Arab Barometer: Arabs Are Losing Faith in Efficacy Of Democracy

Rabat – New data from the Arab Barometer shows that people across the Arab World are losing faith in democracy’s ability to deliver economic stability and prosperity in the region.

Of the nearly 23,000 people interviewed across nine countries and the Palestinian territories, most agreed that their country’s economy has become weaker under a “democratic” system.

It has been just over a decade since a wave of protests, dubbed the Arab Spring, swept across the Middle East and North Africa, calling for democratic reforms.

“There’s a growing realization that democracy is not a perfect form of government, and it won’t fix everything,” said Michael Robbins, director of Arab Barometer, emphasizing that frustrations are natural when people are struggling to afford food.

Across Iraq, Tunisia, Libya, Jordan, Lebanon, Sudan, Morocco, and Palestine, the number of people who agreed the economy was weak under democracy rose steadily, reaching more than 50% on average.

More than half of those surveyed also said that they are more concerned about the effectiveness of the government rather than the form it takes. The majority also agreed that their countries needed a leader “who can bend the rules” to get things done.

But while Arabs might see democracy as ineffective, many point out that the Arab Spring did not, in fact, lead to a democratic transition in most countries.

By most accounts, Tunisia was the only country that had engaged in a real democratic transition. Recent constitutional reforms and actions by Kais Saied, however, have led to warnings of democratic backsliding in the country.

Tunisia fell 21 places in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index 2021, which reclassified the country from a “flawed democracy” to a “hybrid regime.” Many interviewees also reported being unable to afford food, especially in Egypt, Mauritania, and Sudan.

In many countries, Morocco included, respondents who reported that they lacked the financial means to purchase more food also expressed less support for democracy as a booster for the economy.

However, more people across the board expressed optimism for the future of their countries’ economic situations. While criticizing the current state of their country’s economy, most respondents expressed hope to see the situation improve in the next 2 to 3 years.

According to the survey, this shows that although the economic situation is dire in many countries amid rising global prices and the raging Ukraine war, the great majority of people are still optimistic about the future.

Nevertheless, the survey results’ point to an uncertain future for the region, due to unstable political systems, vulnerable democratic reforms, and economic troubles.