ABSTRACT
Introduction This chapter fills a gap in the literature of European foreign policy towards the Middle East.1 It provides a snapshot of the opinions and perceptions held by Lebanese and Iranian elites, civil society organizations and the media on the European Union (EU) and its policies on the ground. The relevant literature on the area rarely analyses the regional actors’ expectations, ideas and beliefs, and focuses more on historical accounts of regional developments, the analysis of systemic features and geopolitical challenges and changes. Our analysis concentrates on Iran and Lebanon in light of several considerations. First, these countries have been at the centre of EU diplomat activity outside its ‘natural’ borders. They both represent crucial gateways for the EU in terms of economic and trade penetration into the Middle East and even Asia (through Iran). In addition to the historical ties with some European member states, Iran and Lebanon are also crucial from a geostrategic point of view as they pose several challenges to the stability of the wider political region, a neighbouring geographic area for the EU. The chapter is organized as follows. We first sketch some crucial elements of the historical relations between the two countries and Europe. We then analyse the findings on elites, civil society and the media as well as some of the key factors influencing Iranian and Lebanese perceptions of the EU. We end with some concluding remarks and provide specific recommendations for the EU.
