Governing in a Pandemic: Democratic Backsliding in the Middle East and North Africa

Explores the lasting echoes of an unprecedented pandemic that continues to shape politics in the MENA region today From the Maghreb in North Africa to the Levant in the East, the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacted politics - and the promise of democratic governance - within the MENA region. In this edited volume, Anis Ben Brik assembles a group of scholars to explore how the Middle East and North Africa grappled with an unprecedented global health crisis that transcended medical dimensions and continues to manifest profound social, political, and economic implications for its people. Featuring timely original research, including in-depth case studies and cross-country comparisons, contributors take us inside a region already grappling with complex political systems, social structures, and historical legacies. They show us how the pandemic triggered widespread democratic backsliding in the region, as countries like Egypt, Iran, and Saudi Arabia began to adopt emergency measures that extended well beyond the immediate public health crisis, including increased censorship, arrests of activists and journalists, and the suppression of political dissent. Contributors also examine how the pandemic impacted perceptions of political legitimacy within the region, shaping people's support and opposition to emergency measures, legislation, and regimes and governments themselves. Ultimately, the book captures the ways in which a global state of emergency created even more opportunities for political abuse and suppression, enabling authoritarian leaders to further consolidate their power within the region.