The Arab World Poised between Revolution and Repression

The 22 Arab states are veering between revolution, repression, maintenance of the status quo and evolution. There is growing disenchantment, for the staying power of the old regimes and important social issues are standing in the way of popular demands for participatory justice and a say in political decision-making. Have all the peaceful protests in the Arab world, and especially those by young people, simply been in vain?

Middle East experts Michael Bauer (Center for Applied Policy Research, University of Munich) and Christian Hanelt (Bertelsmann Stiftung) analyze four tendencies and predict the emergence of several trends.