By building up the private sector and free market economies, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will help to foster democracy in the Arab Spring countries

In his second article, Thomas Mirow, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) argues that one of the most pressing economic problems in the Arab Spring countries is the lack of an independent and competitive private sector. With cautious privatization and the building up of the free market economy, the EBRD hopes to foster democracy by building up the number of people who feel they have an important stake in their country’s future