Posledný tanec prezidenta Sáliha

Abstract

The Arab spring represents one of the most important historical events in the Arab world. The series of uprisings has aff ected almost every country in the region and brought a possibility for change of old autocratic systems. This paper deals with the Yemeni Arab spring, which was in the media shaped by the events in Egypt and Syria. It analyses the key players of the uprising, both in the regime and the opposition. The article shows that the very period of the Arab spring was not comprised of protests only, but was a complicated power game infl uenced by external players, mainly by Saudi Arabia and by the tribalized nature of Yemeni society. The Arab spring also brought a possibility for women to participate in public life, which is very limited in this conservative country. Their eff ort was in a symbolic way rewarded by awarding the Nobel Prize to Tawakkul Karman, one of the most important opposition activists of the Yemeni Arab spring.