Source: Italian Institute for International Political Studies
Author(s): Lucia Ardovini
Original Link: https://www.ispionline.it/en/pubblicazione/covid-19-egypt-global-pandemics-times-authoritarianism-25653
The spread of COVID-19 has hit countries and regimes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region at a time already characterised by deep-seated issues, such as ongoing conflicts, widespread popular protests and economic crises. These ongoing insecurities partially explain what is behind several governments’ attempts at minimising or dismissing the real threat posed by the pandemic, as presidents and rulers attempt to maintain a hold on increasingly unstable societies and political systems. Yet, the velocity at which COVID-19 is spreading globally has made such a task impossible and a closer analysis of how this is being handled leads to some valuable insights into the status of state-society relations, resilient authoritarian rule and the real state of sociopolitical conditions.
Read more at original link