experts
Sarah Yerkes
Senior Fellow, Middle East Program

about

Sarah Yerkes is a senior fellow in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Her research focuses on democracy and governance, U.S. foreign policy towards the Middle East and North Africa, and political and economic reform in Tunisia.

She is the editor of Geopolitics and Governance in North Africa (Edinburgh University Press, 2023) and the author of a forthcoming book examining the role of external actors in influencing the first decade of democratic transition around the globe.

Yerkes has been a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution and a Council on Foreign Relations international affairs fellow and has taught in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University and at the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University.

She is a former member of the State Department’s policy planning staff, where she focused on North Africa. Previously, she was a foreign affairs officer in the State’s Department’s Office of Israel and Palestinian affairs. Yerkes also served as a geopolitical research analyst for the U.S. military’s Joint Staff Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate (J5) at the Pentagon, advising the Joint Staff leadership on foreign policy and national security issues.

education
Ph.D. Georgetown University, M.A.  Harvard University, B.A.  Emory University
languages
Arabic, English, French, Hebrew, Spanish

All work from Sarah Yerkes

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152 Results
In The Media
in the media
Recent Elections and the State of Democracy in Tunisia

A conversation about the recent elections in Tunisia, their lack of credibility, how they have been received by U.S. and other foreign officials, and what they say about the trajectory of democracy, both in Tunisia and elsewhere in the Middle East.

· October 22, 2024
Lawfare Daily
a soldier's boots next to a rubber container used as a ballot deposit box
Can Tunisian Democracy Survive the President’s Second Term?

Kais Saied has chipped away at a decade of progress, but a few factors offer hope for the country’s democratic future.

· October 17, 2024
podcast
Can Tunisia’s Democracy Survive Saied’s Second Term?

Sarah Yerkes, a senior fellow in Carnegie's Middle East Program, joins Sophia to discuss the recent re-election of President Kais Saied and what it means for Tunisia's democracy.

· October 10, 2024
In The Media
in the media
Tunisia’s Saïed Cannot Avoid the Economy in His Second Term

As Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed embarks on his second term, he is facing an increasingly hostile public that is growing more impatient with his inability to address the country’s myriad economic challenges.

· October 4, 2024
Italian Institute for Interntational Political Studies
In The Media
in the media
Tunisia Is Holding an Election—But Will Voters Show Up?

In the longer term, officials can take various steps to help restore Tunisia’s economic growth, stability, and security.

· September 27, 2024
Washington Institute for Near East Policy
People marching and yelling while holding signs and banners
commentary
How Tunisia’s President Has Used the Law to Secure His Election Victory

Dozens of Tunisians expressed interest in running, but almost all have been disqualified or jailed under the president’s legal changes.

· September 24, 2024
In The Media
in the media
Tunisian President Shakes up His Government Ahead of Upcoming Elections

Tunisia President Kais Saied announced on Sunday a broad cabinet reshuffle of 19 ministers, nearly the entire government, ahead of the October 6 presidential election. 

· August 28, 2024
Voice of America
In The Media
in the media
Eu-Tunisia Relations: It’s All About Migration

The essence of the EU-Tunisia partnership can be summed up in three words: halting migration flows

· July 25, 2024
Italian Institute for International Political Studies
In The Media
in the media
Avoiding the Election Error in Tunisia: Why U.S. Policy Should Focus on Real Reform, Not Votes

 An effective approach in Tunisia would emphasize economic stability and a healthy civic space along with fending off Russian and Chinese influence—all of which could serve American interests and lay the ground for a revitalization of Tunisia’s democratic project.

· June 13, 2024
Washington Institute
Woman in gray hijab loads a large plastic water container onto a small donkey
article
What Tunisia’s Municipalities Can Contribute to Climate Adaptation

Because Tunisia’s regions face different climate threats and socioeconomic needs, municipalities should be more empowered to implement climate mitigation measures and protect vulnerable communities.

· June 13, 2024