• Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Global logoCarnegie lettermark logo
DemocracyIran
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "Marc Pierini"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
    "Carnegie Europe",
    "Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center"
  ],
  "collections": [
    "Europe’s Southern Neighborhood"
  ],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Europe",
  "programAffiliation": "EP",
  "programs": [
    "Europe"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Middle East",
    "Europe",
    "Gulf",
    "Levant",
    "Iraq",
    "Syria",
    "Western Europe",
    "Iran"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Foreign Policy",
    "Security"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

In The Media
Carnegie Europe

Born in Europe to Fight Foreign Wars?

What can the EU do to prevent its citizens from leaving for Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State and becoming a domestic threat once they return to European soil?

Link Copied
By Marc Pierini
Published on Oct 8, 2014
Program mobile hero image

Program

Europe

The Europe Program in Washington explores the political and security developments within Europe, transatlantic relations, and Europe’s global role. Working in coordination with Carnegie Europe in Brussels, the program brings together U.S. and European policymakers and experts on strategic issues facing Europe.

Learn More

Source: euronews

Speaking to on the Frontline on euronews, Marc Pierini was asked what he believes Europe should do to stop more of its citizens from joining militant groups, including the Islamic State (IS), in Syria and Iraq, and how unified the EU’s strategy is to deal with foreign fighters if and when they return home.

“The majority of the young people going to Syria are from poor neighborhoods, school dropouts, [with] no job and vague, very vague religious indoctrination,” Pierini said when asked if Europe should prevent people from being recruited to IS.

Pierini argues that Europe has not been inactive on this matter and has in fact been working on counterterrorism measures for a year. But, he says, the EU needs to do more, from reinforcing counterterrorism cooperation within the EU and with Turkey to strengthening the Schengen system within Europe.

This interview was originally aired on Euronews.

About the Author

Marc Pierini

Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe

Pierini is a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe, where his research focuses on developments in the Middle East and Turkey from a European perspective.

    Recent Work

  • Commentary
    Europe Doesn’t Like War—for Good Reasons

      Marc Pierini

  • Commentary
    The Iran War’s Dangerous Fallout for Europe

      Marc Pierini

Marc Pierini
Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe
Marc Pierini
Foreign PolicySecurityMiddle EastEuropeGulfLevantIraqSyriaWestern EuropeIran

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

  • Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) and Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk attend a press conference at the Mariinskyi Palace in Kyiv on February 5, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
    Article
    Kindred Nations, Uneasy Neighbors: Polish-Ukrainian Relations in the Crucible of Russia’s War

    The full-scale invasion cemented Ukraine’s determination to sever its ties with Russia; reimagining the Poland-Ukraine partnership can accelerate Kyiv’s westward alignment and improve the security of both countries.

      Eric Green

  • Commentary
    Southeast Asia’s Agency Amid the New Oil Crisis

    There is no better time for the countries of Southeast Asia to reconsider their energy security than during this latest crisis.

      Gita Wirjawan

  • Commentary
    Fuel Crisis Forces Politically Perilous Trade-Offs in Indonesia

    As conflict in the Middle East drives up fuel costs across Asia, Indonesia faces difficult policy trade-offs over subsidies, inflation, and fiscal credibility. President Prabowo’s personalized governance style may make these hard choices even harder to navigate.

      Sana Jaffrey

  • Commentary
    Europe Doesn’t Like War—for Good Reasons

    The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are existential threats to Europe as a peace project. Leaders and citizens alike must reaffirm their solidarity to face up to today’s multifaceted challenges.

      Marc Pierini

  • Commentary
    Emissary
    In Its Iran War Debate, Washington Has Lost the Plot in Asia

    The United States ignores the region’s lived experience—and the tough political and social trade-offs the war has produced—at its peril.

      Evan A. Feigenbaum

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie global logo, stacked
1779 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC, 20036-2103Phone: 202 483 7600Fax: 202 483 1840
  • Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
  • Donate
  • Programs
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Contact
  • Annual Reports
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
  • Government Resources
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.