Early next month, the country is scheduled to hold its first parliamentary elections since the fall of Assad. But the conditions that have long stifled democracy in the Arab world remain firmly in place.
Hicham Bou Nassif
Hicham Bou Nassif, author of Endgames: Military Response to Protest in Arab Autocracies, is the Weinberg Associate Professor of International Relations and the Middle East and the George R. Roberts Fellow at Claremont McKenna College. He is working on a book about Ronald Reagan’s policy toward the Middle East. Before earning his PhD in political science, he was a reporter in Lebanon. Find him on X @Hbounassif.
Posted inPolitics
Trump Is Betting on Syria’s New Strongman
Ahmad al-Sharaa toppled Assad. But is Syria headed toward democracy, or did it trade one dictator for another?
Posted inWar in the Mideast
Lebanon’s Precarious Future
The collapse of Hezbollah’s dominance has left a power vacuum in Lebanon—and a rare opening to reimagine the state. But without reform, aid, disarmament, and a rethinking of the centralized system of governance, the country risks falling back into the abyss.
Posted inPolitics
Where Will Syria Go From Here?
Here are the central questions surrounding the collapse of the Assad regime and the rise of HTS.
