Brussels hosted its ninth Donors’ Conference for Syria on March 17, under the title “Standing with Syria: Meeting the Needs for a Successful Transition.” For the first time, the Syrian government was invited to attend, represented by Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani. 

In her opening remarks, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that after 14 years of civil war and the fall of the Assad regime in December, the European Union was ready to move from working “for Syria” to working “with Syria”. 

She unveiled the bloc’s new strategy, under three main themes: 

• Continuing to meet the most urgent humanitarian needs. The EU has so far provided more than €37 billion in support to Syrians. Following the fall of the regime, the bloc will increase its commitments—to be spent in Syria and the region—to approximately €2.5 billion over 2025 and 2026. 

• Supporting social and economic recovery. The EU has suspended its sanctions in key economic areas, including energy, transportation, and related financial transactions. It has also shown willingness to make further efforts to attract the investment needed for reconstruction, as rebuilding Syria—including entire cities destroyed by war—will require an overhaul of the entire economy. 

• Supporting a comprehensive political transition. After decades under a dictatorship that tightly controlled the entire economy and political system, power can now return to the Syrian people. Syria has an opportunity to become a country where everyone can freely express their opinions, with equal rights and equal representation for all, men and women alike, regardless of their religion, ethnicity, or ideology. It can also become a country where sectarian violence has no place. 

All this revealed that the EU has abandoned its Assad-era strategy built on the “three nos”: no to normalization, no to lifting of sanctions, and no to reconstruction. It also showed that the EU is not placing external political conditions on its support; rather, it is urging the Syrian government to accelerate “the political transition process towards a credible, inclusive, and non-sectarian government”—and that as long as the political process continues to progress, the EU “is also ready to increase its support for recovery and reconstruction, alongside its partners in the region and around the world.” 

Von der Leyen’s speech reflected EU support for the “very encouraging steps” taken by the Syrian government, including Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s signing of a Constitutional Declaration, and the “historic” agreement between the central authorities and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). 

In a joint press statement, the conference’s co-chairs, EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas and commissioners Dubravka Šuica and Hadja Lahbib, as well as Minister Shaibani, condemned the violent attacks by remnants of the Assad regime against the new government’s security forces, and reiterated their strong condemnation of the subsequent reprisals, which saw various armed groups carry out horrific crimes against civilians. The co-chairs welcomed the commitments made by the transitional government, particularly the establishment of a commission of inquiry into the killings. 

Kallas said the conference was “more than pledges. It is a message of collective support for a peaceful, inclusive Syrian led and Syrian-owned transition in Syria.” 

Thus, the path forward lies in the hands of the Syrians. Europe has shown satisfaction with the steps taken by the new government so far, through its dialogue conference and constitutional declaration. Now, it is vital that Damascus can meet international expectations for the formation of a “credible, inclusive, and non-sectarian government” that can complete the transitional phase, help stabilize the country, gain the confidence of the international community, and win international recognition of the new government. 

Ultimately then, the conference should not be evaluated against the comparatively low volume of donations compared to previous years, or how they are to be spent. Rather, it should be seen in terms of the EU’s acceptance of the new government, the latter’s participation in the conference, and European support for political transitional steps that have already taken place. 

Success in the next phase and the formation of a government will be an important lever to open the doors to funding, investment, and reconstruction projects, able to restore the health of the Syrian economy and help consolidate social recovery, civil peace, and political stability.