Koenraad Bogaert

Contextualizing the Arab Revolts: The Politics behind Three Decades of Neoliberalism in the Arab World

This article argues that attempts to understand the significance and implication of the Arab uprisings must not lose sight of the fact that the current pressures for change are rooted in the fundamental political transformations that took place during the previous three decades. These transformations were intimately related to neoliberal economic reforms. The article examines the impact of neoliberal reforms in two parts. First, it discusses the politics behind three decades of neoliberalism in the region. Second, it elaborates on the urban setting as a locale where we can theorize some of the agency at work in the complex process of neoliberal globalization. As such, we should understand Arab politics–and resistance–as a complexity that goes beyond the mere interaction between ‘the regime’ and ‘the Arab people’ and relate these politics to shifting power balances in contemporary globalization.

Trade, security and neoliberal politics: whither Arab reform? Evidence from the Moroccan case

This paper argues that the growing contrast between the processes of radicalisation and democratisation in the age of global market reforms and the ‘War on Terror’ are not confined to the domestic Moroccan political scene. Political movements, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil society, governments, international institutions and foreign governments are all embedded within a growing number of international networks. The central problem of political and economic reform today lays in the ways it is conceptualised and implemented through a free market ideology that transfers power from the state to new ‘hybrid’ governmental arrangements where ‘state’ and ‘market’ seem to become a symbiotic pair. Within the site of the still powerful nation-state therefore the disappearing traditional boundaries of inclusion and exclusion – formerly readily apparent in and logically deriving from national affiliations – are changing and altering. The main argument is that, contrary to dominant discourses, that democracy promotion through market reform does not bring forth overall economic growth and prosperity which will lead eventually to political liberalisation. Instead these reforms are inducing uneven geographical developments that do not trigger incentives for democratic accountability.

The revolt of small towns: the meaning of Morocco's history and the geography of social protests

Attempts to understand the wider context of the Arab uprisings in Morocco mainly focus on the dynamic created by the 20 February Movement, while the long history of increasing socio-economic struggle tends to be underestimated. This article argues that the political and democratic protests of the last two years and the history of socio-economic protests cannot be viewed as unrelated phenomena but must be understood as part of the same process. The account focuses on different disturbances, such as the riots in the phosphate mining region of Khouribga, to show the particular dynamic between civil democratic and socio-economic struggles.

Urban renewal and social development in Morocco in an age of neoliberal government

In this article we argue that Morocco has experienced fundamental political change over the past decades. This transition however cannot be understood in terms provided by the mainstream narratives linking economic liberalisation to democratisation. Rather, transition reflects a shift towards authoritarian modalities of neoliberal government. We focus on how political power has been reconfigured into new forms of ‘hybrid’ government where ‘state’, ‘market’ and ‘civil society’ interact in novel ways, by discussing the political dynamics of high-end urban development and the rationales underpinning social development policies to explain how ‘poor people’ are integrated into the realm of the market.

Globalized Authoritarianism: Megaprojects, Slums, and Class Relations in Urban Morocco

Machine generated contents note: -- Contents -- Acronyms -- Preface and Acknowledgments -- Introduction: Moroccos Urban Revolution -- Part I. Neoliberalism as Projects -- 1. Considering the Global Situation -- 2. An Urban History of Neoliberal Projects in Morocco -- Part II. (State-)Crafting Globalization -- 3. Neoliberalism as Class Projects -- 4. Imagineering a New Bouregreg Valley -- Part III. Transforming Urban Life -- 5. Changing Methods of Authoritarian Power -- 6. Power and Control through Techniques of Security -- Conclusion: A New Geography of Power -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index.

Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and Competitive Politics

With its electoral gain of eighty-eight seats in the legislative elections of 2005, the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) once again reestablished itself as the main Egyptian opposition movement. After a decade of repression and relative marginalization, the MB renegotiated its paradoxical participation in Egyptian politics in a rapidly changing regional and international context. At the same time, the MB also reviewed its ideological outlook. While the movement stayed true to its commitment of nonviolent political action, the movement is still not legal under Egyptian law.