Taking Stock of Post–Arab Spring Setbacks
Despite the euphoria that accompanied the Arab Spring, a series of recent setbacks has fueled skepticism that the revolutions will lead to democracy any time in the foreseeable future. At a recent event, two Open Society Fellows considered the implications of these changes for the region and the prospects for a restoration of electoral democracy in Tunisia and Egypt, as well as the growing but poorly understood role of Saudi Arabia.
Asef Bayat started with a discussion of the potential for the establishment of a “post-Islamist democracy” in Egypt and Tunisia and the probable role of what he calls “non-movements” of the poor, women, and youth. Then, Madawi Al-Rasheed, an expert on Saudi politics and society, weighed the significance of recent protests in the Kingdom by women, internet activists, and the Shia minority.
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