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The new European Commission, which came into office in late 2019, quickly displayed an intention to strengthen the geopolitical role of the EU. In the context of Brexit, resurgent rivalry between the USA and Russia, and the ambitions of China, it will be essential, but not at all easy, to make Europe’s voice heard. Among the most troubling objects of concern — and the closest to its territorial space — the Mediterranean region occupies a special place. In this piece, Jean-François Drevet points to the most pressing problems to consider in the region, distinguishing between its Western and Eastern parts (in particular, Turkey and Iran), and shows how the EU might set about the task. He argues for the soonest possible establishment of a common strategy for action, stressing also the local lines of cooperation that might be explored (for example, in the energy sector) away from the conflict zones.