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Edited by Clarice Agostini



Note that the information, views and opinions set out in the newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of the editors, of the European Student ThinkTank, and of their affiliated-entities or institutions.







Syria’s First Elections Since Assad: A Managed Transition Amid Limited Representation

By Francesco

Syria’s first elections since the fall of Bashar al-Assad. The new Syria held its first elections, a milestone in the country’s fragile transitional period. But while Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa hailed the vote as a “historic moment,” the elections, held on 5 October, exposed the limits of Syria’s new political experiment.



There was no direct popular vote. Instead, “electoral colleges” selected representatives for two-thirds of the 210 seats in the new People’s Assembly, while Sharaa himself appointed the remaining third. The Higher Committee for the Syrian People’s Assembly Elections (whose 11 members were chosen by the president) oversaw the process. The elections took place in only 50 of Syria’s 60 districts, as polls were postponed in the Kurdish-controlled provinces of Raqqa and Hassakeh, and in the Druze-majority Suweida, due to security concerns. Those 20 unfilled seats will remain vacant until conditions allow new polls, officials said.



Authorities touted the elections as a step toward building “institutions and laws that guarantee the rights of all,” but observers and civil society groups warned that the system was designed to preserve presidential control. With the president appointing nearly a third of the parliament, and his influence extending over the Higher Committee and electoral colleges, analysts said the outcome reflected power balances more than public will.



Concerns over representation were widespread. According to the Higher Committee, only 13% of the elected seats went to women and minority candidates, six women and ten representatives from religious or ethnic minorities out of 119 elected members. Committee spokesman Nawar Najmeh admitted to “significant shortcomings” and said the president’s appointments might “compensate” for the lack of diversity.



Syrian Kurdish and Druze leaders condemned the process as exclusionary. Thouraya Mustafa of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) said it showed that the government “has the same mentality as the previous authoritarian regime,” while Druze cleric Fadi Badria called the elections illegitimate, saying they “will not be recognised by the province.” Sharaa, whose Sunni Islamist movement led the offensive that ended Assad’s 13-year rule, promised an “inclusive and democratic transition.” Yet ten months on, sectarian violence, regional fragmentation, and institutional fragility continue to challenge that pledge. For many Syrians, millions of whom remain displaced, this election looked less like a rebirth of democracy than a tightly managed step into an uncertain new order.

EU’s New Pact for the Mediterranean

By Laura

On 16 October, the European Commission announced the launching of a “new ambitious strategy”. Its goal: strengthening the relations with its Southern Mediterranean neighbours and partners. In a moment of major geopolitical turmoil and growing competition coming from Russia and China, this new Pact reaffirms the region’s strategic importance for the EU.



Three ambitious pillars. This new strategy is built on three pillars: people, economic prosperity, and security. The EU places the attention on people and human development, expanding education, skills and youth opportunities through initiatives like a Mediterranean University. Furthermore, Brussels wants to strengthen trade and investment relations prioritising sustainable solutions in sectors such as agriculture and energy production. Finally, the pact aims at enchanting regional preparedness to common security challenges.



How to turn vision into reality? While the plan seems good on paper, the key challenge lies in turning this ambition into reality. With no new funding and the EU’s external resources already committed until 2027, the Pact risks remaining largely declaratory. Its success will therefore depend on political will, Member States’ engagement, and private sector investment. In the coming months, we will see if these strategic goals are translated into tangible results.