Key Findings From Arab Barometer Wave Seven: Trust in political actors is extremely low and has fallen over the last decade with the notable exception of the LAF. The economy & corruption are seen as the country’s biggest problems while there is wide concern about growing inequality. Lebanese want the government to lower the cost of living, create jobs, &…
Migration
After Lebanon’s Collapse, Can an Election Fix the Country?
BEIRUT, Lebanon — After years abroad working as a school administrator, Anahid Jobanian returned to Lebanon to live off her savings for a simple retirement. But that plan fell apart as the country collapsed. Lebanon’s banks imploded, wiping out her savings. Prices for nearly everything soared, leaving her struggling to afford her heart and diabetes medications. And since the state…
Lebanon goes to the polls amid its worst ever financial crisis
The system is still rigged in favour of corrupt incumbents against a divided opposition One way to predict the future in Lebanon is to look at election billboards and imagine the opposite. The last time voters chose a parliament, in 2018, roads across the country were lined with cheery messages. “Our port will come”, read one, referring to a tourist…
Shifting Political, Economic and Social Trends in MENA Post-Covid19
Join Dr. Sahar Khamis and her two guests, Dr. Abdul-Wahab Kayyali and Ms. Salma Al-Shami, in her program “The Bridge” this Friday, June 25th, from 8 to 9 a.m. (EST), LIVE on “U.S. Arab Radio” and Facebook simultaneously, as they discuss a very timely and important topic, namely: the shifts in the political, economic, social and media landscapes in the MENA region (Middle East…
Arab Public Opinion on Domestic Conditions: Findings from the Sixth Wave of Arab Barometer
Key Findings: The economy & COVID-19 were the most important challenges facing regional countries Despite large variation, minorities have a positive view of current economic conditions With the exception of two countries, minorities envision a more positive economic horizon & majorities fear loss of income Sizable proportions wish to emigrate, particularly among the educated youth Minorities trust the government across…
Egypt after the Coronavirus: Back to Square One
Egypt’s recent security and macro-economic stabilization has been built on weak foundations and Covid-19 has further exposed this fragility. Egypt is now back to a situation broadly similar to that before the 2011 revolution: stable on the surface, but with deep structural problems and simmering social grievances, and little buffers to mitigate them. This paper argues for a major shift…
Coronavirus: Pandemic unites Maghreb leaders in crackdown on dissent
The challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic across the world have been manifold; health and economic crises and a climate of fear and uncertainty. In North Africa, it has also heightened a crackdown on freedom of expression. Leaders, particularly in Algeria and Morocco, have taken advantage of the new climate to silence dissent and remove voices of the opposition they…