Following the release of the report, The State of the Arab Transitions, Mirette F. Mabrouk, Deputy Director with the Rafik Hariri Middle East Center, speaks about the Arab countries in transition, and the overall sense of hope resilient that the demands of the uprisings that swept the region will be met. 

For the four nations – Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Yemen, a turn for the worse in the economic outlook has been consistent across the board, while transitional justice and a true accountability has also been lacking. 

Civil society in all countries, particulary in Egypt, has been regarded with a heightened suspicion. In Tunisia and Egypt, media freedom has increased over the past three years, but media standards and accountability has seen little progress, and has become far more partisan.

On the future of political Islam, Mabrouk says any expectation that it is waning is inaccurate. In Tunisia, the Islamist al-Nahda has learned from the mistakes of its Egyptian counterpart, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, and the small north African country has seen far more success in its transition.

Image: Image Credit: Rowan El Shimi, Flickr