Syria in transition: Impressions from Damascus after the toppling of the Assad regime

Aiming to depict and contextualise a specific moment in the immediate aftermath of the overthrow of the Assad regime in Syria, this fieldnote presents my main impressions from a visit to Damascus in late January and early February 2025. It describes how the Syrians I encountered who had various socio-religious backgrounds and were predominantly happy with the downfall of the regime were preoccupied by two issues that they found equally relevant to the transition process. First, they were engaging in new forms of public debate, attempting to make their voices heard and to find ways of listening to others. Second, they worried about the re-establishment of order including the restart of the economy that could alleviate some of the abject poverty experienced by most Syrians at this time. The fieldnote suggests that these awarenesses reverberate with the stated goals of Western politicians who could do more to support them.