The next democracy debate in the Middle East

The Arab Spring movements that started in 2010 and 2011 across North Africa and the Middle East  sparked a new debate on the future of democracy in the region. Yet in the years since, the region has seen a return to civil war and proxy warfare, most violently in Syria. The Arab world is still searching for a new democratic narrative as it navigates economic downturns, crackdowns, and the occasional possible bright spots, including a nascent democracy in Tunisia. What will the be the next debate on democracy in the region? And what are opportunities for improving good governance? In this third episode of a four-part podcast series from the Democracy and Disorder Project at Brookings, host talks with —former prime minister of the Palestinian Authority (2007-13) and a distinguished fellow at Brookings—and , a post-doctoral fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings, about these and related issues. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts  or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at  on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .