’Either/or explanations dominate many academic and public debates on the Middle East. This lack of nuanced analyses is problematic for it underlies many rather static debates on Arab countries before and after the Arab Awakening. Horst, Jünemann and Rothe break with this logic. By focusing on logics of action on the regional (Euro-Mediterranean), national and transnational levels they are able to detect the deeper dynamics of persistence and change at play in Arab politics, on both the structural and actor-related levels. This book is an invaluable must-read for everybody striving to move beyond either/or explanations when discussing persistence and change in Arab politics without getting lost in the transition currently underway.’ Stephan Stetter, Universität der Bundeswehr München, Germany ’What impresses above all is the common analytical perspective, honed over several years of research collaboration among the contributors. It gives this volume a coherence that existing studies of Euro-Mediterranean relations and the Arab Spring lack. Essential reading for students of Middle East and North African politics and anyone interested in European policy towards the South.’ Richard Gillespie, University of Liverpool, UK