Governance & Political Reform

Egypt’s Struggle for Stability in a Volatile Environment

Egypt’s Struggle for Stability in a Volatile Environment

The lack of channels for social demands creates the conditions for sudden explosions of anger. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed some latent contradictions within Egyptian society.

 15 September 2020
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Geopolitical Trends, Shifts, Challenges and Fractures of the Post-Arab Spring (2020-2021)

This article reflects on how after the first decade following the “Arab Spring,” many Arab States are either unstable or simply in shambles, and the old Arab political order is collapsing while the new geopolitical landscape is marred by a chaoti...

 5 October 2022

Well-Being, Social Policies and Development in the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA) – State of Play and Challenges for Improvement

This essay provides a critical overview of social policies in MENA and what is known about the conceptualization of well-being there.

 4 October 2022

Well-Being Societies in the Arab Region. Fighting All Kinds of Inequalities

This article analyses the different kinds of inequalities affecting the arab region, its evolution in time and proposes a way forward.

 4 October 2022

The French Presidential Election 2022: Irreconcilable Clash between World Views and Mediterranean Perspectives?

This article provides an analysis of the foreign policy visions of the candidates for the 2022 French presidential election, which according to the author provide a good idea of their respective ideological positions.

 28 September 2022

Mauritania: Domestic Politics and Regional Tensions (Maghreb / Sahel)

The author analyses the domestic and regional politics of Mauritania under the presidency of Mohamed Ould Ghazouani.

 22 September 2022

Saudi Reforms: Change for Survival or for Progress?

The author analyses how the change conceived by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia is provoking popular enthusiasm, especially among young people, but raises a number of issues regarding his despotic practices.

 22 September 2022

Achieving Healthy Lives in the MENA Region: Towards Strong and Equitable Health Systems

The author analyses how the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ukraine war and the global climate crisis have impacted the goal of achieving healthy lives in the MENA Region.

 22 September 2022

Lebanon’s Catastrophic Warlord Regime and the Tragedy of a Complicit State

The author provides a short historical review and an empirical framework to the simple question of what happened to Lebanon and what some of the prospects for its future are.

 22 September 2022

The Two Faces of Digitalization in Politics: The Role of Social Networks in Political Mobilizations and the Threat of “Digital Authoritarianism” in the MENA Region

Digital media technology has been a significant conduit for bolstering the narratives and power of regimes which generally eschew democracy in favour of creating a top-down vision for their states as well as the region.

 13 September 2022

Qatar’s Role in the Geopolitical Scenarios of the Middle East and North Africa

Qatar has assets that have allowed it to achieve its goals and take on an important regional role. Its politics and its international relations are watched with great interest by foreign ministries, research centres and the media at all levels.

 13 September 2022

MENA’s Debt: An Opportunity or a Trap?

MENA is in urgent need of more funding, not less. As its financial sustainability deteriorates, it needs more debt, not less, so that it can invest in the crucially needed energy transition and economic diversification, through aggressive reforms of...

 13 September 2022

Iran’s Influence on Countries in the MENA Region

Iran is not typified as a country that leads invasions, but is rather an actor that takes advantage of the conditions of invaded countries. The cases of Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon provide evidence for this argument, as Iran’s presence is manife...

 13 September 2022