After a renewed scholarly interest in the politics of revolution and societal transformation following the uprisings of 2011, the defeat of the revolutionary tide in the MENA region has drawn attention to the dynamic of counter-revolution and authoritarian resilience. I criticise binary approaches to the process of regime restoration in the region. I argue that 'au...

De Smet's rejoinder to the ROAPE debate addresses the conceptual, analytical and historical questions posed by the contributors.