Iran has been a critical player in the Syrian war since 2011, crafting a complex foreign policy and military strategy to preserve its Syrian ally. What have been the drivers of Iranian decision-making in this con fl ict? And how has Iranian strategy evolved over the course of the war? This chapter argues …

Since the political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, the pressure on the European external borders has been increasing due the enormous flow of refugees to Europe. States play a role in creating international refugee flows. For example the interstate violence and violence between different …

This thesis focuses on the promotion of democracy by the European Union in Egypt with special regard to the differences before and after the so called 'Arab Spring'. More specific, the guiding question of this thesis is in what extent the EU's promotion of democracy in Egypt has changed after the Arab …

The surge of the interest in the migration-development nexus and the sheer "euphoria" about the potential positive impact of migration on development in origin countries, has also entered EU - level politics on migration. Yet it seems unbelievable that only about one decade ago the effects of migration …

After several revolutions in the Arab world, the question raised what the Netherlands and in particular The Hague as city of Peace and Justice could do to help reforms in the Arab region. This dissertation outlines the various reasons which have led to several revolutions in the Arab world, also known …

According to the Dutch parliament, Holland is still recovering from the Euro crisis. The Euro crisis starts with the malfunctioning tax system of Greece and the consequences are felt throughout the whole of Europe. It is a very difficult time for companies and especially for exporting companies. However, …

Since the Arab Spring in the beginning of 2011, Egypt has experienced many social and political changes. Islamist parties have gained a firm foothold in the political arena after years of secular rule by the Mubarak regime and the interim SCAF government. A new constitution, in which men and women are …

This research paper analyses the concept of cultural diplomacy and what role it could play on promoting Human Rights and building sustainable peace in the Eastern Mediterranean, with a specific focus on Turkey. After the recent events occurred in the Middle East, the so called Arab Spring, Turkey has …

Turkey's historical focus on the European Union dates back to the Ottoman period. In this era, numerous developments clearly illustrated Turkey's focus on the EU. These developments included among others the Tanzimat, literally 'reorganisation', which implies secularization of the judicial system, and …

This thesis aims to test the credibility of the Responsibility to Protect principle ("R2P") by looking at how the principle was applied in Libya and addressing the question of why R2P was not applied in Syria. The first part of the thesis is about the origins and definition of R2P. The second part compares …