Culture Society, Identity and Belonging
Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, moved a step closer to Western sanctions relief after announcing a new cabinet that includes appointees from Syria’s Druze, Alawite, Christian and Kurdish minorities, as well as the head of the White Helmets rescue group.
When he came to power in December, Sharaa’s caretaker cabinet was filled by Sunni Islamist figures from the area where he led a quasi-state.
But for all the diversity of the new setup, Sharaa isn’t giving away any power.
The interim president’s close allies remain in the foreign and defence posts, while this month Sharaa signed a constitutional declaration getting rid of the PM role and giving himself power to appoint one-third of the Syrian parliament (he appoints the committee that elects the other two-thirds).
The declaration affirms an independent judiciary subject “only to the law”, but Sharaa has the authority to appoint the Supreme Court.
Syria has left behind the horrors of the Assad regime, but questions about its future freedoms remain.
