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Peraška torta is Perast’s traditional almond cake, shaped by centuries of maritime life in the Bay of Kotor. Made with almonds, eggs, sugar, butter, lemon zest and liqueur, it reflects the town’s Adriatic and Mediterranean heritage. More than a dessert, it is part of Perast’s cultural identity and one of its most distinctive culinary traditions.
Wars in the Middle East do not stop at the battlefield. They reach Europe through energy prices, shipping disruption, inflation and fear — and the Mediterranean feels the shock first. For the EU, the conflict involving Iran is not a distant crisis. It is a direct test of economic resilience across ports, tourism, transport and energy.
Evacuating from Iraq amid the widening U.S.-Iran conflict, I did not expect a brief stop in Mardin to become a lesson in Syriac heritage, layered history and the quieter endurance of the Middle East.
Discover the Adriatics most desirable cities for residents and expats. Split, Kotor, Tirana, Trieste, and Ancona combine stunning coastal settings, rich history, contemporary amenities, and competitive living costs—offering ideal lifestyles whether you seek Mediterranean tranquility or urban energy.
Economic pressures across the Mediterranean—from Spains housing shortages to Italys talent mobility to North Africas educated diaspora—reflect the same transformative moments that have historically reshaped societies, offering both challenges and unprecedented opportunities for democratic renewal. While young people throughout the region navigate wage stagnation and housing accessibility, they are also witnessing increased regional integration, cross-border investment, and growing recognition that traditional career paths need modernization. This moment presents a unique window for Mediterranean nations to collaborate on realigning education with emerging job markets, developing innovative housing solutions that serve residents while attracting sustainable investment, and creating new pathways to prosperity that leverage the region s strategic position in global trade, renewable energy, and digital connectivity.
Land governance in the Middle East and North Africa is burdened by paper records, overlapping claims, and corruption. Emerging digital tools—AI mapping, satellite imagery, blockchain, and big data analytics—offer a pathway toward transparent, citizen-centered “smart cadastres.” These systems can reduce disputes, unlock credit markets, support reconstruction and climate resilience, and curb corruption. But technology alone is not enough: legal reforms, institutional cooperation, capacity building, and public trust are critical for success. Smart cadastres represent not just digitization, but a shift toward transparent, secure, and citizen-focused governance.
North Africa s political instability—marked by Tunisia s democratic backsliding under President Saied, Algeria s energy leverage amid persistent political stagnation, and Morocco s strategic positioning through controlled liberalization—creates significant challenges for EU Mediterranean policy. Regional dynamics are complicated by Algeria-Morocco tensions over Western Sahara, sustained migration pressures from economic stagnation, and climate-induced security risks including desertification and water scarcity. For the European Union, current transactional approaches to migration control and energy diversification often prove unsustainable due to domestic instabilities in partner countries, requiring a shift toward comprehensive partnership frameworks that address root causes through governance support, economic diversification, and climate resilience investment to achieve lasting Mediterranean stability.