Eberhard Kienle
, DPhil, is a political scientist specializing in the international relations, political sociology and political economy of the contemporary Middle East. As chair of the Centre of Near and Middle Eastern Studies (of the School of Oriental and African Studies, SOAS), he was instrum...
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Past errors, future options: new policies towards the Middle East
Eberhard Kienle
, 8 February 2011
Noref, 5 pages
Summary
Europeans and North Americans have backed authoritarian regimes which failed to respect human rights and heavily curtailed political freedom. Fear of and hostility towards Islamists, who were considered undemocratic, dictated the western policy of supporting regimes that repressed every form of opposition. Discontent was further fuelled by policy choices that were popular abroad but far less so at home. Thus Arab populations resented the support of their leaders for unbalanced policies on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Similarly economic reforms implemented with western support (international financial institutions, the US and the EU) often reduced living standards, failed to relieve poverty and increased inequality.
The author advocates for a new political agenda whereby 1) western support for democracy replaces support for authoritarianism, 2) Palestinian wishes are reconciled with Israeli expectations, and 3) economic cooperation moves away from recipes that have utterly failed.
Societies in transition to democracy must be supported, even if the transition does not involve complete regime change. Power-sharing arrangements or “pacted transitions” can provide frameworks for former adversaries to work together towards a new inclusive political regime. It is important not to exclude parties who have not been allowed political participation to date (such as the Muslim Brotherhood), and majority popular support is vital if transition governments are to be acceptable to a larger part of the population.
The other two scenarios – the return of the ousted rulers, or the complete eviction of the latter and their supporters – could easily end in persecution and long-term restrictions of liberties. By any reckoning, power-sharing arrangements would appear to be the best option to replace authoritarian regimes.
Lastly, even-handedness is key to power-sharing – if it is to last and possibly result in democratic rule. Government policies need to promote an equitable distribution of wealth and reduce social divides. In the case of the Arab countries, policies acceptable to the majority of the population are more likely to be implemented if western actors refrain from demanding alignment on unpopular positions, such as aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
