The World bank has announced yesterday a $6 billion aid to support economic and political reforms in Egypt and Tunisia. The New York Times said this commitment is to strengthen more inclusive and transparent reforms: Egypt and Tunisia need cash immediately to maintain stability during this recession. Indeed, in our last post, according to IIF prospects, Egypt GDP will contract by 2.5 per cent and Tunisia by 1.5 per cent.

Social and democracy in North Africa will be the burning issue of the G8 meeting this week in Deauville (France). Transition and political, economic and social reforms in Egypt and Tunisia are a priority in the agendas. It is also the willing of Christine Lagarde who send a letter for her candidacy to succeed Dominique Strauss-Kahn as head of International Monetary Fund.

[IMF] should play a role not only in Europe, but also provide an aid to MENA countries (…) tying up the cooperation between IMF and local banks.

For The New York Times, youth employment has been a relevant factor in political upheavals. In the Jordan Times, Jordan is implementing a wide strategy plan to promote labour market and create new jobs for the 3.5 million people aged between 16 and 64 eligible for work: 1.4 million of them are economically active (1.22 million are employed, while 180,000 are jobless) and 2.09 million are inactive (30 per cent are students). During the next decade, half of the jobs created by the private sector went to guest workers.

Here is an interesting overview (published last February) from Charles M. Blow (New York Times columnist) of the Arab revolutions in a larger dimension than economy. The very revolution will be that of human rights, social and health.