On October 10 and 11, 2019, the European University Institute (EUI) hosted a two-day event in the framework of the Horizon 2020 EU-LISTCO project.

The first day was dedicated to the keynote lecture given by Prof. Khalil Shikaki on What does the fifth wave of the Arab Barometer tell us about social and political changes in the MENA?, focusing on major trends concerning the future of Islamism, demand for democracy, and interest in emigration in the region and among the youth in particular. The fifth wave of the Arab Barometer is online here.

The second day consisted of a workshop on Hybrid Governance and Limited Statehood in the MENA Region. Drawing on the fresh empirical research of the EU-LISTCO project, this workshop aimed to take stock of how areas of limited statehood (ALS) and contested order (CO) have affected forms of governance in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The Arab uprisings in 2011 gave a voice to local actors, but their hopes have not become reality. In some countries, protests sparked violent conflicts that drew in regional and international actors, while remaining unsolved. In others, regimes reasserted their grip on power, coercing or co-opting local actors.

The workshop considered how local, national, and international actors interacted in forms of hybrid governance to address a political, social, and economic landscape that remains deeply unsettled more than eight years after protests first shook the region. It has addressed the issue of limited statehood in the Arab world and the extent to which governance—defined as the provision of collectively binding rules and of common goods—has been provided by actors other than the state, both at the international and at the local level. The event provided an opportunity to reflect on the interdependence and importance of local and international actors in providing governance in ALS in the MENA region, while situating the region’s experiences in comparative terms.

The list of speakers and various panels is available here.

On the sidelines of the workshop, three experts have briefly spoken to the camera in order to clarify what the most advanced debate on potential threats to the EU is revolving around. Dr Patrycja Sasnal (Polish Institute of International Affairs) focused on the differences between Radicalism and extremism; whereas Dr Saime Ozçürümez (Bilking University) clarified that migration per se is not a threat to the statehood in the European countries, and illustrated the main aspects of the EU-Turkey deal; finally, Prof Steven Heydemann (Smith College and EUI) introduced the notion of ‘fierce’ States in comparison to that of ‘weak’ or ‘fragile’ States. Watch the videos here.