Roundtable with Mr. Anthony Bubalo,
Deputy Director and Director of Research at the Lowy Institute
January 13, 2017

On January 13, 2017, Mr. Anthony Bubalo, Deputy Director and Director of Research at the Lowy Institute for International Policy, addressed GRF and GRF Community members at a roundtable held under the Middle East and North Africa Roundtable Meeting Series. In his speech focusing on the transformations that the region is currently undergoing, Mr. Bubalo elaborated on the political structures and grievances that led to the movements that he expressed a preference to refer to as the “Middle Eastern Uprisings” instead of the “Arab Spring,” and evaluated the situation in the region in their aftermath. He then shared his assessment that the reign of conflict and instability in the region is due to the fact that although the uprisings brought down the political systems in these countries, alternative systems are yet to emerge, enabling non-state actors to capitalize on the collapsing order. Following his speech, Mr. Bubalo answered the participants’ questions.