Since the end of 2010, the Arab world has been undergoing political and social upheaval. The outbreak of the revolution in Tunisia began with the "Jasmin Revolution", in which thousands of people demonstrated against the authoritarian and corrupt system under President Ben Ali. Shortly after the fall of the president in Tunisia, protests also began in Egypt. They were directed against the Mubarak regime, which has ruled for decades, and the corrupt police apparatus. Although the protests were partly aimed at democratic values, after the first elections in both Tunisia and Egypt Islamist parties came to power which either demanded a stronger integration of the authoritarian aspects of Islam in the state or on the other hand did hardly anything against the increasing violence of radical Islamists against proponents of a secular state.
Another important aspect is the fact that the army played an important role in the revolutions: either by actively intervening in the conflict or by not interfering in political discussions, but by ensuring public security. This raises the question of the extent to which these two factors (the intervention of the military and radical Islamist parties) have a negative impact on the transition process, i.e., have favoured the path back to an autocracy. This question will be dealt with in this text. Since the Arab Spring has many different factors, the text will focus primarily on the behaviour of the military during the revolutions and on the question of why parties with Islamic-autocratic features were elected after the fall of the autocratic regimes. First, chapter two explains the term autocracy according to Wolfgang Merkel's definition and shows which different types of autocracy exist. In the third chapter, the behaviour of the military in Tunisia and Egypt is presented in order to analyse and compare it in more detail in chapter five. This is followed by a definition of a defective democracy and a declaration of two of its important subgroups.
In the comparison of Tunisia and Egypt, the results of the actor-theoretical analysis of the military are compared in order to find commonalities and differences. In the comparison the Islamic culture is included and analysed, which effects this had for the development of the states Tunisia and Egypt after the revolution. In conclusion, the results are summarized again and the extent to which our research question after the return of autocracy could be answered is explained.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. AUTOCRACIES
3. THE MILITARY AS A POLITICAL ACTOR DURING THE REVOLUTION
3.1 TUNISIA: END OF THE AUTOCRATIC SYSTEM IN TUNISIA
3.2 TUNISIA: INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF DEMOCRACY
3.3 TUNISIA: CONSOLIDATING DEMOCRACY
3.4 EGYPT: END OF THE AUTOCRATIC SYSTEM IN EGYPT
3.5 EGYPT: ATTEMPTS TO CONSOLIDATE AND INSTITUTIONALISE DEMOCRACY
4. DEFECTIVE DEMOCRACIES
5. A COMPARISON OF TUNISIA AND EGYPT
6. CONCLUSION
Objectives & Core Topics
The main objective of this term paper is to analyze whether the Arab Spring fostered a transition towards democracy or paved the way for a return to autocracy, with a specific focus on the roles played by the military and Islamic culture in Tunisia and Egypt.
- The role of the military as a political actor during revolutionary transformations.
- Theoretical definitions of autocracy and defective democracy based on Wolfgang Merkel’s framework.
- The influence of Islamic culture on political behavior and social patriarchal structures.
- A comparative analysis of the diverging political trajectories in Tunisia and Egypt.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Tunisia: End of the autocratic system in Tunisia
The end of the autocratic system in Tunisia resulted on the one hand from a legitimacy crisis due to economic inefficiency and on the other hand from a legitimacy crisis due to key political events (Merkel 2010: 98f). The legitimacy crisis of economic inefficiency was based on the poor social situation of the Tunisian population. Unemployment, political incapacitation, social stagnation (Nordhausen/Schmid 2012: 11) as well as rising food prices and an ever-widening income gap between European and Arab countries (Dietrich 2011: 39f) led to social dissatisfaction among the population. A key political event in the "end(s) of the autocratic system in Tunisia" phase was the attempt by fruit seller Mohamed Bouazizi to burn himself on 17 December 2010. Only one day later the people demonstrated against the corruption within the police and against the governor of the city (Dietrich 2011: 51). These protests spread from local to nationwide demonstrations. The military responded publicly for the first time on January 9, 2011, when it tried to prevent further riots by standing between police units and the population, as live ammunition had already been fired at the demonstrators. In addition, the hospital in Kasserine was occupied by the military, in which many seriously injured were treated (Dietrich 2011: 62f).
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: Outlines the research question regarding the Arab Spring’s impact on political systems and introduces the theoretical framework involving the military and Islamic culture.
2. AUTOCRACIES: Defines autocratic systems using Wolfgang Merkel’s typology and discusses specific characteristics like military and theocratic-authoritarian regimes.
3. THE MILITARY AS A POLITICAL ACTOR DURING THE REVOLUTION: Investigates the military's role across three phases of system change in Tunisia and Egypt, highlighting their distinct influences on the transition.
4. DEFECTIVE DEMOCRACIES: Provides a theoretical foundation by explaining the sub-regimes of an "embedded democracy" and how defects lead to fragile or enclave democracies.
5. A COMPARISON OF TUNISIA AND EGYPT: Synthesizes findings by comparing how the military and Islamic culture influenced the differing democratic outcomes in both nations.
6. CONCLUSION: Summarizes the key findings, confirming that while transition is possible, military and cultural factors often lead towards defective democratic structures.
Keywords
Arab Spring, Tunisia, Egypt, Autocracy, Military, Democratization, System Transformation, Wolfgang Merkel, Islamic Culture, Enclave Democracy, Political Transition, Mubarak, Ben Ali, Patriarchy, Legitimacy Crisis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core research question of this paper?
The paper examines whether the Arab Spring initiated a successful process of democratization or if it resulted in a return to autocratic structures in the affected countries.
Which countries are the primary focus of this study?
The comparative analysis focuses specifically on Tunisia and Egypt due to their different revolutionary outcomes.
What primary factors does the author analyze?
The author identifies the behavior of the military as a political actor and the influence of Islamic culture as the two central analytical pillars.
Which theoretical framework is applied?
The study relies on Wolfgang Merkel's theories regarding "Systemtransformation," "embedded democracy," and his typology of autocratic rule.
What is the main difference in the military's role in the two countries?
In Tunisia, the military remained largely neutral and focused on public order, while in Egypt, the military acted as a major political power player protecting its own economic and political interests.
How does Islamic culture affect political development according to the text?
The author argues that Islamic culture shapes societal values like patriarchy, which impacts how citizens vote and how social issues are discussed, often favoring parties that integrate religious identity.
Why does the author classify Egypt as an "enclave democracy"?
The author uses this term because, despite elections, the military retains significant veto powers and control over key areas of politics, preventing a complete democratic consolidation.
What distinguishes the Tunisian outcome from the Egyptian one?
Tunisia succeeded in reaching a consensus between pro-Islamic and secular groups with the 2014 constitution, whereas Egypt experienced a return to authoritarian military-led governance.
- Quote paper
- Louis Schiemann (Author), 2014, The Arab Spring as a return to autocracy? Egypt and Tunisia in comparison, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/916822
