What Does the Arab Spring Mean for Russia, Central Asia, and the Caucasus?

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In The Media

What Does the Arab Spring Mean for Russia, Central Asia, and the Caucasus?

The Arab Spring has more in common with events in Sub-Saharan Africa in the 1990s than Central and Eastern Europe in 1989. The impact of events in the Middle East for states outside the region will depend on the legitimacy and adaptability of their regimes.

By Thomas Carothers

Published on Jun 28, 2011

Source: CSIS

Speaking on a CSIS podcast, Carnegie's Thomas Carothers explained that the Middle East today is not comparable to Central and Eastern Europe in 1989, due to divergent domestic and international conditions. Instead, transitions away from military rule in Indonesia and Argentina and political changes in Sub-Saharan Africa in the 1990s can serve as more instructive analogies.

The implications of the Arab Spring for Russia, Central Asia, and the Caucasus will depend on the legitimacy and adaptability of political regimes in these regions as well as societal and demographic factors, Carothers concluded.

About the Author

Thomas Carothers

Harvey V. Fineberg Chair for Democracy Studies; Director, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program

Thomas Carothers, director of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program, is a leading expert on comparative democratization and international support for democracy.

Recent Work

Commentary
When Do Mass Protests Topple Autocrats?
- Thomas Carothers, McKenzie Carrier
Article
The Trump Administration’s Tangled Talk About Democracy Abroad
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Political Reform Democracy Middle East North Africa Caucasus Eastern Europe

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.

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