Region: Middle East and North Africa | Page 3

What explains democracy’s declining fortunes — governments’ failure to deliver or institutions’ failure to stop power-hungry leaders? Why Ukraine’s defeat would jeopardize the entire liberal-democratic order. And how Syria must navigate the complexities of transitional justice and sectarian violence now that the hard work of rebuilding has begun.

Will Syria Be Free?

Syria now has another chance at democracy. In our April issue, leading scholars of Syria reflect on why there is reason to hope Syria will be free, despite the difficult road ahead.

After Crackdown, Is Turkey an Autocracy?

Turkey’s president would rather turn his country into a full autocracy than give up power. But the Turkish people are clinging to what remains of their democracy, and they are ready to fight for it.

Will Egypt Be the Next Syria?

Shady ElGhazaly Harb

The pillars of Sisi’s regime are straining, and Assad’s collapse is raising the pressure. If Egypt is going to follow Syria’s path, these are signals to watch.

Hope and Fear in Syria

Elizabeth Parker-Magyar

The brutal regime of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad fell in a week. Syrians have been preparing for this moment for years.

Is Israel Losing Its Last Democratic Safeguard?

The country’s mass protests were its last democratic guardrail. But Israel’s wartime goals have become a higher priority than keeping Netanyahu in check.

Tunisia’s Insecure Strongman

Nate Grubman

Kais Saied is claiming a landslide election win. The truth is he was never willing to face a real competition. Just how insecure he feels will likely determine how much more repressive he will become.

Why Iran Is Entering a Dangerous Moment

Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar

The country’s recent elections revealed deep fissures in Iranian society and there is already growing disillusionment with the new president. With mounting economic worries, Iran is in a volatile state.

The Empty Promise of Iran’s New President

Ladan Boroumand

Masoud Pezeshkian won’t be a “reformer” in any genuine sense. Like all Iranian presidents, he has pledged his loyalty to Iran’s supreme leader. What he really offers is a softer version of Iran’s grim repression.

Why Militaries Support Presidential Coups

Sharan Grewal

If you want to understand why generals support a presidential power grab, then you need to understand the logic that motivates them. Why they leave the barracks — and what we must do to get them to stand down.

How Turkey’s Opposition Won Big

Less than a year after a bitter loss, the opposition dealt Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling party their largest electoral defeat in decades. The question is whether they can now build on their success.

Will Kuwait’s Next Parliament Be Its Last?

Sean L. Yom

The Gulf kingdom has been a rare democratic experiment. But gridlock and the Emir’s mounting impatience with Kuwaiti politics may be on the cusp of bringing it to an end.

Why Egypt Is Growing More Unstable Fast

Shady ElGhazaly Harb

The economy is spiraling, public frustration is mounting, and the regime is becoming more repressive. The next time Egyptians come to the streets, they will be looking for more than promises and free elections.

Cracks in Sisi’s Façade

Waleed Shawky

Egypt’s upcoming presidential elections are a sham. But the opposition can still take advantage of this moment to push for genuine reforms that the country desperately needs.

Inside the Fight to Save Israeli Democracy

Natan Sachs

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants the public to see his efforts to overhaul the Israeli judiciary as a “reform.” But people have seen it for what it is: a struggle over the very future of democracy itself.

7 Lessons from Turkey’s Effort to Beat a Populist Autocrat

What the opposition did and how Erdoğan managed to escape outright defeat.

Why Women Are Leading the Fight in Iran

Ladan Boroumand

Iran’s women were the Islamic Republic’s first target for repression. This is the newest chapter in their struggle to win back their rights.

Iran Erupts

Peyman Asadzade

Iranians are once again flooding the streets in protest. How is this wave of demonstrations different?

Why Pakistan Always Seems on the Brink of Collapse

Ahsan I. Butt

The military has spent decades trying to impose order on Pakistani politics. It has led to chaos.

A Dictator’s Day in Court

Nate Grubman

Tunisia’s president is looking to strengthen his chokehold on the country.

How Democracy Can Win Out in Sudan

Sharan Grewal

The country just got a new chance to restore its democratic transition. Here’s how they can ensure that Sudan stays on the right path.

Democratization and Authoritarianism in the Arab World

The uprisings that swept the Arab world beginning in 2010 toppled four entrenched rulers and seemed to create a political opening in a region long impervious to democratization.