Home/Working Groups/Security Policy & Defence/The Security Dilemma in post-Arab Spring Libya

The Security Dilemma in post-Arab Spring Libya

The impact of the Arab Spring in Libya: the Security Dilemma and the Fragmentation of the State

Key Insights
  • How did the Arab Spring shape Libya’s long-term political fragmentation and insecurity?
  • The 2011 uprising dismantled weak state institutions, triggering a security dilemma where militias and foreign actors filled the power vacuum, reinforcing division.
  • Libya’s instability persists due to entrenched militia power and external interference, making unified governance and democratic transition unlikely without structural change.
Download PDF
1 min read

Carlo Magnani Young Italian graduate who obtained a Bachelor’s degree in International Sciences and European Institutions from the University of Milan. Throughout his studies, he developed a strong academic interest and competence in international relations, with particular attention to international security and defence. He wrote a Bachelor’s thesis about the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and he is now enrolled in a bilingual Master’s program in International Relations at ULB (Brussels).

Cite this brief
Magnani, C. (2026). The Security Dilemma in post-Arab Spring Libya. EPIS Insight · Security Policy & Defence.
© 2026 EPIS · Independent · Non-partisan · Funded by the EPIS FellowsImprint · Privacy · RSS