US Envoy: “Democracy Doesn’t Suit Middle East; Monarchy Works Best”

DID Press: Tom Barrack, the U.S. Special Representative for Syria, marking the first anniversary of the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government, praised what he called the “heroic achievements” of Syria’s new administration and outlined Washington’s view of Damascus’s political future. He argued that democracy is not a suitable model for the Middle East and that “benevolent monarchy” has produced better outcomes in the region.

According to Middle East Eye, Barrack, speaking on the anniversary of Assad’s ouster and the establishment of the Ahmed al-Shar’a government, referred to the new administration’s first year in power as “epic and heroic accomplishments,” describing them as evidence of a “redefinition of Syria’s political future.”

Emphasizing that Damascus must chart its political path “without the imposition of external templates,” he said: “The international community should not expect Syria to build a full democracy in twelve months; the country must have the space to shape its governance according to its own needs.”

Barrack went on to question the effectiveness of democracy in the broader region: “I don’t see any real democracy in the Middle East. Like it or not, the only model that has delivered results here is benevolent monarchy.”

The remarks, which have drawn wide attention across media commentary and social networks, are being viewed as indicative of a shift in tone among some U.S. policymakers toward governance structures in the Middle East—an approach that stresses “political realism” and adapting governing models to the region’s social fabric.