This one-and-a-half-day workshop will feature four panels exploring HTS’ transformation, Syria’s state-building and reconstruction challenges, and its relations with regional and international players.
It has been a year and a half since Bashar al-Assad’s regime collapsed in Syria. In its place, the formerly jihadi rebel movement Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has assumed control of the capital and most of the country. After nearly 15 years of civil war, Syria’s new rulers face not only the challenge of establishing a new regime, but also that of designing a new state.
This task comes is shaped by multiple, overlapping challenges: the pacification of the country, including ongoing clashes involving tribes and Druze communities in Sweida, Alawites, and Assad loyalists in Latakia and Tartus, and Kurdish actors in the North; deep tribal, ethnic, and religious fragmentation and the protection of minorities; the construction of state institutions amid growing demands for decentralisation or federalism; transitional justice; continued military presence by Türkiye and Israel; the reintegration of externally and internally displaced Syrians; economic and financial recovery; and the need to delegate authority to reliable local partners after years of civil war in which armed groups carved out territorial fiefdoms.
These pressures both increase the temptation to centralise power and create demand for new forms of governance. In this context, Syria’s predicament is to define a model of sovereignty that balances the consolidation of authority with territorial, political, and social inclusion.
How has HTS evolved from a jihadi movement into a rebel organisation and ultimately into Syria’s new rulers? What challenges does Damascus face in state-building and post-war reconstruction? What is the role of regional (Türkiye, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Gulf countries) and international powers (USA, EU), and how do they shape local dynamics?
At the EUI and the Robert Schuman Centre, we are dedicated to removing barriers and providing equal opportunities for everyone. Please indicate in the registration form your accessibility needs, if any. Alternatively, you can contact the logistics organiser of the event.
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