Middle East Research and Information Project

Critical Coverage of the Middle East Since 1971

Robert P. Parks

Robert P. Parks is a political scientist, founding director of the Centre d’Études Maghrébines en Algérie and founding fellow of the Sidi Bou Said School of Critical Protest Studies.

Current Analysis

Populist Passions or Democratic Aspirations? Tunisia’s Liberal Democracy in Crisis

Tunisia's political system is in crisis after President Kais Saied concentrated power in his office in July 2021. Robert P. Parks and Tarek Kahlaoui delve into the reasons why so many citizens support his moves and explain why they have become so disenchanted with Tunisia's democratic system. The au

Robert P. Parks, Tarek Kahlaoui • 15 min read

From Protesta to Hirak to Algeria’s New Revolutionary Moment

But protesters have not gone home, and many have vowed to stay until the underlying structure of rule in Algeria changes and its ruling elite–known as Le Pouvoir (the power)–are expelled from power. The protesters are demanding that an entirely new system–which some call a new revolution–be put in p

Robert Parks, Robert P. Parks • 10 min read

Current Analysis

From the War of National Liberation to Gentrification

Demonstrations about gentrification in Oran, Algeria are linked to a broader tension over collective versus individual rights to colonial-era properties abandoned by the French, occupied by citizens, nationalized by the state and now subject to varying strategies of individual appropriation in the w

Robert P. Parks • 19 min read

MER Article

Voter Participation and Loud Claim Making in Algeria

Change looms on the horizon in Algeria—change that could well touch the edifice of the country’s framework of governance. In the short term, given the protracted period of low international oil and gas prices, the state is likely to introduce economic reforms that will modify its expenditures on pop

Robert P. Parks • 12 min read