Syrian authorities should better protect protestors It is essential that Damascus permits political space for citizens to voice grievances without fear. Failure to do so risks a return to state repression that Syrians rose up against in 2011.

🧵🚨 1/4- Last week’s Damascus protest points to three emerging patterns in Syria: a rise in small, recurring demonstrations driven by economic strain and policies people feel excluded from shaping. These protests are spreading across regions and sectors. en.majalla.com/node/330690/...

4/4 What’s at stake is not only the safety of protesters, but whether Syrian authorities can create a political space where citizens can voice grievances without fear and engage without reprisal. END.

3/4 Security forces are taking a more permissive stance toward protests, as seen in efforts to protect rather than attack demonstrators. But they still fail to shield demonstrators from pro-government supporters, emboldened by a lack of accountability (no arrests reported).

2/4 There is a growing tendency within parts of the political system and among pro-government supporters to treat even limited dissent as an existential threat. Criticism of protesters by officials and influential figures delegitimizes real grievances and risks inciting violence.

Syrian authorities should better protect protestors It is essential that Damascus permits political space for citizens to voice grievances without fear. Failure to do so risks a return to state repression that Syrians rose up against in 2011.

🧵🚨 1/4- Last week’s Damascus protest points to three emerging patterns in Syria: a rise in small, recurring demonstrations driven by economic strain and policies people feel excluded from shaping. These protests are spreading across regions and sectors. en.majalla.com/node/330690/...

سوريا في عامها الانتقالي الأول... قراءة في المكتسبات وأولويات المرحلة المقبلة تخاطر سوريا الجديدة بأن تبقى عالقة في دوامة إدارة الأزمات، فتحقق قدرا من التقدم يكفي لتجنب الانهيار، من دون أن تنجز من الإصلاح ما يكفي لبناء الثقة

يحلّل مقالي السنة الأولى من أداء الحكومة السورية، ويُظهر أنها حقّقت خلالها مكاسب جزئية في الخدمات والأجور والأمن. لكن محدودية هذه المكاسب لا ترتبط فقط بقلة الموارد، بل أيضاً بضعف القدرات، وسوء التنسيق، ومحدودية الشفافية، واتباع نمط إداري ارتجالي. www.majalla.com/node/330607

سوريا في عامها الانتقالي الأول... قراءة في المكتسبات وأولويات المرحلة المقبلة تخاطر سوريا الجديدة بأن تبقى عالقة في دوامة إدارة الأزمات، فتحقق قدرا من التقدم يكفي لتجنب الانهيار، من دون أن تنجز من الإصلاح ما يكفي لبناء الثقة

يحلّل مقالي السنة الأولى من أداء الحكومة السورية، ويُظهر أنها حقّقت خلالها مكاسب جزئية في الخدمات والأجور والأمن. لكن محدودية هذه المكاسب لا ترتبط فقط بقلة الموارد، بل أيضاً بضعف القدرات، وسوء التنسيق، ومحدودية الشفافية، واتباع نمط إداري ارتجالي. www.majalla.com/node/330607

One year of new Syrian rule: progress and challenges Damascus needs to set clearer priorities and improve transparency and coordination or it risks remaining stuck in a cycle of crisis management

The Syrian government’s first year brought partial gains in services, wages & security. Those gains were constrained not only by limited resources, but also by weak capacity, poor coordination, limited transparency, and a reactive administrative style. en.majalla.com/node/330529/...

One year of new Syrian rule: progress and challenges Damascus needs to set clearer priorities and improve transparency and coordination or it risks remaining stuck in a cycle of crisis management

The Syrian government’s first year brought partial gains in services, wages & security. Those gains were constrained not only by limited resources, but also by weak capacity, poor coordination, limited transparency, and a reactive administrative style. en.majalla.com/node/330529/...

Syria Between Shockwaves: How the War on Iran Is Reshaping Its Transition When the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran, they opened a new phase in the region’s instability, defined not only by direct confrontation but also by far-reaching a…

Despite the ceasefire, the war on Iran is still reshaping the region. My latest examines what it has meant for Syria – the gains, risks and openings it has created – and what it would take to move beyond crisis management towards something more durable. www.arab-reform.net/publication/...

Syria Between Shockwaves: How the War on Iran Is Reshaping Its Transition When the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran, they opened a new phase in the region’s instability, defined not only by direct confrontation but also by far-reaching a…

Despite the ceasefire, the war on Iran is still reshaping the region. My latest examines what it has meant for Syria – the gains, risks and openings it has created – and what it would take to move beyond crisis management towards something more durable. www.arab-reform.net/publication/...

منها حظر بيع الكحول.. مجلس عين منين يصدر تعليمات لتنظيم الحياة العامة في البلدة أصدر مجلس بلدية عين منين بريف محافظة دمشق، مجموعة من التعليمات والضوابط التي تهدف إلى تنظيم الحياة الاجتماعية في البلدة، والحفاظ على القيم والأخلاق العامة...

Ain Minin municipality has issued rules banning alcohol sales and consumption, restricting nightlife, dress, music & gatherings & suspending trade during Friday prayers. It is yet another example of officials using administrative power to enforce their moral preferences. www.syria.tv/%D9%85%D9%86...

يمثّل حادث السقيلبية مثالاً على الكيفية التي يتّسع بها عدم الاستقرار في سوريا اليوم، إذ تخلق المخاوف المجتمعية المتراكمة بيئة هشّة تتيح لحادث أمني محلي أن يتضخّم سريعاً إلى مصدر قلق وطني، بما يعمّق شعوراً متزايداً بانعدام الأمان، خاصةً لدى بعض المكوّنات الدينية والعرقية.
www.majalla.com/node/330481/...

Communal violence exposes the fragility of Syria's stability A local clash in the predominantly Christian city of al-Suqaylabiyah has exposed more than just another episode of unrest

The Suqaylabiyah incident shows how instability unfolds in Syria, where local disputes can quickly escalate into national concerns, amplifying a broader sense of insecurity. My latest explores these dynamics and their implications for Syria’s stability and recovery. en.majalla.com/node/330436/...

The risks behind the Damascus–Sweida prisoner swap The release of the 86 detainees is, without doubt, welcome news for their families. But the legally questionable means used to secure the exchange should not be overlooked.

The Sweida–Damascus prisoner swap reportedly included civilians abducted by tribal fighters and later unlawfully detained by the government and used as bargaining tools. Such practices deepen mistrust of Damascus and undermine the promise of the transition. en.majalla.com/node/330317/...

Syria’s successful foreign policy masks a deeper risk 2025’s National Dialogue failed, its outcomes unpublished. But without a new effort to resolve internal conflicts, the country will remain vulnerable to external intervention.

In my latest, I argue that Syria's successful foreign policy is not enough to stabilise the country. Without a credible national dialogue to build a shared vision, Syria’s transition will remain fragile and vulnerable to repeated external intervention. www.chathamhouse.org/2026/03/syri...

The risks behind the Damascus–Sweida prisoner swap The release of the 86 detainees is, without doubt, welcome news for their families. But the legally questionable means used to secure the exchange should not be overlooked.

The Sweida–Damascus prisoner swap reportedly included civilians abducted by tribal fighters and later unlawfully detained by the government and used as bargaining tools. Such practices deepen mistrust of Damascus and undermine the promise of the transition. en.majalla.com/node/330317/...

Syria’s successful foreign policy masks a deeper risk 2025’s National Dialogue failed, its outcomes unpublished. But without a new effort to resolve internal conflicts, the country will remain vulnerable to external intervention.

In my latest, I argue that Syria's successful foreign policy is not enough to stabilise the country. Without a credible national dialogue to build a shared vision, Syria’s transition will remain fragile and vulnerable to repeated external intervention. www.chathamhouse.org/2026/03/syri...

ما الذي تكشفه قرارات حظر الكحول عن المرحلة الانتقالية في سوريا؟ يعد تراجع السلطات، في 21 مارس/آذار، عن حظر تقديم الكحول استجابة للغضب العام خطوة إيجابية. لكنه لا يمس الذهنية الأوسع التي أفضت إلى إقراره من الأصل

إن التراجع عن حظر تقديم المشروبات الكحولية في دمشق خطوة مرحّب بها، لكنه غير كافٍ. المطلوب هو وضع ضوابط قانونية واضحة تمنع المسؤولين من توظيف الإجراءات الإدارية لحظر سلوكيات لا يستسيغونها، أو لإعادة هندسة المجتمع وفق رؤيتهم الأيديولوجية.
www.majalla.com/node/330261/...

عام على الحوار الوطني... والسوريون يجهلون ما أسفر عنه مسارات الحوار الوطني، ولا سيما في المراحل الانتقالية الهشة، قلما تفضي فورا إلى توافق كامل أو حلول سياسية جاهزة ومحكمة

بعد أكثر من عام على اختتام الحوار الوطني السوري، لم تقدّم السلطات سوى بيان ختامي عام، ولا يزال السوريون يجهلون ما نوقش أو ما تحقق. يسلّط مقالي الضوء على الكلفة السياسية لهذا الصمت. www.majalla.com/node/330213/...

Damascus alcohol ban bodes badly for Syria’s transition It suggests that Syria's new rulers may be narrowing the space for diversity even as they claim to be building a more inclusive order

The significance of Damascus' alcohol ban goes beyond the policy itself. It reflects a governing mindset that seeks to discipline diversity rather than protect it. Reversing the decision alone is not enough; what’s needed is a shift in that approach. en.majalla.com/node/330195/...

عام على الحوار الوطني... والسوريون يجهلون ما أسفر عنه مسارات الحوار الوطني، ولا سيما في المراحل الانتقالية الهشة، قلما تفضي فورا إلى توافق كامل أو حلول سياسية جاهزة ومحكمة

بعد أكثر من عام على اختتام الحوار الوطني السوري، لم تقدّم السلطات سوى بيان ختامي عام، ولا يزال السوريون يجهلون ما نوقش أو ما تحقق. يسلّط مقالي الضوء على الكلفة السياسية لهذا الصمت. www.majalla.com/node/330213/...

One year on, Syria's National Dialogue promises fall flat The rushed 2025 rollout raised questions about the government's seriousness. Since then, no meaningful record has been published, fuelling fears that it was just a show.

More than a year after Syria’s National Dialogue concluded, the authorities have offered little more than a broad closing statement. Syrians remain in the dark about what was discussed, agreed, or achieved. My latest on the political cost of that silence. en.majalla.com/node/330127/...

One year on, Syria's National Dialogue promises fall flat The rushed 2025 rollout raised questions about the government's seriousness. Since then, no meaningful record has been published, fuelling fears that it was just a show.

More than a year after Syria’s National Dialogue concluded, the authorities have offered little more than a broad closing statement. Syrians remain in the dark about what was discussed, agreed, or achieved. My latest on the political cost of that silence. en.majalla.com/node/330127/...

سوريا لن تتجنب التداعيات الاقتصادية للحرب على إيران هل تنجح سوريا في عبور هذا الاضطراب الإقليمي بقدر من الاستقرار، أم تجد نفسها أمام دورة جديدة من الأزمات الاقتصادية والتوتر الاجتماعي؟

في حين أن جهود سوريا لعزل نفسها عن الحرب على إيران قد خفّضت من المخاطر الأمنية المباشرة، فإنها لا تستطيع تحصين البلاد من تداعياتها الاقتصادية. وتتمثل الأولوية اليوم في الحدّ من أثر هذه الأزمة الاقتصادية، لمنعها من التحول إلى مصدر يهدد الاستقرار الداخلي. www.majalla.com/node/330043

Syria may escape war but not its economic fallout Even if it stays on the sidelines of the US-Iran war, the country is fragile. Unlike larger economies that can absorb shocks in global markets, it has little room to cushion the impact.

While Syria’s efforts to stay out of the war on Iran have reduced direct security risks, they cannot shield the country from its economic impact. The priority now is to insulate Syria from that shock, which could otherwise trigger wider instability at home. en.majalla.com/node/330003/...

Syria may escape war but not its economic fallout Even if it stays on the sidelines of the US-Iran war, the country is fragile. Unlike larger economies that can absorb shocks in global markets, it has little room to cushion the impact.

While Syria’s efforts to stay out of the war on Iran have reduced direct security risks, they cannot shield the country from its economic impact. The priority now is to insulate Syria from that shock, which could otherwise trigger wider instability at home. en.majalla.com/node/330003/...

Sharaa’s amnesty decree tests Syria’s constitutional order The question isn't whether amnesty will ease prison overcrowding or reduce tensions, but whether it reinforces or dilutes the principle that political power must operate within clearly defined limits

Framing Sharaa’s general amnesty decree as “necessary” doesn’t make it constitutional. When leaders bypass constitutional limits in the name of urgency, those limits begin to erode and eventually cease to mean anything. en.majalla.com/node/329860/...

Sharaa’s amnesty decree tests Syria’s constitutional order The question isn't whether amnesty will ease prison overcrowding or reduce tensions, but whether it reinforces or dilutes the principle that political power must operate within clearly defined limits

Framing Sharaa’s general amnesty decree as “necessary” doesn’t make it constitutional. When leaders bypass constitutional limits in the name of urgency, those limits begin to erode and eventually cease to mean anything. en.majalla.com/node/329860/...

"العفو العام" يختبر النظام الدستوري في سوريا يرى القانونيون أن غياب السلطة التشريعية أو الفراغ التشريعي لا يمنح السلطة التنفيذية صلاحية ممارسة اختصاصات لم تُمنح لها صراحة بموجب الدستور

تبرير العفو العام الرئاسي في سياق الضرورة والشرعية الثورية لا يغيّر من حقيقة أن الرئيس تجاوز صلاحياته ولم يلتزم بنص الإعلان الذي كُتب لتنظيم شؤون المرحلة الانتقالية. كما أن تكرار هذه الانتهاكات الدستورية يهدد بتحويل الدستور إلى مجرد حبر على ورق. www.majalla.com/node/329825/...