Rethinking Democracy
Middle East Institute 27 episodes Jun 9, 2026
This podcast explores the interconnected threats facing democracy in the United States and around the world. MEI Senior Fellow Gonul Tol examines how domestic and international forces undermine democratic institutions and the liberal international order. The series looks at why citizens are losing faith in democracy and how those challenges might be countered.
Episodes
Can Turkey's Opposition Fight Back?
A Turkish court has taken a dramatic step that could reshape the country's political landscape. It annulled the results of the CHP's 2023 party congress, effectively overturning the election of Özgür Özel as leader of Turkey's main opposition party and potentially paving the way for former chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to return. This is the latest move in President Erdoğan's broader effort to wea
Can Hamas Be Disarmed?
As the world's attention shifts to the Iran war, Gaza is increasingly disappearing from the international spotlight. But more than six months after the United Nations endorsed a peace plan for Gaza, the humanitarian catastrophe continues. Israeli strikes remain relentless, while major international NGOs and aid groups say critical supplies are still not entering Gaza at anywhere near the scale n
Will the PKK Really Disarm?
In 2025, jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan made a historic call for the group to disarm and dissolve, raising hopes of ending a 40-year conflict that has shaped Turkey and the wider region. Months later, the PKK symbolically laid down arms in what many viewed as a breakthrough moment for the peace process. But more than a year later, the process appears increasingly fragile. Turkey's pro-Kurdish p
Can Syria Hold Together?
Syria is in the midst of a fragile transition. Many observers see positive momentum, with new humanitarian initiatives underway and fresh funding beginning to flow. But the risks remain serious: regional spillover, deep humanitarian needs, funding shortfalls, Israeli strikes, sectarian tensions, stalled political tracks, and continued reports of abuses by multiple actors. Where does Syria's tran
Nazanin Boniadi: How the World Can Help Iran's Democratic Struggle
Just weeks before President Trump's war began, Iran was in the midst of a powerful wave of anti-regime protests spreading across the country. But once the war started, that momentum largely came to a halt. The conflict shifted the focus from dissent to survival and gave the regime an opening to crack down harder. With tighter controls, heightened fear, and everyday life suddenly more precariou
Lebanon at the Brink: War, Hizballah, and the Fate of Democracy
Israel's escalating campaign against Iran-backed Hizballah is rapidly turning Lebanon into one of the most unstable fronts in the wider US-Israel confrontation with Iran — pushing an already fragile state to the brink. The war is tearing at Lebanon's sectarian and political fabric, displacing Shiite communities and deepening polarization between Hizballah and its rivals. The government that came t
The Kurdish Card: Can Iranian Kurds Shape the War's Endgame?
The war against Iran has entered its third week with no clear endgame—and no clear strategy from Washington. At one point President Trump appeared to encourage Iranian Kurdish groups to rise up against the regime, before quickly walking it back. Meanwhile, some exiled Kurdish opposition figures say they already have an invasion plan and only need U.S. air cover. The Kurdish question is once ag
Is Turkey the New Iran — Or Is that the Wrong Question?
The balance of power in the Middle East is shifting. Iran is on the defensive — its military capabilities were badly degraded by last year's 12 days of Israeli and US strikes, and growing protests at home have made the regime look more vulnerable than it has in years. As that balance changes, a growing number of commentaries suggest that Turkey may replace Iran as the region's next destabilizing f
After Rojava: What's Next for the Kurds?
Dramatic developments in Syria have delivered a major blow to Kurdish ambitions for self-rule. In a rapid offensive, Damascus moved into northeast Syria, forcing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) out and effectively dismantling the autonomous region the Kurds had built during the civil war. For the Kurds, this is more than a battlefield setback—it is a historic turning point. The Sy
Israel-Palestine: Is the Two-State Solution Dead?
Long before the Gaza war erupted in 2023, a broad consensus had already taken hold across policymakers, activists, and foreign-policy circles: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was at a political dead end. The Oslo framework—and the promise of a two-state solution—had steadily lost credibility as a realistic path forward. Since Hamas's October 7 attacks, the devastation in Gaza and the accelerati
Can Iran's Regime Survive This?
Iran is once again at a boiling point. For more than a week, nationwide protests have shaken the country, with tens of thousands pouring into the streets of major cities, including Tehran. As calls for the regime's removal spread, authorities responded with internet blackouts and force. Videos show government buildings ablaze across multiple cities, while human rights groups report at least 28 p
When the World's Oldest Democracy Goes Illiberal
The Trump administration has released its new National Security Strategy—and analysts say it signals a decisive break from America's role as the leader of the free world. Instead, the document advances an openly illiberal, strongman-centered vision of power. One former U.S. official goes further, arguing the strategy doesn't merely abandon democracy promotion—it puts Washington in the business of
From Brightest Hope to Open-Air Prison: How Tunisia Lost Its Democratic Promise
Thousands of Tunisians marched in the capital last week against what they called 'injustice and repression,' accusing President Kais Saied of cementing one-man rule through the police and judiciary. The protest is part of a wider wave of unrest—journalists, NGOs, fractured political parties, doctors, bankers, and transport workers all say Saied has turned the country into an open-air prison and de
From Ballots to Bargains: The Struggle for Iraqi Democracy
Iraqis have just gone to the polls in a pivotal parliamentary election that could redefine the country's political trajectory. What do the results tell us about the state of Iraqi democracy? What happens next? And is there still space for meaningful democratic reform? In this episode of Rethinking Democracy, Gonul Tol speaks with Renad Mansour, Senior Research Fellow at Chatham House and Director
From Protest to War: How October 7 Reshaped Israeli Democracy
For years, Israeli populist politicians have chipped away at the country's democratic guardrails. But the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023 accelerated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's drive to consolidate power. The kind of societal pushback that once blocked his efforts to expand executive authority is now under severe strain. Israel's multi-front conflict with Iran, Hamas, and other Iranian p
The US Role in Democracy Promotion: Continuity or Collapse?
For much of the past eighty years, the United States has seen itself — and often acted — as a global champion of democracy. Through the power of example, and through its diplomacy, security alliances, and aid programs, Washington has sought to strengthen democratic institutions and push back against authoritarianism. The record, of course, has never been perfect. The US has at times backed autocra
Can Lebanese Democracy Be Saved?
Once hailed as a rare democracy in the Middle East, Lebanon has now slipped into the ranks of closed autocracies. Decades of corruption, sectarian rule, and foreign meddling have left the country reeling — and the past year brought assassinations, mass displacement, and Israel's full-scale war against Hezbollah in the south. With its economy in free fall and its political system on life support, L
Markets, Mayors, and Crackdowns: Erdoğan's High-Stakes Gamble
Turkey's main opposition, the CHP, is facing its toughest test yet: mass arrests, sham court rulings, and the ouster of key leaders—including Istanbul's mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Erdoğan's chief rival. With trials looming that could replace CHP leadership with government loyalists, the party warns of a legal 'coup.' What does this crackdown mean for Turkey's fragile economy, its 2028 elections, and th
Iran at a Crossroads: War, Survival, and the Future of the Islamic Republic
Could this be the beginning of a new chapter for Iran's foreign policy—and for its pro-democracy movement? Gönül Tol speaks with Dr. Vali Nasr, one of the world's leading experts on the Middle East, to unpack the aftermath of the 12-Day War. Together, they examine the war's domestic and regional fallout, the resilience of Iran's regime under fire, and the shifting public sentiment that may shape
Syria After Assad: Transitional Justice, Governance, and the Road Ahead
With Bashar al-Assad ousted and Syria entering a new political chapter, what comes next for a country ravaged by war, repression, and sectarian divisions? Gonul Tol speaks with Steven Heydemann (Smith College) and Radwan Ziadeh (Arab Center Washington DC) about the challenges of transitional justice, prospects for democratic reform, and the role of Syria's new de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharah. Can
Deal or Deception: The Kurdish Card in Erdogan's New Game
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has announced it will disband and end its decades-long armed insurgency. Is this a turning point in Turkey's century-long conflict with its Kurdish population—or a political maneuver to secure President Erdogan's grip on power? Gonul Tol is joined by Kurdish MP Ceylan Akca and political scientist Murat Somer to unpack the stakes of this historic shift, the demand
Why has democratization bypassed the Arab world?
President Donald Trump's recent visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE reignited debate over U.S. ties to authoritarian regimes. But the controversy underscores a deeper question: why has democracy struggled to take root in the Arab world? In this episode of Rethinking Democracy, host Gonul Tol sits down with Dr. Fawaz Gerges, Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economi
Illiberal Hegemony? Trump's Foreign Policy and the GOP's Identity Crisis - with Bill Kristol
Neoconservatives and MAGA isolationists are locked in a battle for the soul of Republican strategy. Nowhere is the split more glaring than over the Middle East: hawks view it as a proving ground for American power and allegiance to Israel, while isolationists see only endless wars that have bled America dry. Where does Trump fall in this tug-of-war? What are the real-world consequences of this str
Can Ukraine's Fight for Democracy Survive Without US Support?
Ukraine faces a pivotal year in its fight against Russian aggression — and for its democratic future. With fears mounting that President Trump could abandon peace talks with Kyiv and Moscow, the risk grows that US disengagement could tip the balance toward Russia and fracture the global democratic order. Is Ukraine's resistance a last stand for democratic values in Europe? How should the democrati
The Protests and Political Crisis Shaping Turkey's Democratic Future
Turkey has plunged into turmoil after authorities arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, President Erdoğan's strongest opponent, on charges of corruption. Mass protests, the largest in over a decade, have erupted nationwide after İmamoğlu was removed from office and jailed just hours before the opposition was set to declare him its presidential candidate. Political scientists warn this is a defin
Shariah, Democracy, and the Future of Governance in Syria
For the first time in decades, the question of how Syria will be governed is wide open. The fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime at the hands of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an armed Islamist group with former ties to al-Qaeda, has left Syria in uncharted territory. Its de facto leader, Ahmed Al Shaara, has pledged a vision of a pluralistic Syria governed by civil institutions rather than dictatorship or ide
Impact of Donald Trump's Election on American Democracy and the World with Ruth Ben-Ghiat and Larry Diamond
Last month, the US electorate voted President-Elect Donald Trump back into the White House. His victory was seen by some experts as part of a global trend and a move towards anti-incumbency attitudes and populism. How will Trump's rhetoric impact the United States domestically and internationally? Will he govern as a strongman during his second term? What can we expect to be different from his fir
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