There are several obstacles to democratization stemming from both the complex conditions in which the Arab world lives and the novelty of the democratic experience itself. Some of the obstacles and difficulties are natural and expected to accompany any transitional experience, while others are imposed by internal and external parties, particularly those who realized that the revolution would not end in their favour. Some of the newly established systems managed to partly overcome these obstacles, while other impediments pose a serious threat to the entire process of change. This session will explore obstacles hindering democratization in the Arab world, including economic and security challenges, resistance to change from within the deep state by key institutions (judiciary, media, bureaucracy, security agencies and the military) as well as external pressures and interventions at the regional and international levels.
