Tunisia’s ‘Theocratic Temptation’: Is Nahda-led government ‘waging mock...
Tunisia is making progress in its efforts to dismantle “terrorist” cells, Prime Minister Ali Larayedh said today. But he declined to apply the “terrorist” label to the radical Islamist group Ansar...
View ArticleStill a Long Way to Go for Tunisian Democracy
In confronting Tunisia’s radical Islamists, the Nahda-led government is being forced to address a problem of its own making, says a leading analyst. Since they took over the reins of government early...
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Supporting democratic transitions key to US counter-terror strategy, Obama says
Supporting democratic transitions in volatile regions like the Middle East will remain a key element of U. S. counter-terrorism strategy, President Barack Obama said today. The peaceful realization of...
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‘Taksim is no Tahrir’ or is threat to Turkish model ‘a bad omen’ for region’s...
“The rapid unraveling of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s image at home has spilled into Egypt in what experts say is a warning to Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and his Muslim...
View ArticleEconomic reform in democratic transitions: the case of Tunisia
What are the elements that shape the outcome of a country’s transition from authoritarianism to democracy? All too often policy analysts focus on the political process, while neglecting the vital role...
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Islamists threaten Tunisia’s transition – but it won’t be a ‘new Greece’
Tunisia faces risks linked to its political transition and a fragile global economy but it will not be a “new Greece,” the International Monetary Fund said today: In early June, the IMF approved a...
View ArticlePrioritizing Patriotism – Tunisian transition’s ‘fight for the Arab Spring’s...
Tunisians are worried that the country is going in the wrong direction and frustrated with the Islamist-led government’s poor performance, a new survey suggests. But the gravest threat to the...
View ArticleThe Arab Silent Majority: Challenging Assumptions about Regional Transitions
Since the 2011 Arab uprisings, numerous narratives have arisen about how revolutions have reshaped political attitudes and participation in the region. Where do these narratives come from, are they...
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Nahda’s ‘Dual Discourse’ Threatens Tunisia’s Transition: Hollande Should...
“Dozens of opposition deputies walked out of Tunisia’s constitutional assembly Monday to protest against the final draft of a new post-Arab Spring constitution,” Associated Press reports: Opposition...
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Failure of Egypt’s Brotherhood has ‘damaged Islamist brand’
“The military’s overthrow of Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood’s fall from power in Egypt have sent Islamist parties around the region scrambling to preserve gains made in the Middle East and...
View ArticleThe Arab spring: a negative balance sheet?
“ON FRIDAY AFTERNOONS two years ago, the picture on Arab television screens developed a curious habit of multiplying. It would split in two, then three, then more and more lookalike frames.” writes...
View ArticlePoll blacklist signals Tunisia’s ‘dark turn’?
“Egypt is more divided than ever. All sides – from Islamists to secularists – are headed to their corners, looking to be victors in the battle for power and refusing to make efforts to accommodate...
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Transforming the Arab World’s Protection-Racket Politics
Versions of liberalized autocracy will probably endure in the Middle East for some time to come, says a leading analyst. Although local conditions and forces give each case of political revolt a...
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Killing of Tunisian opposition leader ‘puts Ennahda on the spot’
“Gunmen shot dead the leader of a leftist Tunisian opposition party outside his house Thursday morning, in the year’s second political assassination in the birthplace of the Arab Spring,” AP reports:...
View ArticleTunisia in turmoil after secular politician killed
Tunisian authorities should thoroughly, speedily, and transparently investigate today’s assassination of opposition leader Mohamed Brahmi, Human Rights Watch said today. “Mohamed Brahmi is the second...
View ArticleTunisia’s Islamists ‘killing the Arab Spring in its cradle’?
“Tunisia’s largest labour union called on Tuesday for the dissolution of the Islamist-led government, and the interior minister, a leading independent, said he was ready to resign,” Reuters reports:...
View ArticleTunisian protests reflect deeper divide –‘a struggle of narratives… a...
“Nearly two years after Tunisians came together to remove the long-standing autocratic president, the country is facing its worst political crisis since that uprising set off a wave of protests across...
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‘Converts to Missionaries’: CEE Democracy Assistance in the Arab World
The young democracies of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) are eager to share lessons from their post-Communist transitions with democratic aspirants across the Middle East and North Africa. Kristina...
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Ennahda and the challenge of power: Tunisia’s Islamist chief offers...
“Tunisia’s ruling Islamist party is willing to go to referendum over whether to preserve transitional governance institutions, the party chief has said, but he stood firm against secular opposition...
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‘Spirit of compromise’ set to save Tunisia’s transition?
Tunisia‘s political transition took a new turn on August 6 when National Constituent Assembly (NCA) President Mustapha Ben Jaafar announced on state television that he was suspending the work of the...
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