PAM's cross-regional membership facilitates listening while its missions to various countries in the region have shown a willingness to engage in listening, though Cofelice concedes that PAM has been less successful in terms of civil society preferring to interact with national and regional representatives (Cofelice, 2016b).…”

Parliamentary Diplomacy and Legislative‐Executive Relations in EU Foreign Policy: Studying the European Parliament's Mediation of the Macedonian Political Crisis (2015–17)

“…Throughout the last decade, the European Parliament (EP) profiled itself as a diplomatic player during several conflicts in the EU's backyard, ranging from the Arab Spring (Cofelice, ) to the Ukrainian crisis (Nitoiu and Sus, ), political upheaval in Eastern Partnership states (Chryssogelos, ) and political stalemates in the Western Balkans (Redei, ). These studies demonstrate that the EP is not only shaping the EU's foreign policy from within its hemicycle, but also increasingly manifests itself as a foreign policy actor on the ground.…”