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00:00:08Well, in
00:00:21the government interpret
00:00:39Hello and welcome to a new episode
00:00:46important. So it was Burayta Hassan, expert in of Syria Today. In the first part of our discussion, we will address the release of the results of the Arab Barometer survey in Syria for the year
00:00:492026. The survey shows an increase
00:00:52in support for democratic rule and transitional justice,
00:00:56and an increase in the percentage of those who refuse to recognize
00:01:01responsible for this survey, along with the prominence of living conditions and economic problems in the survey.
00:01:05So what do these results reflect? And how
00:01:08does the government view the data
00:01:12of the indicators?
00:01:15As for the second part, we will discuss the appointment of Muzna
00:01:18Al-Atrash as an advisor for peace affairs
00:01:20At the same in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We will ask where
00:01:23the creation of this position will lead? And what
00:01:26are the criteria for creating
00:01:28for the people to yearn for democracy positions and appointments in the ministry? As for
00:01:31the last part, we will discuss the increasing questions
00:01:34about the future of security in Syria. Sorry, the security
00:01:38and military future, and the opportunities to build the army's capabilities
00:01:41in light of the escalating regional tensions. So how will Damascus
00:01:44build its military capabilities
00:01:48with the desires in light of these tensions?
00:01:49this indicator is also a positive Welcome.
00:01:50The Arab Center for Research
00:01:58laws related to democracy. Mohammed Suleiman, does
00:02:05a person Even the stance on the Israeli to elections, certain trade unions.
00:02:08that Syrians wish
00:02:14Many unions are absent.
00:02:24and Policy Studies, in cooperation
00:02:25talk in Article 14 about with the Arab Center for
00:02:28Contemporary Syria Studies,
00:02:30society. But in released the results of the Arab Barometer survey in Syria for the year
00:02:332026, which covered economic,
00:02:37political, security, and living conditions,
00:02:41in governance, Not as well as issues of national integration
00:02:44in opinions, and foreign relations. The survey results
00:02:46showed that half of Syrians believe that the country is heading in
00:02:50the right direction, compared to
00:02:5435% who believe the opposite,
00:02:56while 68%
00:03:00of those surveyed believe that
00:03:02the decision in Syria. the security situation is good or very
00:03:05good, a significant increase
00:03:08from the 41%
00:03:10elections based on justice recorded last
00:03:11year.
00:03:14More than 42% of
00:03:18That is why the result respondents identified economic challenges
00:03:21as Syria's main problems, while 33%
00:03:25the current attributed Syria's problems to political, security,
00:03:30and institutional challenges. As for
00:03:33the economic situation of families, only
00:03:3613% reported that their family income
00:03:39covers their basic expenses and allows them to save,
00:03:42compared to the majority who live between
00:03:46There is instability in subsistence Those close to the authority and poverty. At the level
00:03:48of services, 62% of
00:03:52if there is sometimes of self-determination, respondents rated the quality of education as good, and 69%
00:03:56found a medical center in their area. They consider health services
00:04:04to be good. As for the political aspect,
00:04:08taken regarding democracy? For example, 74% believed that the democratic system
00:04:11is the best for Syria, and
00:04:1465%
00:04:16should Syrians also accept a party they disagree with coming to power through free
00:04:19elections, and 66%
00:04:23believed
00:04:26side, which is worrying. that they support the separation of religion from politics.
00:04:28And 90% see sectarian classification
00:04:32existing in Syria to varying degrees.
00:04:35On the regional level,
00:04:3861% of Syrians believe that
00:04:41Israel is the country most
00:04:44However, the results are shocking threatening to Syria's security, escaping from this For example, today a decision was issued while
00:04:4780% reject recognition of Israel.
00:04:51And 74% believe that the Palestinian
00:04:54cause is the most
00:04:56important issue
00:05:00for Arabs.
00:05:41With us for discussion, Mohammed Suleiman, researcher at Jisr Studies Center,
00:05:45live from Damascus. Welcome. And with me, Dr. Zakaria
00:05:48Malahifji, academic and political researcher from Damascus. Welcome,
00:05:51Doctor. And with me,
00:05:54administrative governance, live from Aleppo.
00:05:58And with me, Dr. Abdel Moneim Al-Halabi, academic and economic
00:06:01expert, live from Gaziantep.
00:06:05I will start with Professor Mazen. Professor
00:06:08Mazen from Damascus, you were present
00:06:12when these results were announced, the results of the Arab Barometer survey
00:06:15in Syria for the year 2026. Professor Mohammed
00:06:19Suleiman, sorry, what are the most striking results
00:06:23for you?
00:06:24My greetings to you, Professor Alaa,
00:06:28and to your honorable guests and viewers. Today we
00:06:31had just completed the third
00:06:34day of the sixth session of the Arab Center for Contemporary Syria Studies Forum.
00:06:37The results of the survey were reviewed.
00:06:40Most of these results were positive.
00:06:44Positive in terms of content.
00:06:47Compared to last year, people
00:06:50have become more willing to express their opinions.
00:06:53Although the rate last year was 61%,
00:06:56and this year, 2026, it was 64,
00:07:01indicator. People have become more aware
00:07:04of their current situation on the political,
00:07:07economic, and even
00:07:11military and security levels.
00:07:16occupation was very
00:07:19clear that there is
00:07:22a rejection of this
00:07:25occupation. A rejection
00:07:28of its practices on the political
00:07:32level. This all indicates
00:07:35that there is an improvement in the difficult
00:07:39situation. Therefore, there were
00:07:48indicators that we can say are close to reality.
00:07:51They touch people. all people
00:07:55can afford to live in
00:07:59this high cost of living, as the indicator showed.
00:08:03There were close and good results.
00:08:06What caught my attention the most was the issue of democracy.
00:08:10There was a great desire.
00:08:13The percentage reached 74% of people
00:08:15who want a true system of governance.
00:08:19This figure is truly remarkable,
00:08:22Professor Mohammed. Let me convey this idea to Dr.
00:08:25Zakaria. How can we explain the increased support for democracy
00:08:28in Syria, specifically in these results for 2026, up to
00:08:3276% in a society that has just
00:08:35emerged from a long experience of dictatorial rule
00:08:39for many years?
00:08:42Welcome, good evening, and my greetings to you,
00:08:45the guests, and the esteemed viewers. Of course,
00:08:48this is indeed remarkable and also promising. I have followed
00:08:52the indicators, and let's be clear, all the struggle
00:08:55and the Syrian revolution were for democracy.
00:08:59The first word was "freedom," meaning political
00:09:03freedom. So, the Syrians' compass is still the same
00:09:07with a large majority,
00:09:10confirming democracy and elections.
00:09:14Also, there is even a civilized language that
00:09:17even if a party I disagree with comes to power,
00:09:21of course, for those who voted and expressed their opinion,
00:09:24they accept that. This is an acknowledgment of the results of democracy. This is also a very
00:09:28important and positive indicator. However, what is truly concerning
00:09:32is the sectarian affiliation indicator. This
00:09:35is on the opposite
00:09:38This issue and I believe today the authorities
00:09:41and the Syrian elites face a great responsibility
00:09:45for this issue, to confront this issue and strengthen the national
00:09:49identity and the unifying national language, and that
00:09:52affiliation, whatever it may be, ethnic or sectarian, should be a subsidiary
00:09:55affiliation, not a primary affiliation
00:09:59or expressed as such or something similar. This
00:10:02is the paradox. But the issue of democracy is an extremely
00:10:05important issue.
00:10:08And even with the second
00:10:11and third options, there is a vast difference. I don't remember the exact number,
00:10:15but those who want, for example, a government
00:10:18ruled by Sharia or an ideology or something
00:10:21similar, there is a huge gap between the first
00:10:25option and the other option. Knowing that also,
00:10:29regarding this percentage that you are referring to, concerning those who also
00:10:33support the separation of religion from politics, according to the survey results,
00:10:3666% of Syrians support the separation of religion from politics.
00:10:39However, these are striking results, as Dr. Zakaria pointed out. But
00:10:43in your opinion, how should
00:10:46this widespread support for democracy, and also this
00:10:49not insignificant percentage regarding the desire to separate religion from
00:10:53the state?
00:10:57I think it is very important for the Syrian people.
00:11:00Of course, these samples were taken from all Syrian governorates
00:11:03and from all Syrian components. There are 16
00:11:07ethnic, religious, and sectarian components in Syria.
00:11:11taken from everyone. It is a wide
00:11:14and diverse segment that gave these results.
00:11:18I think today the authority should really
00:11:21pay attention to such indicators
00:11:25because the future goals and visions are drawn
00:11:28from them. The issue of democracy is a sensitive
00:11:31issue for Syrians. The issue
00:11:34of democratic political life, elections,
00:11:37and the separation of religion from the state are fundamental
00:11:41and very important issues for Syrians
00:11:44because the Syrian Revolution was for political
00:11:47freedom, meaning that there should be a ballot box. If there
00:11:51was a real ballot box in Syria, all this war would not have happened.
00:11:55But due to the absence of the ballot box, it was. So the Syrians
00:11:58are still committed to the same goal, in the same
00:12:01context,
00:12:03with a very large vision, with a very large
00:12:07majority. This is a very important
00:12:10indicator and gives real hope
00:12:13that this people's goal is around this hope
00:12:16specifically, if it is a real hope. Returning to Professor
00:12:21this reflect a transformation in the political culture of Syrian
00:12:25society, or is it merely aspirations, merely a hope
00:12:33for? This transformation is the result of
00:12:37the maturity of the Syrian mind over the past years.
00:12:41Today, the Syrian Revolution had
00:12:43not only positive results at the level of freedoms,
00:12:46but also positive results at the level of the mind. Today, not only
00:12:50has the country been liberated, but also minds have been liberated.
00:12:54Therefore, people today have become more interested in politics.
00:12:56Today, they are looking for democracy
00:13:00more in order to have participation
00:13:06participation
00:13:09to have a strong shield
00:13:12so that the experience is not
00:13:15repeated and so that Syrians do not fall into a predicament
00:13:19as they did previously. Today, Syrians have aspirations
00:13:23to be part of
00:13:27They have aspirations for free,
00:13:30fair, and transparent
00:13:35and equality, just like other civilized
00:13:38countries. This is what many Syrians aspire to.
00:13:43was high. This result is very good
00:13:47compared to
00:13:50time. Today, Syrians are suffering
00:13:55from some problems. There were many problems
00:13:59during the era of the defunct regime due to its authoritarian
00:14:03rule, its control over decisions, and its
00:14:06control over the public space. Today, Syrians
00:14:09want to be part of this public space.
00:14:13They want to be part
00:14:16part of the decisions that are made,
00:14:20whether at the level of their daily lives or at the level
00:14:23of the state, whether political, economic, and so on.
00:14:26This will not be achieved unless there are true
00:14:30democracies in the coming period.
00:14:33That is why everyone considers democracy to be part of the solution. Yes, and
00:14:37here is my question to Mr. Burayta: How
00:14:41leverage this renewed support
00:14:45for democracy into a political
00:14:48and institutional demand?
00:14:51Good evening to you, the brothers, the viewers, and the esteemed guests.
00:14:55Well, the survey results are indeed encouraging
00:14:58by all standards, whether in terms of democracy or
00:15:02the notion that Syria is heading in the right direction,
00:15:06especially on the security front.
00:15:09on the economic front. But I want to speak from an administrative
00:15:13and governance perspective, as I always do.
00:15:16The methodology used in conducting
00:15:18the survey, and the target groups
00:15:22that were targeted, were all segments of society targeted? I see the reality
00:15:25differently. I have reviewed several similar
00:15:29surveys in the same fields, and there is a very large disparity.
00:15:32Let me give an example, for instance, Syria Poll
00:15:35conducted the same survey, which showed that Syria
00:15:38is heading in the right direction, with 23% in April
00:15:422026, and 25% in June,
00:15:44while we see
00:15:4850% in the results of the Arab Barometer survey. Therefore, there is a very large
00:15:52disparity. Um, what do you mean by 50%
00:15:56regarding this point you mentioned, that Syria is heading in the right
00:15:59direction? The survey results talk about several
00:16:03aspects that cannot be separated from each other. We cannot talk about the security
00:16:06aspect without the economic aspect. We know that
00:16:09poverty causes all problems. I mean, if a person
00:16:13is like, it increases problems,
00:16:16it increases killing.
00:16:18The security aspect deteriorates to the worse.
00:16:22And poverty, all surveys say that
00:16:2580% of Syrians are below the poverty line. And even in the survey
00:16:29results you presented, I think
00:16:3233%
00:16:34have no resources at all, and there is a percentage
00:16:39that resources may cover income. Therefore, we are heading towards a real
00:16:42danger, which is this economic point. I will discuss it
00:16:45soon with Dr. Abdel Moneim. But, I mean, regarding my question
00:16:49of how this popular demand
00:16:52for democracy can be transformed into a political
00:16:54and institutional demand? Of course, it requires
00:16:58the legislative authority to play its role. We cannot say
00:17:02democracy, and it is very natural
00:17:06after decades of injustice and oppression.
00:17:10Authoritarianism and suppression of freedom of speech.
00:17:13The people yearn for democracy, for the rule of law
00:17:16and institutions, for freedom. And the people, honestly,
00:17:20we all see that everyone is expressing their opinion with complete ease. But there
00:17:23must be a regulating law for freedoms. I mean, if I want to
00:17:26express my opinion, I need a law to protect me, even if my opinion
00:17:30is opposing or supportive, or positive or negative, I need
00:17:35For example, I need laws related
00:17:39I mean, how can I talk about democracy and its communication
00:17:42with appointed trade unions? The appointment of civil
00:17:45society is almost absent. I mean, it doesn't exist. Even civil society
00:17:49organizations are controlled.
00:17:52The fourth estate, which is the media, which is unfortunately directed.
00:17:55I mean, how can I talk about democracy
00:17:58when this is happening to me? I even go back
00:18:02to the methodology itself. What is the methodology that was used
00:18:05to conduct the survey? I mean, democracy requires
00:18:09regulating laws. Do you think,
00:18:13Mr. Burayta, that the popular demand
00:18:17for democracy does not support the existing reality
00:18:20or the tools of the state, or what the state wants, so to speak?
00:18:24Sorry,
00:18:29do I understand from your words that this popular desire
00:18:32for democracy is met with a gap among decision-makers?
00:18:36There are no laws,
00:18:43there are no laws, there are no regulating laws,
00:18:47and the general policy followed and the elements
00:18:50of democracy need a basis, they need a foundation. Where is the existing
00:18:54foundation? If we don't even have statistics,
00:18:57I mean, we have several guests, and I'm asking a question
00:19:01to 30 million Syrians or 20 million Syrians, what is the population of Syria?
00:19:05No one knows. Even at the level of local administration,
00:19:09I mean, the smallest example of democracy and trade unions, local administration,
00:19:13we don't have it. Where is democracy? Even the regulating
00:19:16law, why is it not there? Is it impossible for it to exist?
00:19:20Everything is appointed, madam.
00:19:23We set rules and regulating principles and strict
00:19:26standards, and then we work on democracy and we have data, we have information.
00:19:30It's not available. So all of this requires laws,
00:19:33it requires work. There is something required
00:19:36from civil society and citizens
00:19:39as a whole. There is something required from the authorities.
00:19:42What measures have the authorities
00:19:45they talk about decentralization at the level of local administration.
00:19:49We have seen more than one statement from the Minister of Local Administration talking about decentralization, and we see disgusting centralization.
00:19:53Where is democracy? Aha,
00:19:57aha, this is an example. There are no necessary laws. Today, for example,
00:20:00a decision was issued. This is the issue with laws, Mr. Burayta,
00:20:04because the issue of participatory laws and listening to the people's
00:20:07opinion. Today, the government, the leading term is a government
00:20:11that doesn't care. It doesn't listen to public opinion polls
00:20:14or participation, and it doesn't involve anyone.
00:20:18for employees to work from 8 AM to 4 PM.
00:20:21The average employee's salary is $100. How can he
00:20:24work from 8 to 4 with a $100 salary? If there was democracy,
00:20:28he wouldn't be happy with this. I mean, an employee's
00:20:31work is not measured by the number of hours or the length of his service,
00:20:34but by his achievement.
00:20:36And we were, a short while ago, discussing with you, for example,
00:20:40the unified labor law that will be issued. So how can
00:20:44the working hours be changed today, and after a while,
00:20:48the unified labor law will be issued as an alternative to the law?
00:21:10human, but on this point before discussing the economic issue,
00:21:13returning to Dr. Zakaria, Dr. Zakaria, is the issue
00:21:17about laws, or the absence of laws until now? Or is
00:21:20the issue perhaps, as some say, due to the absence
00:21:23of political will?
00:21:25What do you think?
00:21:29Well, let me be clear. This survey reflects
00:21:33public opinion. It reflects their desire,
00:21:36their aspiration, their adherence.
00:21:39Mr. Burayta said something right, but he talked about
00:21:43what is happening at the same
00:21:46time in other surveys, to what extent
00:21:49is the public satisfied? You see that the matter
00:21:53is 50-60%, etc. He understands
00:21:56the exceptional circumstances of the transitional period,
00:21:59but the important thing is that these are aspirations, these are goals
00:22:03from all components and from all Syrian governorates. This is
00:22:07an important issue.
00:22:10time, in democratic tools, when there was talk about
00:22:14parties, the people or those who
00:22:17voted and expressed
00:22:20their opinion, they confirm that even with the tools,
00:22:23knowing that there is a small number
00:22:27of members or participants or practically
00:22:30expressing that there are prevailing opinions or prevailing
00:22:34currents that represent them. But the percentage of active
00:22:37people is small. This can also be looked
00:22:41at, because when hopes and
00:22:44aspirations are high, the percentage of active
00:22:48and involved people who confirm
00:22:51must be high. In politics, this is a given.
00:22:54There are parties, meaning democracy
00:22:58and parties are interconnected. So if we want democracy, we need
00:23:02parties and currents. for laws and legislation, as my guest pointed
00:23:05out.
00:23:08That's why laws and legislation in the constitutional
00:23:12declaration, there is
00:23:15unions, associations, parties, and civil
00:23:20reality, there is no committee for parties in the People's
00:23:24Assembly, and even unions and associations,
00:23:28or let's talk about unions, were appointed. So how long
00:23:32will they remain appointed? When will there be elections for unions?
00:23:36Because unions are a matter and institutions that have
00:23:40their independence, I mean, unions for professional specialties,
00:23:43doctors, engineers, and so on.
00:23:45This issue needs to be confirmed today, that yes,
00:23:48Syrians
00:23:56always, when asked where Syria is heading
00:23:59in terms of governance, there is always talk
00:24:02of rejecting what is called importing terms or foreign
00:24:06or Western experiences or so on, and the model
00:24:09remains unclear to most people,
00:24:12Dr. Zakaria.
00:24:15Well, let's
00:24:17be frank. It is clear
00:24:21that the authority avoids some terms,
00:24:25such as the term democracy. They avoid talking about
00:24:29political life and parties.
00:24:33or some personalities say that we should
00:24:36be cautious about this issue. Of course, they don't deny
00:24:39or reject it, but they talk about caution. At the same
00:24:43time, the constitutional declaration mentioned
00:24:47parties, unions, and civil society. So there
00:24:50seems to be a space for the authority
00:24:54to hesitate or to avoid
00:24:58any term. But in reality,
00:25:00there is no clear proposal for this.
00:25:04It is a strong popular desire, but
00:25:07there is no direct proposal for these issues.
00:25:11And let's be clear, today this is the form of a modern state,
00:25:14regardless of the literature and values.
00:25:17Every state has its own characteristics, that's for sure.
00:25:20But the form of a modern state includes parties, unions, civil society, and so on,
00:25:23and the state is formed in this way.
00:25:26The form of the state and even the form of democracy in this way,
00:25:31issue is not good. That is why I asked about
00:25:35political will, if it exists. I will return to you,
00:25:38but now I must move to Dr. Abdel Moneim, and I apologize
00:25:41for the delay, but I will give you the time.
00:25:45It is clear that the economic factor is a concern
00:25:49for those surveyed. What do these high
00:25:52percentages indicate, if only
00:25:5513% reported that their family income
00:25:59covers their basic expenses, and that the economic factor is the most
00:26:02worrying factor for them? What does this indicate?
00:26:06Good evening to all of you.
00:26:11reality, these indicators, of course,
00:26:14confirm the continuation of a situation that
00:26:18already existed, meaning that there is no
00:26:22improvement in the living standards
00:26:25of the Syrian citizen. Also, there is
00:26:29not only no improvement, but also there is no economic
00:26:32stability. Meaning that
00:26:36the concern indicates
00:26:39the Syrian citizen's view of their economy
00:26:43as a chaotic economy. This
00:26:46is extremely
00:26:49Of course, regardless of the issue of
00:26:53indicators, whether these
00:26:56indicators were the most important that should have been taken
00:26:59care of by this survey or by those
00:27:04we all know that the reality has become
00:27:07bitter in every sense of the word for the Syrian
00:27:11family, whether it concerns
00:27:14the income it earns
00:27:17or the sufficiency of this income,
00:27:20or even the outlook
00:27:23for the future, meaning the anxiety
00:27:27that one of the indicators pointed to. So the picture,
00:27:30the picture is, I wouldn't say bleak,
00:27:34but it is certainly not bright and does not
00:27:38inspire optimism. The important things
00:27:41that we can talk about here regarding
00:27:43the extent of its
00:27:46consistency, these economic indicators
00:27:51or indicators that point to political or
00:27:54non-political desires, or the stance towards the authority,
00:27:58or so on, in reality, yes, there is a gap
00:28:01and a great contradiction. We know that
00:28:05naturally, when
00:28:08does not achieve the level they
00:28:12desire in their livelihood,
00:28:15they do not even meet the minimum of their basic needs.
00:28:17Perhaps they look at other
00:28:20needs as being of
00:28:24lower priority or of a lower rank in their
00:28:27hierarchy of priorities. And here we must speak
00:28:31directly to emphasize an important
00:28:34idea, which is that the transitional authority
00:28:37today, regarding basic services,
00:28:40regarding the real value of
00:28:44the incomes that any person working in Syria earns,
00:28:47and also regarding the outlook for
00:28:50the future, has not yet been able to achieve
00:28:54the goals it announced, whether as an authority
00:28:57before the transitional government or even on that
00:29:01day when the ministers spoke when they were. How should
00:29:04the state look at these results,
00:29:08especially since, as you indicate, as you describe, it has not achieved
00:29:11the announced goals, specifically in the economic matter?
00:29:15When we say more than
00:29:1842% of respondents
00:29:21find that Syria's current problems are economic problems,
00:29:25and this is a high and significant percentage,
00:29:27specifically two years after the fall
00:29:30of the regime.
00:29:32Yes, in reality, macroeconomic indicators
00:29:35are clear, known, and obvious.
00:29:39All economic indicators today, with the exception of the growth rate,
00:29:43which is the primary indicator, are declining indicators.
00:29:48the Syrian lira and a decline in its real
00:29:51value, even
00:29:55some stability in certain periods for the nominal value.
00:29:58Therefore, there is a decline in the purchasing
00:30:01power of all Syrian citizens, regardless of whether
00:30:05they work in the public sector
00:30:08or in the private sector. This
00:30:11is very important because today
00:30:15the Syrian pound is a true mirror of the Syrian citizen's
00:30:18confidence in their economy. Of course, regarding
00:30:21the matters that I wished the survey
00:30:25had focused on, such as the effectiveness of
00:30:28economic policies, whether monetary policy
00:30:32or fiscal policy, or the Syrian citizen's
00:30:35confidence in the indicators
00:30:38related to even what the
00:30:41government issues in terms of advanced data
00:30:45in terms of transparency, meaning that it
00:30:49will form continuous pillars and accumulation
00:30:52for the continuation of transparency and credibility. I also
00:30:55greatly wished for something related to accountability
00:30:58and responsibility.