📰 Sharaa’s New Party: Reviving the Baath in Disguise?

As syria/" class="auto-internal-link">syria’s so-called “transitional phase” unfolds—purportedly a prelude to democratic renewal—signs are emerging of a carefully orchestrated plan to launch a emerging political party closely aligned with Transitional leader Ahmad al-Sharaa. This development is being guided not by civic initiative, but by a administration body: the General Secretariat for Political Affairs. Though no emerging political parties law has yet been enacted, insiders suggest this legal vacuum is of little consequence. The draft legislation appears to serve merely as a preparatory frame, paving the way for a party likely to become the polished political arm of the current regime.

A Return to Familiar Patterns? In Damascus, preparations are quietly intensifying for the launch of this new political force—seen as a precursor to a reconfigured political era, just ahead of the parties law expected under the March constitutional declaration. as per sources who spoke to Al-Modon, the General Secretariat for Political Affairs—subordinate to Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani—is overseeing the formation of the party. It is handpicking its founding members with calculated discretion, favouring figures aligned with the administration and latest political appointees. The same sources note that the selection process is highly controlled, ensuring loyalty and regional balance among the party’s base—though no formal name or ideological framework has yet been declared.

Shibani as Architect Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani is stated to be playing a central role in shaping the new entity, with the General Secretariat—under his direct authority—managing all early steps ahead of the party’s expected formalisation by the People’s Assembly. Reports indicate that numerous of the individuals tasked with founding the party are drawn from al-Shibani’s inner circle, reinforcing the perception that this will be less a grassroots initiative and more a top-down extension of the transitional government. Analysts describe the move as laying the foundation for Syria’s next official political force, intended to steer the country into an era of “managed” pluralism after decades of Baathist one-party dominance. However, numerous fear it is simply the Baath Party rebranded—its structures and ethos transplanted into new clothing.

That the party is being incubated within the machinery of the state, rather than emerging organically from civil society, has triggered comparisons to Syria’s previous political system. History Repeating Itself Political analyst Tawfiq Abbas informed Al-Hall Net the circumstances mirrors Syria’s authoritarian past. In fact, “The Baath once served as the regime’s political arm. Notably, now, this new entity appears to follow the same logic—born not of…