Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Libya still has a long way to go in order to meet the basic demands of its six million people, and its future largely depends on the ability of its new leaders to address a number of critical issues.
With recent popular protests causing a notable decline in Syria’s economic indicators, the country is facing critical socioeconomic challenges which could lead to the end of the Assad regime.
In order for the Algerian economy to experience sustained long-term growth, the government must break its excessive dependence on global market prices for oil and gas and create a suitable legal environment that encourages entrepreneurship and economic diversification.
In the wake of popular protests, Morocco has initiated a series of institutional reforms that will reduce the monarchy’s role in government and present the country’s political parties with the opportunity to form a viable and organized opposition.
The first six months of this year have not been easy for the Egyptian economy, and the situation is likely to worsen amid a drop in tourism revenues, low levels of domestic and foreign investments, and scarce employment opportunities in the formal private sector.
While Jordan's potential membership of the GCC seems comprehensible, the same rationale does not apply to the Moroccan case because of the country’s distant geographical location, its weak economic ties with the Gulf, and its 32-million population.
Egypt and Tunisia’s democratic transitions will not automatically result in higher economic growth or more employment opportunities. Both countries must set up priorities and enact reforms to spur economic transitions.
Despite its annual economic growth, Syria’s poverty rate remains high. The Syrian government needs to enact further economic reforms in order to address some of the anger expressed by growing protests across the country.
Despite sporadic demonstrations and calls for change from prominent intellectuals and political figures, the widespread protests that brought down leaders in Tunisia and Egypt are still largely absent in Algeria.
Political stability, democratic governance, and human-rights protections are key ingredients of any forward-looking strategy to spur and sustain economic recovery.
