After all the long-ruling Chancellor did gamble her foreign policy legacy on this uncertain process which saw Germany lead the world to redefine a tired conflict. Germany’s involvement in Libya was not a legacy policy, it was a reflection of how many of Germany’s foreign policy pillars were shaken by events across the Mediterranean. The Berlin process which birthed January’s conference has been a qualified success. The Berlin process may have shifted Libya’s trajectory away from the catastrophic war that could have, but there are many perils still to be avoided. If Chancellor Merkel is to finish what she started and finesse a true foreign policy legacy, then she should now turn the dynamic of the Berlin process inwards, creating a tripartite European coalition for engaging Libya.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 24, 2021 06:45 UTC