Yemen on the Edge

{
  "authors": [
    "Christopher Boucek"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
    "Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center"
  ],
  "collections": [
    "Arab Awakening"
  ],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "",
  "programs": [
    "Middle East"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Middle East",
    "Yemen",
    "Gulf"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Political Reform",
    "Economy"
  ]
}

In The Media

Yemen on the Edge

As international attention remains focused on the protests calling for the removal of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the country’s manifold economic problems threaten Yemen and the region.

By Christopher Boucek

Published on Jun 11, 2011

Source: CSPAN's Washington Journal

The Arab Spring has had a profound effect on Yemen, Carnegie’s Christopher Boucek explained on CSPAN’s Washington Journal. Following the protests that broke out in Tunisia and Egypt, youth protesters and civil society activists took to the street in Yemen to demand greater accountability, an end to corruption, elections, and greater economic and social opportunities. Eventually the official political opposition parties, the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), and elites outside the government joined the protesters on the street, Boucek said. “The one issue uniting these disparate groups is a call for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to leave power and a transformation of the old regime,” explained Boucek.

However, Boucek warned that while international attention focuses on the political protests, Yemen’s struggling economy is being overlooked. If drastic measures aren’t taken to address Yemen’s manifold economic problems, Boucek said, it could lead to disastrous consequences.

Political Reform Economy Middle East Yemen Gulf

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Europe

Commentary
Strategic Europe
The EU and India in Tandem
As European leadership prepares for the sixteenth EU-India Summit, both sides must reckon with trade-offs in order to secure a mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement.
Dinakar Peri
Commentary
Strategic Europe
Taking the Pulse: Is the EU Too Weak to Be a Global Player?
Beset by an increasingly hostile United States, internal divisions, and the threat of Russian aggression, the EU finds itself in a make-or-break moment. U.S. President Donald Trump calls it a decaying group of nations headed by weak leaders. Is Europe able to prove him wrong?
Thomas de Waal
Commentary
Strategic Europe
Taking the Pulse: Are Europe’s New Asylum Policies a Betrayal of its Values?
Hard-line approaches to asylum policy are increasingly common, with crackdowns proposed even by parties that traditionally hold liberal views on migration. Does this shift represent a break with Europe’s fundamental values?
Thomas de Waal
Commentary
Strategic Europe
Armenia’s Election Is a Foreign Affair
As the 2026 Armenian election approaches, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is facing fierce opposition from both Russia and the diaspora. He will need the help of Europe, the United States, and regional neighbours to advance his ambitious foreign policy.
Thomas de Waal
Commentary
Five Pillars for Europe in the Second Trump Era
The second Trump administration has shifted the cornerstones of the liberal international order. How the EU responds will determine not only its global standing but also the very integrity of the European project.
Rym Momtaz

More Work from Carnegie Europe

Commentary

Strategic Europe

The EU and India in Tandem

As European leadership prepares for the sixteenth EU-India Summit, both sides must reckon with trade-offs in order to secure a mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement.

Dinakar Peri

Commentary

Strategic Europe

Taking the Pulse: Is the EU Too Weak to Be a Global Player?

Beset by an increasingly hostile United States, internal divisions, and the threat of Russian aggression, the EU finds itself in a make-or-break moment. U.S. President Donald Trump calls it a decaying group of nations headed by weak leaders. Is Europe able to prove him wrong?

Thomas de Waal

Commentary

Strategic Europe

Taking the Pulse: Are Europe’s New Asylum Policies a Betrayal of its Values?

Hard-line approaches to asylum policy are increasingly common, with crackdowns proposed even by parties that traditionally hold liberal views on migration. Does this shift represent a break with Europe’s fundamental values?

Thomas de Waal

Commentary

Strategic Europe

Armenia’s Election Is a Foreign Affair

As the 2026 Armenian election approaches, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is facing fierce opposition from both Russia and the diaspora. He will need the help of Europe, the United States, and regional neighbours to advance his ambitious foreign policy.

Thomas de Waal

Commentary

Five Pillars for Europe in the Second Trump Era

The second Trump administration has shifted the cornerstones of the liberal international order. How the EU responds will determine not only its global standing but also the very integrity of the European project.

Rym Momtaz