Arab Digest podcasts Libya in a dangerous time
May 8, 2025
Tarek Megerisi, a Senior Policy Fellow specializing in Libya at the European Council on Foreign Relations, provides keen insights into the nation's current turmoil. He discusses the troubling stalemate and rampant corruption led by influential families. Megerisi explores the disillusionment with Libyan leadership post-Gaddafi and examines the shadow of foreign interference, particularly from Russia and Turkey. The conversation sheds light on how these dynamics exacerbate the humanitarian crisis, and calls for a renewed political approach to rescue Libya from its geopolitical quagmire.
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Dangerous Libya Stalemate
- Libya is mistakenly perceived as stable because there isn't a major war since 2020, but the political stalemate is dangerous.
- Corruption and state capture by armed groups keep worsening Libya's crisis despite lack of headline wars.
Greed Surpasses Gaddafi Era
- Despite Gaddafi's dictatorship, Libyans had subsidies for basic needs, unlike now under corrupt leadership.
- Current leaders exhibit extreme greed, dismantling subsidies and worsening people's lives.
Agila Saleh's Hollow Power
- Agila Saleh symbolizes Libya's political dysfunction: unpopular, lacking real constituency, yet elevated internationally.
- His parliament rarely meets properly, illustrating how Libya maintains a facade of democracy but lacks legitimacy.