Syria’s October 2025 parliamentary elections were presented as a milestone in the country’s political transition, the first to take place since the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Yet beneath the language of reform, the process remained tightly managed, reflecting familiar patterns of control and limited participation.
The elections ultimately raised a fundamental question: were they a genuine exercise of choice or an illusion of it? In our first episode, Mutasem Al-Syoufi of The Day After (TDA) unpacks what the vote truly delivered and what it reveals about the trajectory of Syria’s political transition.
Expert Guest:
A long-time advocate for democratic reform, Mutasem has been active in Syria’s civic and political landscape since the early 2000s, taking part in the Damascus Spring and Damascus Declaration movements.
Under his leadership, TDA has become a leading organisation advancing Syria’s democratic transition, supporting electoral governance, training local councils, and providing technical assistance to the Syrian Supreme Elections Committee for the October 2025 parliamentary elections to promote transparency, inclusivity, and credible participation.