German cooperation with countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has a long tradition. In the light of the coalition agreement of 2021, the German government aims to maximize the potential of development cooperation with the region by focusing on ”Just Transition” and ”Feminist Development Policy”. In addition to building climate and energy partnerships, the new cooperation strategy includes greater political and economic participation on the part of women and young people, as well as functional social protection policies. These medium to long term objectives are vulnerable to being undermined by political and economic crises. Europe and the MENA region are emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic and at the same time facing the global consequences of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, in particular the energy and food crises. This “Zeitenwende” has changed the context for Germany’s contribution to socially just transition in the MENA region.

The German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) organized a public roundtable debate on 24 January 2023 at the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Berlin in order to discuss the new German development policy and the effects of “Zeitenwende” on the existing partnerships in the fields: energy, climate change, women rights and social protection.

The event brought together political decision makers and experts from Germany and the region. The panelists were Niels Annen (Parliamentary State Secretary, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, BMZ), Anna-Katharina Hornidge (Director, German Institute of Development and Sustainability, IDOS), Lea Bou Khater (Social Protection Technical Officer, Regional Office of the Arab States in Beirut, International Labour Organisation, ILO), Hamza Hamouchene (North Africa Programme Coordinator, Transnational Institute), Rabab El Mahdi (Associate professor of Political Science, American University in Cairo, AUC).

The panelists highlighted the deteriorating socioeconomic situation of the majority of the populations in the MENA region, especially of women and working class. They also expressed their concerns about the effects of climate change and water scarcity on local food production and on the livelihood of millions of rural populations. German cooperation policies should increasingly support just transition, green energy and women rights.