The Middle East and North Africa in 2021: brewing crises and geopolitical re-alignments

The coronavirus pandemic has shocked the world and its consequences will last for many years. The enormous costs of the pandemic will only be known ex post. While some people will have lost nothing, others will have lost everything, sometimes even their lives. On the positive side, most governments around the globe have started to design optimal policies to face the incredible challenges that lie ahead for the humanity. The geopolitics of the world will change as a result of increasing tensions and conflicts between the great powers such as the United States, China and Russia. The competition between democracy and authoritarianism will intensify; the synergy of market and state will be transformed. It will be particularly dangerous to see two sides of the same coin as alternatives: neoliberal capitalism versus populist capitalism.