Mobility in EU cultural diplomacy and cultural relations: Ambiguities and the value of partnerships in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean

Cultural diplomacy and relations have become central components of European Union's (EU) external cultural action, intended to foster transnational exchange while projecting values such as diversity, freedom of expression, and human rights. Within this framework, cultural mobility plays a pivotal yet underexamined role. While long central to EU internal cultural policy, mobility remains marginal in external cultural action, with limited dedicated support despite mounting pressures from migration, conflict, and climate change. This article argues that cultural mobility offers a critical lens through which to analyse the ambitions, contradictions, and governance dynamics of EU cultural diplomacy and relations. Focusing on the Mediterranean, the study combines policy analysis with a micro-level examination of actors and lived experiences, drawing on interviews, programme evaluations, and the authors’ long-term professional engagement in the region. The Mediterranean offers a particularly revealing lens due to mobility inequalities, postcolonial legacies, and complex governance involving EU institutions, intermediaries, and local actors. The analysis highlights fragmented frameworks, scarce resources, and structural power imbalances that constrain mobility, while also revealing the agency of cultural professionals. Overall, the article shows how mobility exposes the fragility of EU cultural action while pointing to its potential to support more equitable, value-driven international cultural cooperation.