The conditions that spurred the Arab uprisings, including government corruption, failed economies and deteriorating social services, have only intensified in many countries, exacerbated by 2020’s Covid-19 pandemic, notes analyst Megan O’Toole…. Read more »
Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed faces a hard choice between a shift towards authoritarianism, or the difficult task of generating confidence and belief in his reforms,* according to Nick Cheeseman, professor of… Read more »
Two countries became notably less despotic in 2019. In Sudan mass protests led to the ejection of Omar al-Bashir, one of the world’s vilest tyrants. However, the risk that thugs from… Read more »
Lebanese security forces fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons Sunday to disperse hundreds of protesters for a second straight day, ending what started as a peaceful rally in… Read more »
Whether the unprecedented wave of protests leads to sustainable democratic transitions depends in large part on the strategic sophistication of illiberal regimes and democratic actors, including the latter’s ability to… Read more »
In the face of democratic erosion and decay, do other countries’ experiences offer lessons on securing a route to democratic renewal? Defending Democracy: Lessons from Around the World is a… Read more »
Today, as new democratic movements gather strength elsewhere in North Africa and Tunisia prepares for a presidential election on Sunday, the country’s role as a showcase for democracy in the… Read more »
The Trump administration has ordered the State Department and the United States Agency for International Development to freeze much of the remaining money for foreign aid this year, in a… Read more »
Russia and China are not the only autocracies seeking to squash democratic openings. Since the Arab uprisings of 2011, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have used their considerable… Read more »
What is the connection between Algeria, Egypt and Sudan, and do the rising protests worry the region’s autocratic leaders, France24 asks (above). In Algeria and Sudan, the protesters hold strong… Read more »