Statehood in the MENA Region - the nexus between power, leadership and governance

Frank Priess, Deputy Department Head of the Department European and International Cooperation of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung opened the seminar

Oraib Al-Rantawi, Director of the Al Quds Center for Political Studies in Jordan during his presentation

Dr. Tonio Borg, former Maltese Prime Minister and European Commissioner shared insights on Malta's role in the Mediterranean and the Maltese perspective on developments in the MENA region

Participants during the discussion

The participants of the seminar during the historical tour through Valletta

Ongoing political transitions, contestations over leadership and power structures, as well as the ascent of new political actors have been shaping the states of the MENA region for several years. In order to better understand current political dynamics and changes in the political systems, the KAS Regional Program South Mediterranean from 25-28 November co-organized a seminar in Malta entitled “Statehood in the MENA Region - the nexus between power, leadership and governance”. The seminar brought together KAS alumni and experts from the entire MENA region and fostered the regional exchange of knowledge and perspectives.

Main questions discussed during the seminar were the following: How have state-society relations in the region changed? Who are the relevant actors? What role does the state and public sector still play? And what are the areas in which it has been weakened or challenged by non-state actors? How have these changes shaped different notions of leadership? And what are the implications for political participation?