(Geo)Political Transformations in the Mediterranean

The Mediterranean, understood not only as those countries whose borders are partially or wholly defined by the sea itself, but as a space that bridges the continents of Europe, Africa and Asia, is currently experiencing significant political and societal challenges. Geopolitical shifts and domestic mobilizations are pointing to diverging as well as converging societal and state trends. On the one hand in the Maghreb and the Mashreq there are diverse models of resilient authoritarianism, such as Morocco or Egypt. On the other hand, democratic consolidation is taking place in Tunisia, whilst new grassroots-based mobilizations are challenging authoritarian regimes in Algeria and Lebanon. Throughout the region, social mobilizations are diverse and multiple, ranging from demands for more freedom and democracy to the defense of women, religious minorities, and LGTBQ rights. Civil society organizations engage with the state along a wide spectrum of strategic interactions. While some Islamist actors reinvent themselves as ‘Muslim Democrats’, such as with Ennahda in Tunisia, other previously non-political Salafist movements have repositioned themselves by creating political parties. Southern Europe remains to this day marked by the legacy of austerity politics and is increasingly confronted to the rise of populism. Migratory flows and refugees are reshaping migration policies and border governance in Europe, Turkey and the Mashreq-Maghreb. Regionalized conflicts and the spread of armed groups from Libya to the Sahel and around Syria reinforce migratory pressures on populations already confronted with environmental challenges generated by climate change and state policies. In such times of important transformations for Mediterranean states and societies, this Section invites scholars to consider the following questions: What is specific to the social movements that are emerging/ continuing in the Mediterranean? How are states responding to the demands of such movements – e.g. in Algeria and Lebanon? Can we identify new forms of ‘Mediterranean Islamism’? How can we explain the persistence of authoritarianism in the Southern Mediterranean after the Arab uprisings? How can we explain the role of the youth, migrants and the socially marginalized in protest movements and migratory fluxes? To what extent is it possible to reconceptualize the centers-peripheries relations in the Mediterranean? What are the new challenges for gender in the Mediterranean? Potential Panels/ Discussants could include -Mediterranean Islamisms by Frederic Volpi and S. Wolff -Decentring Mediterranean migration by F. Zardo -From marginalised to new Protest Movements in the Mediterranean by D. Hubner -Europe's role in the Southern Mediterranean by E. Soler