The ongoing democratic backsliding in the Middle East and North Africa questions the promises brought by the Arab revolts on rights, dignity and a democratic governance in the region. They also give ground to those who argue for an incompatibility between the region and the very notion of democracy. The meagre gains in structural reforms, some of them are mere cosmetic change, empowered a return to a nationalistic discourse that frames change as a danger to the stability, national security and even the national identity. It is not a surprise to see a triumph of the nostalgia of old days, including former dictators, perceived as a safer option, despite their legacies of crimes and human rights violations. The ongoing counterrevolutions are empowered by a vicious use of new media, turned from a tool of liberation to a weapon of indoctrination, disinformation, and surveillance.

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