Publication

This commentary looks at the problems confronting Libya after the downfall of Muammar Qaddafi. So far, the country’s reliable energy resources and its recent election results hint at a positive outcome for its socio-political transformation, at least in the long-term. At the same time, the current existence of multiple centers of power, shifting numbers of paramilitary groups, unchecked weapons proliferation, and growing political extremism will only prolong the Libyan state’s reconstitution and reconstruction efforts. Despite all these challenges, the commentary concludes, the European Union and United States will continue to play only a relatively minor role in the current transition process.