What Algeria’s Upcoming Elections Mean for the Next Five Years

A poster of the 2024 presidential vote is being displayed in Algiers, Algeria, on August 15, 2024. The presidency is announcing in March 2024 that the Algerian presidential election will be held on September 7, 2024. The electoral campaign that is beginning on August 15 is continuing until September 3. (Photo by Billel Bensalem / APP) (Photo by APP/NurPhoto) (Photo by APP / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP)

On September 7, Algerians will head to the polls to elect their president. The outcome, however, is already a foregone conclusion. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, running for his second term, is certain to win. Tebboune’s continued rule is assured because the military, the true power brokers in Algeria, have deemed him a suitable figurehead. His initial… Continue reading What Algeria’s Upcoming Elections Mean for the Next Five Years

How Tunisia’s Anti-Corruption Campaign Is Putting Its Next Election into Question

TUNIS, TUNISIA - FEBRUARY 10: Judges, lawyers and people gather to protest President of Tunisia, Kais Saied's decision to dissolve the Supreme Judicial Council in front of Palais de Justice in Tunis, Tunisia on February 10, 2022. Yassine Gaidi / Anadolu Agency (Photo by Yassine Gaidi / ANADOLU AGENCY / Anadolu via AFP)

On August 5, a Tunisian court sentenced four potential presidential candidates on charges of buying endorsements and banned them from running in the upcoming elections slated for October 6. Among the four were the prominent politician and former Ennahda leader Abdellatif Mekki and the activist and TV host Nizar Chaari. In addition, the key opposition… Continue reading How Tunisia’s Anti-Corruption Campaign Is Putting Its Next Election into Question

Jordan’s Dilemma: Between Israel’s Sword of Damocles and Iran’s Axis of Resistance

A handout picture released by the Jordanian Royal Palace shows Jordan's King Abdullah (C) attending a plenary session during the emergency aid summit entitled "Call for Action: Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza", in Sweimeh on the shores of the Dead Sea in Jordan on June 11, 2024. - Jordan hosted a summit on June 11 bringing together leaders and aid officials to discuss urgent humanitarian response for Palestinians enduring more than eight months of devastating war in the Gaza Strip, where the United Nations has warned of looming famine. (Photo by Chris Setian / Jordanian Royal Palace / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / JORDANIAN ROYAL HASHEMITE COURT (RHC)" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

The ongoing Israeli war on Gaza is seen by the Jordanian government and public as an existential threat. Despite credible accusations of genocide, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prolonging, expanding, and escalating the offensive, which has led to mounting pressure on neighboring Jordan. From the potential forced displacement of Palestinians from the West Bank… Continue reading Jordan’s Dilemma: Between Israel’s Sword of Damocles and Iran’s Axis of Resistance

How Big a Role Will Gaza Play in the U.S. Election?

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES - AUGUST 6: Democratic presidential nominee Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris (R) and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (L) on stage at a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States on August 6, 2024. US Vice President Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her running mate in the 2024 presidential race. Kyle Mazza / Anadolu (Photo by Kyle Mazza / ANADOLU / Anadolu via AFP)

One of the great ironies of American politics is that despite the country’s immense power and influence in the world, U.S. foreign policy and international affairs hardly factor into the calculus of most American voters. The 2024 presidential race may be different, however.   Since October 7, 2023, the Hamas-led attack on Israel, and Israel’s catastrophic… Continue reading How Big a Role Will Gaza Play in the U.S. Election?

Interview: The View from MENA on France’s Elections Results

PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 08: A man reads 'Le Parisien' newspaper, seen the day after the second round of the French legislative election in the 11th Arrondissement of Paris, on July 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto) (Photo by Artur Widak / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP)

During recent elections to the European Parliament, France’s far right National Rally (Rassemblement National) party led by Marine Le Pen won a resounding victory. In a surprise response, French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved his country’s parliament and called for immediate elections. Yet, despite a strong showing in the first round, the National Rally ultimately came… Continue reading Interview: The View from MENA on France’s Elections Results

India’s Mideast Relations Should Continue Apace in Third Modi Term

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi flashes victory sign as he arrives at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters to celebrate the party’s win in country's general election, in New Delhi on June 4, 2024. - Modi claimed election victory for his party and its allies on June 4, but the opposition said they had "punished" the ruling party to confound predictions and reduce their parliamentary majority. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP)

India’s recent election was a 44-day “festival of democracy” that targeted 900 million eligible voters in the world’s largest democratic exercise to date. Over 640 million ballots were submitted, including nearly half by women, recording a 66% turnout through 1.1 million polling booths and 5.5 million electronic voting machines. For comparison, this is more than… Continue reading India’s Mideast Relations Should Continue Apace in Third Modi Term

The Unlikely Election of Another Reformist in Iran

Supporters cheer as newly-elected Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrives at the shrine of the Islamic Republic's founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran on July 6, 2024. - Pezeshkian, who advocates improved ties with the West, on July 6 won a runoff presidential election against ultraconservative Saeed Jalili, the interior ministry said. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)

Until just a month ago, few people outside of Iran had heard the name Masoud Pezeshkian. The 69-year-old physician was the representative for the northwestern city of Tabriz in the Iranian parliament and had previously served as the minister of health in the second administration of the reformist President Mohammad Khatami between 2001 to 2005.… Continue reading The Unlikely Election of Another Reformist in Iran

Iran’s Snap Election Casts a Long Shadow Over the State

This handout photo made available by the state television Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting News (IRIBNEWS) on June 25, 2024, shows (L to R) reformist candidate Massoud Pezeshkian, Tehran's conservative mayor Alireza Zakani, the only cleric in the running Mostafa Pourmohammadi, incumbent Vice President Amirhossein Ghazizadeh-Hashemi, conservative presidential hopeful Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili posing for a photograph as they take part in a televised debate at the Iran State television studio in Tehran. (Photo by MORTEZA FAKHRINEJAD / IRIB / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT AFP PHOTO / IRIBNEWS

As Iran heads to a snap election for a new president, questions over the government’s political legitimacy are once again surfacing. After the shock death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on May 19, along with the foreign minister and a number of other officials, a new election to find his replacement was… Continue reading Iran’s Snap Election Casts a Long Shadow Over the State

Interview: Unpacking Kuwait’s Parliament Dissolution

Kuwaiti Members of Parliament atten a special parliament session with the swearing in ceremony for the prime minister and his cabinet ministers, at the National Assembly in Kuwait City on January 29, 2024. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)

Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who came to power late last year, recently nominated Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah as crown prince and appointed a new cabinet. This came after the leader’s decision to dissolve the country’s National Assembly and institute a four-year suspension of several constitutional articles following an election that saw minimal changes… Continue reading Interview: Unpacking Kuwait’s Parliament Dissolution

Senegal’s Election and Africa’s Future

People gather outside anti-establishment candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye's headquarters in Dakar on March 24, 2024 as results remain expected during the Senegalese presidential elections. - Vote counting got under way on March 24, 2024 after Senegal's delayed presidential election that followed a political crisis and several years of unrest, with the two favourites both claiming confidence in an outright win. (Photo by Carmen Abd Ali / AFP)

Although Senegal’s GDP is dwarfed by that of the West African giant Nigeria, this small country with an open economy plays an outsize role on the continent, owing to its status as a “maturing democracy.” Senegalese pride themselves for having never suffered a coup since achieving independence from France in 1960. That record stands in… Continue reading Senegal’s Election and Africa’s Future

Interview: Kuwait’s First Elections under the New Emir

A Kuwaiti man casts his ballot in parliamentary elections at a polling station in Kuwait City on April 4, 2024. - Vote-weary Kuwait heads to the polls for the third time in three years on April 4, just months into the reign of a new emir but with no end in sight to the major oil exporter's chronic political paralysis. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)

1. Kuwait has faced political gridlock, resulting in four elections over the past four years and deteriorating social services. In this month’s parliamentary elections, the opposition maintained a 29-seat majority in the 50-member body, closely resembling the previous year’s outcome. What do these results indicate for Kuwait’s political landscape and potential reforms? Hope springs eternal,… Continue reading Interview: Kuwait’s First Elections under the New Emir

Interview: Erdogan’s Last Elections?

A voter casts his ballot during the Turkish municipal elections, in Istanbul on March 31, 2024. - Turkish citizens head to the polls on March 31, 2024, in local elections as the President sets his sights on winning back Istanbul, the country's economic powerhouse, after he was re-elected head of state in a tight contest last year. The latest elections come in the throes of an economic crisis that saw the inflation rate surge to 67.1 percent and the Turkish currency crumble against dollar. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP)

1. In 2019, the leading opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), won mayoral elections in Türkiye’s three biggest cities—Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir—marking the height of opposition unity under the Nation Alliance (Millet İttifakı). This time, despite the Nation Alliance’s dissolution, the opposition won even more cities in a landslide victory for the CHP not… Continue reading Interview: Erdogan’s Last Elections?

Interview: Russia in the Middle East

Preliminary voting results in the Russian presidential election are displayed on a screen at the Central Election Commission in Moscow on March 17, 2024. - Vladimir Putin secured 88 percent of the first votes counted in Russia's presidential election, the head of Russia's election commission said on March 17, 2024. (Photo by STRINGER / AFP)

1. Over two years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russians have just gone to the polls and Ukraine appears set to postpone an election slated for the end of March. In Russia, Putin reportedly spent more than $1 billion on a public relations campaign in the lead-up to the election. What is the significance… Continue reading Interview: Russia in the Middle East

Interview: Iran’s Post-Election Trajectory

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei casts his ballots during the parliamentary and key clerical body elections at a polling station in Tehran on March 1, 2024. Polling stations in Iran opened on March1 for voting to select members of parliament and a key clerical body, amid fears of a low turnout and with conservatives expected to tighten their grip on power. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)

1. At 41%, voter turnout for Iran’s March 1, 2024, parliamentary elections was the lowest in the history of the Islamic Republic, indicating a crisis of legitimacy as a hardline faction maintains its nearly two-decades-long grip on power. What is the significance of this election for the domestic political landscape? The poor election turnout was a… Continue reading Interview: Iran’s Post-Election Trajectory

Interview: What Lies Ahead for Türkiye After the Elections?

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan greets the audiece after a press conference where he announced the new cabinet, in Ankara, Turkey June 3, 2023. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC2WB1AS37AP

1. What accounts for the election results, both in terms of Erdogan’s performance and the opposition alliance’s defeat? What will happen to the alliance now?  The election results illustrate that President Erdogan’s campaign narratives of maintaining continuity in tumultuous times, his quest to make Türkiye a powerhouse in international affairs, and the fight against terrorism,… Continue reading Interview: What Lies Ahead for Türkiye After the Elections?

Will Türkiye’s Elections Produce a Change in Leadership and Regional Posture?

Supporters of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan wave national and AK Party flags during a campaign event ahead of the May 14 presidential and parliamentary elections, in Istanbul, Turkey May 9, 2023. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC24V0AOG9WM

On May 14, Türkiye will hold its most consequential elections in decades, with implications that extend well beyond its borders. For 21 years, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dominated the country’s politics, reshaping its identity and outlook at home and abroad, while becoming the most recognizable Turkish politician on the global stage in nearly a century.… Continue reading Will Türkiye’s Elections Produce a Change in Leadership and Regional Posture?

Rising Anti-Refugee Sentiment in Türkiye Unshaken by Earthquakes

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan holds up a photo of what he described as a Syrian refugee camp in Turkey as he addresses the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 20, 2022. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky - HP1EI9K17FV1I

The earthquakes that struck Türkiye and Syria in February devastated large areas of both countries, killing over 50,000 people and forcing millions from their homes. It was  Türkiye’s worst natural disaster in decades. For Syrian refugees living in the area, it was a double catastrophe. Already forced from their country by war, they now found… Continue reading Rising Anti-Refugee Sentiment in Türkiye Unshaken by Earthquakes

Elections Without Democracy Expose Tunisia’s Political Decline

A voter shows the ink on his finger as he casts his ballot at a polling station during the second round of the parliamentary election in Tunis, Tunisia January 29, 2023. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi

Just a few years ago, Tunisia was a beacon of political renewal in the Arab world, having both sparked the 2011 Arab Spring revolutions and emerged from them with the region’s only dictatorship-turned-democracy. Yet today, Tunisia is straining under the weight of a broken political system, a beleaguered economy and a disaffected public, including thousands… Continue reading Elections Without Democracy Expose Tunisia’s Political Decline

Could Israel’s New Government Spell the End of the Palestinian Authority? 

Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich shakes hands with Israel's Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir as Israel's new right-wing government is sworn in at the Knesset, Israel's parliament in Jerusalem December 29, 2022. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/Pool - RC2SFY9T3S1H

Israel’s new government, widely seen as the most far-right in its history, has wasted no time ramping up pressure on the Palestinian Authority. The latest volley of travel restrictions against top officials, financial pressure and construction freezes are not new in themselves. But viewed in the context of statements by members of the new cabinet,… Continue reading Could Israel’s New Government Spell the End of the Palestinian Authority? 

For Nations Abroad, U.S. Midterm Elections Are of Increasing Importance

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Shutterstock (13056644a) Former US President Donald Trump (L), Saudi businessman Yasir bin Othman Al-Rumayyan (C), and Jared Kushner (R) watch the first round of the LIV Golf Bedminster invitational, part of the new LIV Golf Invitational Series, at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, USA, 29 July 2022. The tournament will be held from 29 - 31 July. Former US President Donald Trump at LIV Golf Bedminster invitational Pro-Am, Bedminster, New Jersey, USA - 29 Jul 2022

The elections held in the United States on November 8 were billed as the most crucial midterms in a generation. In a country deeply divided along ideological and party lines, the implications of such polls go well beyond domestic affairs. Polarization at home is seeping into Washington’s policy abroad, meaning that even congressional polls, once… Continue reading For Nations Abroad, U.S. Midterm Elections Are of Increasing Importance

Why Do Young Tunisians Trust the Sea over Their Country?

The month of September ended in tragedy for several families in the small coastal city of Zarzis in southern Tunisia. Around 18 young people went missing during an attempt to reach Europe, believing a tiny boat would carry them to a land of more opportunity. Yet, like many before them, they never reached their destination… Continue reading Why Do Young Tunisians Trust the Sea over Their Country?

Desperately Seeking Stability: Libya, Elections, and Enduring Political Stalemate

It has been a long, hot summer in Libya. Demand for air conditioning has strained the country’s electrical grid, leading to rolling blackouts that have underscored the unity government’s inability to improve the daily lives of its people. With frustration mounting over the ongoing failure of political elites to organize elections, the blackouts prompted well-organized—if… Continue reading Desperately Seeking Stability: Libya, Elections, and Enduring Political Stalemate

Twenty Years of Governance Reform: What’s Next for the MENA Region?

In 2002, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) produced a remarkable and far-reaching document titled the Arab Human Development Report. Written largely by Arab authors, the report mobilized a wealth of data to argue persuasively that the lack of socio-economic development within the Arab region is the product of three fundamental deficits in freedom, knowledge,… Continue reading Twenty Years of Governance Reform: What’s Next for the MENA Region?

Iraq is Moving Toward Civil War

Supporters of Iraqi Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr react as they protest against corruption inside the parliament building in Baghdad, Iraq July 27, 2022. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad

Iraq’s Political System is nearing irreversible collapse after months of escalatory measures by rival Shi’ite factions have brought the country to the brink of civil war. The trajectory of conflict appears irreversible and would imperil not only the rebuilding of Iraq after years of upheaval but hold implications for stability in the broader region, as… Continue reading Iraq is Moving Toward Civil War