Five years ago the Arab revolutions with the massive participation of social network- savvy youth ousted dictatorial rulers in what some people called ‘the Facebook revolution’. A wave of unprecedented and well coordinated protests took place in several countries in the Middle East to manifest the anger of the population mainly about the youngsters suffering from marginalisation unemployment and harsh and difficult living conditions. These protests and rallies forced the rulers to leave power seemingly opening the doors to a new era. The move in some cases seemed smooth and the casualties were limited. Many were optimistic about a promising future. The revolutions were called the “Arab Spring” forecasting a bright future and changes for the better for the youngsters to have their dreams come true- those youngsters who were just asking for a job and a decent life.

Most of the groups who were behind the revolutions emerged outside of the dominant ideological forces that had imposed deep political and social divisions. The initial revolutionary wave mobilised and urged millions of Arabs to seek and ask for freedom social justice and democracy.

As usual the revolutions were challenged by counter-revolutionary forces that used all means and tactics to have their say in the new political scene. Yemen was another case where counter-revolutionary forces used insurgency and the dismantling of state institutions. In Syria these forces with the aid and conspiracy of outside powers are fighting to stay in power and annihilate the revolution.

Therefore it has been argued by some that socioeconomic changes require more than just street protests and rallies. They added that the social media are not enough to drive serious changes in any country. Getting rid of a dictatorial and corrupt regime is not enough. Building democratic institutions balanced media a strong economy fair justice system rational governance and restoring confidence in a flawed state are much more complex and difficult tasks.

After five years the most promising experience among the Arab Spring countries namely Tunisia is now witnessing riots and anger from those who believed that their days were going to be brighter. Tunisia is seen as the country that has achieved most political change since the Arab spring at the lowest human cost. The regime though it fell did not just disappear because of Ben Ali’s departure and the army standing by and protecting the Tunisian people from Ben Ali’s loyal police. That was just the beginning. Within the country a long struggle began not just to replace the most corrupt and incompetent adherents of the old regime but also to devise a new constitutional order. This took two years and only succeeded because there was a measure of trust between the different parties involved. The new rulers in place succeeded in producing a new constitution. However; things in real life haven’t changed much. Terrorist incidents have hindered both economic progress and deeper political reform. The slow economy has been unable to provide jobs for the hundreds of thousands of well educated young men and women in Tunisia. The new government in place in Tunisia could not yet help to realise the dreams of the late street vegetable vendor Bouazizi. Getting rid of dictators is one thing but developing a strong and competitive economy is a long term challenge.

As for other Arab Spring countries the situation for citizens is worsening day after day. Yemen is living through an atrocious civil war where living conditions are much deteriorated. Syria is not any better than Yemen where the country is becoming a battle field for superpowers to show off their military power and strength. Libya is another fiasco of the Arab Spring experience. The country is facing a score of difficulties and problems with several factions fighting each other and DAESH taking over several provinces although recent peace agreements may prove fruitful. Egypt the most populated country in the Arab World- with 90 million inhabitants is experiencing a revolution without a change. A status quo has been forcibly imposed by the new highly contested president.

In short Arab Spring Countries have rarely lived in darker times. The hopes raised by the Arab spring—for more inclusive politics and more responsive government for more jobs and fewer presidential cronies carving up the economy—have been dashed. Terrorism is becoming a part of the daily life as DAESH and other terrorist forces menace their security and peace deterring investment in Arab economies. Despair is gaining ground. Things are getting worse than the days of older regimes. Life is becoming more difficult for those who marched in the streets five years ago. Their life hasn’t changed as there are no jobs and no better life. Prices especially of food are skyrocketing.

This is not to say that the events of 2011 came from nowhere. Algeria’s Islamist uprising in 1991 two intifadas in Palestine the “Independence revolution” that ousted Lebanon’s government in 2005 all ushered in the region’s desire for change. The world’s democracies were by and large correct in judging that what they were seeing in 2011 was something broader more potent and more difficult to steer than a set of national crises that happened to coincide. They were not naive enough to think that an empowered “Arab street” would actually immediately move Arab countries closer to global norms of good governance. However that was the demand that the demonstrators made in protest after protest from the Atlantic to the Gulf.

Just as the spring itself was more than just a set of national events so the current period of counter-revolution is an international matter. The big looser of course are the people of the Arab Spring countries. After five years they haven’t seen yet what they were dreaming about.

Syria is the most complex and complicated experience. It is simply a civil war where superpowers and powers from the region are involved in the war which has long since degenerated into a monumental free-for-all involving dozens of belligerents again with devastating results for Syria’s citizens and ancient civilization. Egypt Libya Yemen and Syria are the biggest failures of the Arab Spring which is called by many nowadays the ‘Arab Fall’. Hoping that Tunisia will be a success and bearing in mind that changes need time and democracy need decades.It took the French Revolution over eighty years to see its goals achieved.

The writer is a professor of public relations and Mass Communication at Qatar University.