This book brings together Algerian-based scholars and Algerians in the diaspora to address the many, salient issues facing Algeria, the largest country in Africa and the Middle East. Until February 22, 2019, Algeria looked like the beacon of stability in the region, for the authoritarian regime eluded the so-called Arab Spring, which resulted in chaos in a number of countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
The authors of the chapters in this book are a mix of sociologists, economists, political scientists, linguists, and international relations specialists who have used the theoretical and methodological instruments in their respective fields to decipher the complexities that characterise the Algerian political system. In the domestic part, some of the chapters deal with issues seldom tackled in Maghreb studies, namely, the language and identities issues, which are at the forefront of the protest movement since February 2019. Other chapters analyse the role of the elites, the emergence of the new entrepreneurs, the future of energy, gender, media, and human rights, the predicament of the rentier state, and the resource curse. The international relations part examines Algeria’s roles in the Mediterranean and in the Sahel, the strategic partnership with China, the complicated relations with France, and the relations with Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Exploring Algeria’s transformation, this collection is an original addition to the books on the Maghreb that will be a key resource to students and scholars interested in the developing world, the Middle East, and North Africa.