“This double standard is very damaging for the credibility of the European Union and for the defence of its fundamental values”.

On 4 October, Prof. Narbone, Director of the Mediterranean Platform, was interviewed by Euronews on the European Union’s response to the possibility of a large-scale war in the Middle East.

Prof Narbone highlighted the EU’s own internal divisions and how the Union is perceived by the majority of the Global South as applying a double standard in its response to Israel’s invasion of Gaza and Lebanon, compared to its firm response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Moreover, the Russian presence in various theatres, including Syria, and the economic repercussions that could arise from the situation in the Middle East, could, according to Prof Narbone, also affect migratory flows, with implications for Italy and the EU.

The interview is available in Italian.