CONTAGION OF VIOLENCE OVERSEAS: THE MEDITERRANEAN BASIN

The literature indicates that violent conflicts tend to spread across bordering countries via rebel/terrorist networks and refugees. However, this effect has not been tested for “overseas neighbours” that share the same basin. Focusing on the Mediterranean Basin, this study investigates the impact of civil and interstate conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) on terrorist attacks in Southern European countries. The findings indicate that MENA conflicts increase violence in Southern Europe, whereas this effect does not exist in other European countries. This study contributes to the literature by establishing a theoretical and empirical link for overseas contagion effect