Guns, Seats and Protests: Political reform in the Middle East

Café Clingendael

If we consider the period 2011-2020 as an extended series of ‘Arab Uprisings’ that span much of North Africa and the Middle East, a central question is why so little political reform actually appears to have taken place since. As socio-economic problems in these regions grow, political orders have become more rather than less authoritarian. We, therefore, wondered what it takes for political reform to occur and why the ruling elites have been so successful in resisting change. Hence, our podcast ‘Guns, seats, and protests. Prospects for political reform in the Middle East’ explores demand and supply factors that influence the politics of reform. Based on three online expert events we hosted in 2021, the episode features contributions by Melani Cammett, Director at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University, Simon Mabon, Professor of International Politics at Lancaster University, and Matteo Colombo, Researcher at Clingendael’s Conflict Research Unit.