Commentary
The Russian army is not currently struggling to recruit new contract soldiers, though the number of people willing to go to war for money is dwindling.
Dmitry Kuznets
{
"authors": [],
"type": "pressRelease",
"centerAffiliationAll": "",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "",
"programs": [],
"projects": [],
"regions": [],
"topics": []
}
REQUIRED IMAGE
Press Release
Press Release: A Burgeoning “Arab Spring” or Disquieting Developments?
Published on Apr 8, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 8, 2005
Contact: Cara Santos Pianesi, 202/939-2211, csantos@CarnegieEndowment.org
The Arab world is changing---- profoundly. The evidence: demonstrations in Lebanon, protests joining Islamists and liberals in Egypt, municipal elections in Saudi Arabia, ceasefire declarations by Palestinian resistance movements, and multi-party negotiations for a Iraqi coalition government. But predicting the outcome of the current ferment is extremely difficult, cautions Carnegie Endowment scholar Amr Hamzawy. In a new Policy Outlook, Hamzawy writes, “The dream of pluralism and open public spheres goes hand in hand with the risk of authoritarian backlash and radical Islamist insurgencies.” He notes three key trends at play in Understanding Arab Political Reality: One Lens is not Enough, available only on the Web at www.CarnegieEndowment.org/democracy.
The first trend: democratization is gaining a toehold. Hamzawy points to events in Iraq, the Palestinian Authority, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Despite legitimate reservations as to the significance of these developments, Hamzawy maintains that a crack has emerged in the authoritarian pattern of the state-society relationship in these countries.
A second trend is the rediscovery of the nation-state and the acceptance of its sanctioned public space as the way ahead for political claims. Long scorned by Pan-Arabists and Islamists, the nation-state is pushing transnational concepts of an Arab or Islamic umma (community) into the political background.
However, a third alarming trend is the new wave of militant Islamism increasingly taking root in the Gulf. As a result, regimes are justifying the slow rate of the reform process (as in Saudi Arabia) or its standstill (Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman), citing their need to combat terror and preserve national security.
Hamzawy also points out the inherently ambiguous nature of transformations in non-democratic countries in general, adding one caveat: “This is a diverse region, one of impulsive beginnings, abrupt ends and unprecedented shifts.”
Amr Hamzawy is a senior associate in the Endowment’s Democracy and Rule of Law project.
###
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 Endowment for International Peace
- Does Russia Have Enough Soldiers to Keep Waging War Against Ukraine?
- What If Trump Gets His Russia-Ukraine Deal?Commentary
It’s dangerous to dismiss Washington’s shambolic diplomacy out of hand.
Eric Ciaramella
- South-South AI Collaboration: Advancing Practical PathwaysArticle
The India AI Impact Summit offers a timely opportunity to experiment with and formalize new models of cooperation.
Lakshmee Sharma, Jane Munga
- Taking the Pulse: Can the EU Attract Foreign Investment and Reduce Dependencies?Commentary
EU member states clash over how to boost the union’s competitiveness: Some want to favor European industries in public procurement, while others worry this could deter foreign investment. So, can the EU simultaneously attract global capital and reduce dependencies?
Rym Momtaz, ed.
- What Can the EU Do About Trump 2.0?Article
Europe’s policy of subservience to the Trump administration has failed. For Washington to take the EU seriously, its leaders now need to combine engagement with robust pushback.
Stefan Lehne
