In this episode of Syria: Alternative Dialogues podcast, we host economist Salma Hussein in an in-depth conversation about the transformations in social protection policies under neoliberal economic reforms, using Egypt’s post-revolution experience as a model to understand similar trajectories in Syria and the region.

The episode explores the effects of subsidy cuts and austerity measures on the most vulnerable groups, and how international financial institutions—such as the IMF and the World Bank—have reshaped social protection through loan conditions and imposed economic priorities that align with the interests of ruling elites.

We also examine the relationship between authoritarianism and neoliberalism, where economic policies become tools to reproduce structures of domination, deepen poverty, and deny broad segments of the population their most basic economic and social rights.

Salma sheds light on poverty targeting mechanisms, how they are often used as a cover for austerity, and discusses alternative visions for building a rights-based, inclusive, and participatory model of social protection.

About the guest:

Salma Hussein is an economist and public policy expert with extensive experience in analyzing macroeconomic policies in the Middle East, particularly in Egypt.

She holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the American University in Cairo, and a Bachelor’s in Economics and Political Science from Cairo University. She co-authored a study titled “Egypt’s Successive Economic Crises: The IMF’s Impact and Pathways to Just Monetary, Food, and Social Policies”, and contributed to several reports on social protection. Alongside her research, she has trained journalists, parliamentarians, and civil society members across the Arab region. She also contributed to the Arabic translation of Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century.

Hosted by: Rabie Nasser, researcher and co-founder of the Syrian Center for Policy Research

Episode preparation and coordination: Reem Takriti

This episode is part of a special podcast series on neoliberalism in Syria and the region, produced by the Syrian Center for Policy Research in collaboration with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.

Previous and Next Episodes:

Keep listening to our podcasts, and discover more from “Syria; Alternative Dialogues” by following us on Spotify.