Aftermath of the Arab Spring in North Africa

At the outset of the political uprisings that began in North Africa in 2010, the four countries of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia faced similar economic and political challenges. Over the past almost six years, the countries have adopted different approaches to address these problems, however...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Policy File 2016
Main Authors: Khan, Moshin, Mezran, Karim
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Activists
Atlantic Council of the United States
Economic policy
Government
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:At the outset of the political uprisings that began in North Africa in 2010, the four countries of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia faced similar economic and political challenges. Over the past almost six years, the countries have adopted different approaches to address these problems, however the overall economic picture today is grim amid varied political environments. This paper examines whether these four North African countries have been successful in meetings the demands of their populations as expressed in the 2010-11 uprisings and what challenges remain for them in the future. Khan and Mezran conclude that the main lesson to be drawn in examining the post-2011 economic and political developments in these four countries is that in the search for a new social contract that establishes wider consensus-based political legitimacy, elites must be willing to simultaneously undertake openings and reforms in the political arena and adopt far-reaching economic reforms. The experiences of these North African countries over the past five years demonstrates that the postponement of economic reforms has the ability to threaten or even undo progress made on the political front.