Media Advisory: Jordan’s King Abdullah II speaks with Le Nouvel Observateur on Hard Work Ahead to Ensure Arab Spring Brings a “Better Life”

Wide-ranging interview on domestic and international matters

AMMAN, Jordan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In an interview with Le Nouvel Observateur, His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan addressed domestic and geopolitical considerations facing the Kingdom. An English translation is available with this link: http://bit.ly/13r3Y5q. Among a wide range of topics, King Abdullah II discusses:

“Each group in Syrian society, including the Alawites, must feel that they have a stake in the future of the country. The fragmentation or implosion of Syria would have disastrous consequences for the whole region, and could ignite conflicts for generations to come.”

• The conflict in Syria
• The Arab Spring and democratization in Jordan
• The importance of the peace process for Israel and Palestine

Key quotes from King Abdullah II, offered in English translation:

“Right now, when I look at the region in general, I see a huge risk that secular authoritarianism might be replaced with religious authoritarianism. When women’s rights regress, when minorities, Christians and others, fear for their future, when pluralism is undermined, that’s not democracy. We have a lot of hard work to ensure that we all look back, once the dust settles, in five or ten years, and say that the Arab Spring really brought a better life – more justice, dignity and opportunity – to the people of the Arab world.”

“Jordan has embraced the Arab Spring since its start. You have not seen in Jordan the dramatic events that other countries have witnessed, but there has been an unprecedented reform process, with wide-ranging amendments to one-third of the constitution, new democratic institutions such as the Independent Elections Commission and Constitutional Court, stronger check-and-balance mechanisms, enhanced separation of powers and new limitations to the King’s powers...the powers of Jordanian Kings have always been clearly defined and limited by the Constitution.”

“What we are trying to achieve in Jordan in terms of our evolutionary reform program and home-grown democratization efforts is to ensure pluralism and the appropriate checks and balances for a properly functioning democracy, develop a vibrant civic culture, provide all political forces with a level-playing field to fairly compete at the ballot boxes, protect minorities’ rights and safeguard citizens’ rights per our Constitution.”

“The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the core cause of instability in the Middle East and beyond, and solving it is Jordan’s first foreign policy priority.”

“Each group in Syrian society, including the Alawites, must feel that they have a stake in the future of the country. The fragmentation or implosion of Syria would have disastrous consequences for the whole region, and could ignite conflicts for generations to come.”