In cooperation with the Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe (CFA/ÖFZ) 

Raimund Löw in conversation with Gudrun Harrer, Christian Berger and Myriam Benraad

EUROPE’S ROLE IN THE MIDDLE EAST: BETWEEN ASPITRATION AND ACTION

Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attack on Israel set off a devastating war in Gaza, followed by a twelve-day clash with Iran. Both conflicts have been reshaping Middle Eastern politics. They have sidelined the United Nations and left little space for diplomacy, exposing the limits of multilateral action. For the European Union, the war poses a strategic dilemma. The EU is the largest donor to the Palestinians and has long positioned itself as a normative power, yet it remains largely excluded from peacemaking efforts. Internal divisions and strained transatlantic ties hamper a common strategy, even as Europe’s own security is directly affected by turmoil on its doorstep. To stay relevant, the EU must move beyond the role of donor and define a coherent approach that balances humanitarian credibility with strategic influence in a region where force increasingly trumps principle.

Opening
Sabine Kroissenbrunner, Secretary General of the Bruno Kreisky Forum

Discussion
Gudrun Harrer, Senior Editor and Middle East editor at the newspaper Der Standard

Christian Berger, Director of the Crisis Response Centre at the European External Action Service (EEAS), Brussels

Myriam Benraad, Political scientist specialised in the Middle East, Institut catholique de Paris (ICP) / Sciences Po, Paris
Moderation
Raimund Löw, Historian, journalist, columnist for the Vienna Weekly „Falter“

Conclusion
Dietmar Schweisgut, Secretary General of the Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe