Internal dystrophy and international rivalry: the (de-)construction of Libyan foreign policy.

This case study of Libya's foreign policy after the regime change in 2011 represents a major analytical challenge, since the country's massive internal dysfunctions – extreme weakness of the state, the emergence of new elites, proliferation of private actors, power competition and widespread violenc...

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Published in:Journal of North African Studies Vol. 24; no. 3; pp. 468 - 490
Main Author: Sánchez-Mateos, Elvira
Format: Article
Published: Taylor & Francis Ltd May2019
Subjects:
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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        10.1080/13629387.2018.1454653
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        atl: Internal dystrophy and international rivalry: the (de-)construction of Libyan foreign policy.
      aug:
        au: Sánchez-Mateos, Elvira
        affil: Department of Contemporary History, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
      su:
        International relations
        Libyan politics & government
        Libyan foreign relations
        Political opportunity theory
        Hydrocarbons
      sug:
        subj:
          International relations
          Natural Gas Liquid Extraction
          Foreign affairs
          International Affairs
          Libyan politics & government
          Libyan foreign relations
          Political opportunity theory
          Hydrocarbons
      keyword:
        Foreign policy
        international constraints
        Libya
        political process
        regional constraints
        Foreign policy
        international constraints
        Libya
        political process
        regional constraints
      ab: This case study of Libya's foreign policy after the regime change in 2011 represents a major analytical challenge, since the country's massive internal dysfunctions – extreme weakness of the state, the emergence of new elites, proliferation of private actors, power competition and widespread violence – have prevented the normalisation of its political and economic life and, consequently, the normalisation of its foreign policy. However, this does not mean that there is no Libyan 'foreign policy', or perhaps a number of intertwined foreign policies, as different Libyan political actors have been proactive in establishing contacts and maintaining alliances – often antagonistic – with external powers. Libya's recent evolution provides some indication of what its foreign policy might look like in the future, once the situation in the country has normalised. On the one hand, it is possible to determine the external determinants on both the regional and global level, which have and will have the most influence on Libyan foreign policy. On the other hand, with all the caution required to interpret the current unstable and fluid situation, an analysis of the political process and the behaviour of the actors in Libya highlights some key issues that constitute the universe of Libyan interests abroad and, consequently, the top priorities of its foreign policy, which will inevitably focus on hydrocarbons and security in any future scenario. Finally, the article addresses whether discontinuity in domestic politics resulting from regime change might lead to a structural modification of Libya's external behaviour.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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