The Evolving Role of the Adriatic Space in the Mediterranean: Challenges and Opportunities

Located at the crossroads of the Balkan Peninsula, Central Europe, and the Mediterranean, the Adriatic has historically been characterized by partitioning of the basin into separate spaces of national sovereignty and regional integration. These centrifugal and centripetal forces are still at work today and the future of the region will depend on two different geopolitical dynamics: further European integration and EU efforts to stabilize the Mediterranean region. Without a simultaneous orientation toward Europe and the rest of the Mediterranean, the Adriatic Sea will not be able to perform its inter-locking role and will run the risk of progressive marginalization. Adriatic stakeholders should therefore move toward a vision that sets the space on a path toward stronger EU integration and a strengthening of the EU’s Mediterranean dimension.