Interviewers: Lyna Ouandjeli (Researcher, and Head of Collaborative Projects at EISMENA)
Guest: Jamil Sayah (Science PO Grenoble)
In this EISMENA episode, we unpack why Libya’s post-2011 crisis is not only institutional, but deeply structural: dual authorities (Tripoli vs the East), militia-based governance, and constant external interference. The discussion explores why importing a “Western-style” state model struggles to take root without a shared social contract and political contract, and why legitimacy ultimately depends on sovereignty and the state’s ability to monopolize force.
00:00 – Intro: format & Libya focus
00:40 – Libya’s lack of state tradition + Tripoli vs East duality
03:00 – 2011: revolution, civil war, NATO intervention & its consequences
05:18 – Why Libya lacks a social contract and a political contract
07:00 – Tribes, militias, autonomy: governance through force and bargaining
08:40 – Institutions vs reality: “political cosmetics” and competing power centers
09:15 – Legitimacy, sovereignty, monopoly of violence + foreign backers
10:41 – A “warm peace”/Lebanon-style equilibrium and external interests
12:03 – Why state-building takes decades + militias, migration, resource politics
14:36 – Conclusion: Libya as “power, not a state” Watch, share, and follow EISMENA for in-depth analysis on the Middle East and North Africa.