In the past decade, the Middle East and North African countries faced internal and external conflicts that threatened the institutional setups of the authoritarian/hybrid regimes. One of the countries that has been suffering from the repercussions of the regional conflicts, the Arab uprisings, and the Syrian refugee crisis, along with the serious economic and financial crisis that has been ongoing for almost 5 years, is Lebanon. The multiple crises that Lebanon is suffering from have increased the pressure on the basic democratic institutions and resulted in a state paralysis. Against this background, some questions can be raised: to what extent have the multiple crises revealed the vulnerability of the state structures? And what impact did they have in strengthening the role of hybrid groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at the expense of democratic institutions? Answering these questions, the speaker will investigate the polarization of the national political scene domestically and how the society and elites have normalized the ‘crisis.’ He will also look into the role of external regional/international players (US, France, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Russia) in setting scores internally – thus prolonging the crises and deepening the collapse of the state’s institutions.

Co-organised by the IEMed as part of the Aula Mediterrània 2023-2024 programme in collaboration with IBEI Master’s in International Relations.

The inter-university programme Aula Mediterrània aims to foster studies on the Mediterranean with an as wide and interdisciplinary perspective as possible. It is the result of the collaboration between the IEMed and the academic world, including IBEI.

In the academic year 2023-24, the programme celebrates its tenth edition, consolidating the interdisciplinary approach through addressing a wide range of disciplines: international relations, political sciences, international law, communication sciences, modern and contemporary history, and postcolonial studies, among others.

We strongly recommend our students to take part in this programme in order to broaden their knowledge in the MENA region. Check the programme