Stagnation or evolution? Political systems of Arab states after the Arab Spring – general remarks

Abstract

The Arab Spring was one of the most important events that took place in the Middle East in the 21st century. Massive protests overthrew the longtime leaders of Arab states or forced some reforms on the authorities. The West expected this event to contribute to the democratization of this region of the world, but a decade after the Arab Spring, its outcome seems to be tragic. The aim of this article is to present the changes that, contrary to popular opinion, occurred in the political systems of Arab states after the Arab Spring, and which testify to the evolution of these systems. The author, starting with a diachronic analysis of state institutions in the Middle East from classical times to the present day, shows the way of understanding the state in the Arab world, as well as its various models distinguished on the basis of the style of government. It also presents the relationship between the course of the Arab Spring and the transformations that followed, and the type of regime exercised. The analysis carried out in this way is intended to show that the evolution of the political system took place in each of the Arab states, but due to cultural and historical conditions it has a different character from the democratic transformations expected by the West.