Hakim Darbouche argues that politics are set to play an even more important role in North African gas development after the uprisings

摘要

In a region where political change was for decades painstakingly slow - even non-existent - the events of the last four months in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have been a shock to the system. The popular uprisings that have so far uprooted long-serving despots in Tunisia and Egypt and are seriously challenging the power grip of autocratic leaders in Libya, Syria and Yemen are a reflection of the new sense of political agency that young people in the region have discovered,. This new dynamic will have a transformative impact on the 'social contract' that has defined the nature of politics in MEN A countries since their accession to independence, and will in all likelihood affect their relations with foreign governments and businesses, including in the energy sector.