Conclusion: Algeria’s Future Prospects—Less Competitive, More Authoritarian

Abstract

The conclusion summarizes all chapters and gives some prospects for Algeria's future. The shift toward more authoritarianism by hybrid regimes following the succession of one leader by another is not always predetermined. A hybrid regime under new leadership can go either way. It can attempt reconciliation with the opposition, or at the very least a shift toward more consensus-based policies, to reclaim some of its lost legitimacy and reduce conflict. However, in the case of Algeria, the trend toward more authoritarianism is clear. Four factors drive the turn to greater authoritarianism in post-Bouteflika Algeria: strong pro-autocracy state institutions, especially the Army and the judiciary; increasing factionalism within an atomized opposition, including civil society organizations; the regime's diminishing capacity to buy social peace due to a challenging fiscal situation; and the regime's increased inability to remain socially and politically relevant.