This book examines the renewed geopolitical and socio-economic centrality of the enlarged Mediterranean within the contemporary global order. It explores the major political, economic and cultural transformations shaping the region, highlighting how the Mediterranean basin has re-emerged as a strategic space marked by regional crises, international competition and complex interdependencies.

Adopting a historical and interdisciplinary perspective, the volume analyses the evolving dynamics that have redefined the Mediterranean. Particular attention is devoted to the interaction between geopolitical rivalries, socio-economic transformations and regional instability, and to the long-term historical processes that shape relations between the two shores.

The book is organised into two main sections. The first section, The New Centrality of the Mediterranean Basin: Trends and Dynamics, investigates the broader drivers that are redefining the region’s strategic importance. The second section, Hotspots of Crisis and Regional Interferences in the Mediterranean, focuses on specific areas affected by the 2011–2012 uprisings.

The contributions highlight how the Mediterranean has become a critical crossroads of global change, offering a holistic interpretation of the interactions between political, economic and social dynamics that shape the region today.