The concept of Arab Spring had surfaced in late 2010s with protests and uprisings across the Arab World. Tunisian Mohamed Bouazizi burned himself due to financial problems and the policy of persecution and oppression followed by the authorities on December 17, 2010, in Tunisia. It resulted in the ousting of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on January 14, 2011. This first victory led to the creation of similar movements in other Arab countries. In Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak stepped down from power on February 11, 2011, because of a revolution, but General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s military coup put an end to a brief democratic stint in 2013.

Bahrain’s monarchy, aided by some Gulf States, started a crackdown on violent protests on February 15th, 2011. Meanwhile, unrest in Libya resulted in a civil war and the death of the long-standing dictator Muammar Gaddafi on 20th October, 2011. The uprising in Syria was initially nonviolent, but eventually turned into a civil war, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of people being forced to flee their homes.

Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh stepped down in February 2012 and the country plunged into armed conflict underscored by interregional wars. The expectations of freedom and change of power ignited by the Arab Spring were realized on a political level up to a certain extent; however, many of the goals were left unfulfilled, causing the continuation of internal conflicts in the Arab countries.

The image of politics in the Middle East and North Africa has changed significantly after the Arab Spring, which overthrew authoritarian systems. Results have ranged from new types of regimes, political changes and continuation of authoritarianism. Transitional states appeared and uprooted the traditional hierarchies, but more often, they paved the way for hybrid political systems or new forms of authoritarianism, unlike that witnessed in Europe after post-totalitarianism.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE continued with the rentier state plural to access to resources and voices, political alteration, and coercion. Syria was the only nation that remained autocratic under prolonged conflict under the leadership of Bashar al-Assad. However, other countries faced different political changes. This diverse political environment demonstrates the development of political structures in the region and emphasizes constant difficulties and uncertainties of further evolution. The Arab Spring brought the emphasis of Middle East countries from the international politics on the political situations in their own countries.

Transitional states appeared and uprooted the traditional hierarchies, but more frequently, they paved the way for hybrid political systems.

While Saudi Arabia launches a confrontation with Iran using its oil resources, Qatar applies gas to gain its influence. Currently, Egypt, which at one point was among the countries deemed influential in the region, is experiencing political and economic challenges. Consequently, Iraq continues to suffer the impacts of external forces and conflict. Historically, the Arab powers have become weaker, and emerging powers like Iran, Turkiye, and Israel are taking up the power vacuum. Nevertheless, the US aids Israel despite hostility in the region; Turkiye increases its influence by being a model democracy; and Iran sees the Arab Spring as a continuation of its revolution.

Turkiye and Iran support different sides in Syria but do not attack each other directly. Nine years on, expectancies of reforms have remained mainly unmet. Seemingly, many of these uprisings took a violent turn and brought back authoritarian rule in countries such as Syria, Yemen, and Libya, while Egypt reverted back to the military regime. Tunisia remains the only country that has managed the change towards democracy.

Protests that recently occurred in Algeria and Sudan brought down dictators; however, their future is ambiguous. Specifically, violence, sectarian conflict and migration have been propelled by the interferences of external powers. Hence, long-term stability is only achievable by embracing democracy. Sadly, two years after the Arab Spring, the world’s interests faded while problems stayed. That being the case, infamy and ruthlessness persist, which is evident in the case of Syria, despite the removal of some rulers.

Some countries favor monarchies and may not embrace change as easily, while other leaders exploring the Islamic religion can suppress people’s rights and liberties. Democratization is still a challenging concept, and it can produce adverse consequences. However, Egypt’s latest constitution contains some positive additions that can be discussed. Nevertheless, some of them are still rather uncertain in their nature and may turn into odious ones in the future.

It can be seen that the movement in Algeria back from democracy and the enthusiasm of Libyan revolutionary processes show that stable governance and protection of the minorities are the pressing issues. The support for human rights and democratization must continue to be supported internationally. A decade later, large-scale change is not expected.

The problems that initiated the Arab Spring are still relevant, and people have taken to the streets again.

The problems that initiated the Arab Spring are still relevant, and people have taken to the streets again, calling it Arab Spring 2.0 in Algeria, Lebanon, Sudan, and other Arabic countries. Modern protests are mostly peaceful, and all the participants are dressed, which indicates skepticism towards the existing leadership and the need for new leaders. Old symbolisms of monarchic and dictatorial powers monopolized by oil wealth in the region are decreasing, but building a just form of governance is still not easy.

Some demonstrators denied that they were interested in military or Islamist groups as heirs to the current regimes. Dictators have quelled democratic presidents, yet PFOK reports growing discontent in 12 of the 22 Arab states. However, the unpredictable results suggest that there is still a chance for change because the tactics used by the actors are strategic and nonviolent.