The Mediterranean: Concept and Misrepresentation

For almost the past half century the Mediterranean has been the central reference for European public action aimed at the countries bordering the Mediterranean. But repetitive difficulties has impeded these regional ambitions in contrast to the progress accomplished by the construction of Europe during the same period of time. Our thesis is that a partial responsibility for this failure finds its origins in the choice of using a geographic framework. The Mediterranean, as a concept and in its physical representation, is partially at the origin of its failure to integrate the euro-mediterranean region. The use of a “Mediterranean myth” leads us to ignore the true dynamics of the area, upon which a common space between Europe and the Arab World could be built.