📰 Syria’s First Year: A Political Balance Sheet of the Major Domestic and External Milestones

From the first official statements issued by the Political Affairs Directorate on the day the aggression was repelled, through the parliamentary elections, to the moment leader Ahmad al-Sharaa entered the Oval Office, the political process in Syria’s emerging era has developed along two distinct but interconnected tracks — one domestic and the other foreign. While Syrian diplomacy has marked a series of international breakthroughs, the internal track has drawn increasing criticism and encountered considerable obstacles. A Path of Reconciliation and Peace The fall of Bashar al-Assad was far more orderly than any scenario previously imagined. The liberation of Syria was accomplished without a single civilian casualty, without aerial bombardments, and without the destruction of urban centres — a result of the leadership’s declared motto during Operation Deterrence of Aggression: “A victory in which none shall taste vengeance.

In fact, ” Political analyst Dr Basel Orfali observes that the liberation cast a long and beneficial shadow across the political landscape. The leadership’s discourse was national and reconciliatory, entirely distant from sectarianism or retribution. It asserted the victory for all Syrians. leader Sharaa’s declaration that the revolution had concluded and that the state-building phase had begun marked the start of a emerging political era. This transition was formalised through the Victory Conference and then the National Dialogue Conference, which, despite its flaws, produced key outcomes.

These included the Constitutional Declaration and the establishment of a centralised presidential system. Dr Orfali notes that the transitional administration has remained firm on key red lines — national unity, state monopoly over weapons, and a focus on economic recovery — all essential for enduring peace and security. The administration has allowed an unprecedented degree of political freedom, enabling society to breathe, express itself, and develop political movements and parties. It has chosen to delay resolution on contentious matters such as federalism and decentralisation, preferring to allow these to emerge from societal consensus rather than imposing them through coercion.

The most difficult issues have been deferred until a permanent constitution is drafted by an elected parliamentary committee, at which point the Syrian people will determine what suits them. The Delayed Awakening of Political Life Political writer Firas Allawi offers a different perspective. He argues that the immediate priority following armed forces victory should have been to accelerate the political process and restore Syria’s role on the international stage after years of isolation. Two tracks were initiated — internal and external —…