Publications by Fellows: Massimo Ramaioli: Syria: The Fall of Assad and the New Transitional Government

Our Fellow Massimo Ramaioli regularly publishes reports in Nuovo Mondo Economico, the online magazine of Italian research institute Centro Einaudi. His latest piece is on the situation in Syria after the fall of the Assad government.

The article analyzes Syria’s internal situation, retracing the path that led to the current transitional period with Ahmed al-Sharaa appointed as president. The analysis puts the recent events into a historical context by explaining the origins of the Baathist regime and the civil war, a conflict fuelled by religious, ethnic and ideological divisions, with various factions—including ISIS, Kurdish forces, and Islamist militias—compete for control, with international powers like Russia, Iran, Turkey, and the U.S. intervening. It explores the reasons for Assad’s fall, and looks at what possibly comes next, with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, a former branch of Al Qaeda, in power.

“There are both hopes and fears,” the author concludes, adding, “The end of one of the Middle East’s most brutal dictatorships is undoubtedly a positive development. However, Syria’s future will be shaped not only by its new government but also by international actors and geopolitical dynamics.”

Read the report here (in Italian).