Democracy in the Middle East Challenged by Weak Institutions

European Parliament Vice President Edward McMillan-Scott (left) and MEP Alexander Graf Lambsdorff (right)

Weak institutions are a major obstacle for democratic progress in the Middle East and North Africa, said Freedom House executive vice president Daniel Calingaert in a presentation on the Countries at the Crossroads report at the European Parliament in Brussels. The event was hosted by European Parliament Vice President Edward McMillan-Scott and MEP Alexander Graf Lambsdorff. Calingaert stressed that Tunisia, which is leading political change in the region, has barely begun to reform its state institutions, and polarization in Egypt over the draft constitution may put that country’s transition at risk.