Publication

This report addresses the functioning and composition of Syria’s ruling elites, the challenges they face and how these factors constrain the outlook for reforms. The paper introduces the founding principles of Syria’s political Baathist regime and explores the pursuit of reforms before changing domestic and international backgrounds. Finally, the paper discusses the urgent need for change and the fears that impede a real reform process. The paper argues that reform is a strategic imperative that Syria has to realize and that the international community should find ways to encourage and to assist it.