Bangladesh, July 26 -- European leaders increasingly describe North Africa as a community of partners tied together by geography, history, prosperity, and shared strategic interests. Brussels routinely refers to the southern Mediterranean as a “near neighborhood,” emphasizing interdependence rather than hierarchy. Italy promotes its Mattei Plan as a new model for North-South cooperation, while France insists it has absorbed the lessons of its declining influence across Africa. Green transition projects, infrastructure corridors, migration agreements, and investment packages are now presented as evidence that Europes relationship with North Africa is becoming more balanced and mutually beneficial.

Yet a closer examination sugg...