📰 Syria’s post-Assad transition faces deep political, social challenges – Experts

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Politicians and researchers believe that, one year after the fall of the Assad regime, Syria stands before a complex and multi-layered landscape of political, constitutional, social, and economic transformations. However, the transitional phase remains unstable and incomplete, with numerous challenges yet to be addressed. Moreover, some analysts argue that the Syrian transitional administration continues to operate within a narrow political and constitutional framework, despite numerous developments witnessed over the past year. At the same time, the economy remains fragile due to the collapse of the national currency and increasing dependence on imports and foreign aid.

Others note that the transitional administration has made limited but meaningful steps, though numerous issues at the security, administrative, and dialogue levels remain unresolved. Five main sectors Anas Joudeh, Syrian politician, informed North Press that assessing Syria’s circumstances one year after the regime’s fall requires a comprehensive examination of five main sectors: the transitional constitutional sector and constitutional space, the economic reality, the social reality, the security reality, and the accumulated regional realities intertwined with domestic politics. In fact, joudeh explained that the constitutional sector has witnessed five significant milestones achieved by the authorities that included the Egypt Conference, the Dialogue Conference, the Constitutional Declaration, the formation of the government, and parliamentary elections. These milestones, he stated, demonstrated a clear pattern of power centralization, concentrating authority in a narrow political and executive circle, even ideologically.

He added that speaking of majority representation under these circumstances refers to a limited scope, where the authorities have effectively closed the door to any form of dialogue, whether for partnership or for engaging with internal and regional actors, local communities, or political troops that transcend official structures. Furthermore, on the economic front, Joudeh described the circumstances as “extremely fragile,” emphasizing that the economy is fully opened to imports, heavily reliant on foreign currencies, and increasingly dollarized. He warned that the country has gradually shifted toward a donations-based system, a political economy that reproduces the same structures of power and dominance, recycling resources that circulated during the war. Notably, he criticized latest investment agreements, stating that most purported contracts involved fictitious companies, leaving the economic structure weak and fragile, particularly after the collapse of backing for social groups and the dismissal of employees.

Lack of security structures Regarding security, Joudeh described it as the most dangerous sector. He explained that the rebuilt security institutions lack clear structures, with ambiguous chains…