Written in French, this highly analytical paper deconstructs the institutional and discursive frameworks governing cultural cooperation and cultural diplomacy within the Euro-Mediterranean space. Magkou adopts a critical linguistics and socio-political approach to investigate how the concept of "intercultural dialogue" is structurally produced, weaponized, and circulated by regional institutions, non-governmental networks, and cultural actors. The study maps out the complex network of artistic mobilities and regional funding policies that span across the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean, evaluating how these programs attempt to use arts and creativity to foster regional integration.

A major strength of Magkou’s research is its critical examination of media and institutional rhetoric. The author evaluates an extensive corpus of official texts, project descriptions, and media reports generated by Euro-Mediterranean partnerships. She reveals a persistent tension between top-down institutional narratives—which frequently romanticize the Mediterranean as a unified historical space of harmonious exchange—and the ground-level realities of structural inequality, visa restrictions, and asymmetric funding distribution that disproportionately restrict artists from the southern shore.

The paper details how cross-cultural reporting and institutional media communication actively shape mutual perceptions. Magkou warns that vague or overly celebratory uses of the term "intercultural dialogue" can obscure geopolitical friction and reproduce orientalist or cultural stereotypes rather than dismantling them. Instead, the publication advocates for a paradigm shift in cultural diplomacy. It calls for more reflective, collaborative translation practices and co-produced artistic initiatives that empower local communities, challenge dominant media narratives, and allow for a more genuine, inclusive representation of the diverse cultural realities coexisting within the Euro-Mediterranean territory.