Category: Letters to the Editor

Catch-22: Europe’s Sovereign Debt Crisis and its Impact on the MENA Economies Revisited

March 17, 2013

The sovereign debt crisis is often being called the mother of all problems, especially those with no-win solutions (or double-win of any sort for that ... Read More

Who are the “Islamists” in the Arab Spring?

February 16, 2013

In the context of the Arab Spring, the use of the term "Islamism" is very common. The new political elites throughout the North Africa, commonly ... Read More

Egypt’s Constitutional Referendum and the Fiscal Troubles Hampering IMF Loan Negotiations

January 12, 2013

Egypt’s Central Bank proclaimed their foreign reserves reaching the “critical” levels after it had sold about 75 million USD in its first private auction to ... Read More

China –the Indispensable Game- Changer of the Post-Crisis Global Economy

December 22, 2012

The upshots of the global financial crisis are long to list. In a catchy word, they are condensed in the phrase “shift to the East”. ... Read More

Freedom of Expression in Post–Revolution Tunisia, Gains and Pitfalls

December 11, 2012

In a brief conversation with a taxi driver who was taking me from Cartage international airport to down town Medina, I noticed glimpses of optimism ... Read More

The Grey-Force: Militant Salafism and Changing Security in North Africa

November 21, 2012

It is common today to associate Salafism with radicalism, nihilist violence and failed states. In fact, Salafism is a heterogeneous religious and political tendency. Salafis ... Read More

The SafeMed II Project: Harmonising enforcement of maritime standards across North Africa and the Mediterranean

November 15, 2012

The adage ‘a chain is as strong as its weakest link’ is well applied to the need for harmonised maritime standards across a region as ... Read More

Re-branding the EU-South Mediterranean Relations: What Comprehensive FTAs?

November 8, 2012

In February 2012, the European Parliament approved proposals to reduce restrictions on agricultural and fisheries exports from Morocco into the EU, and to allow Morocco ... Read More

Why the debate season is a “fraud on the American voter”

October 10, 2012

Presidential debates in America have been hijacked, creating the “charades devoid of substance, spontaneity and answers to tough questions.”  The October 3 debate leaves citizens ... Read More

The Risks of Revolution: Tunisia and the Future of Hizb al-Nahda

September 6, 2012

Revolutions are a risky business, not least for the revolutionaries themselves. Be they in 18th century France or in 21st century Tunisia, revolutions are sparked ... Read More