After decades of war and dictatorship, Syria went to the polls for the first time since the fall of Bashar al-Assad. According to the interim government, it is the beginning of a new political era. But many wonder whether anything will actually change.
The Syrian parliamentary elections in October 2025 mark a symbolically important, yet deeply complex, milestone in the country’s modern history. After decades of authoritarian rule and civil war, this was the first attempt to establish a new political order. The elections were organized by the new transitional government, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – the former jihadist rebel movement that is now seeking to reshape itself as a political actor.
Despite the rhetoric of change, it was not a democratic election in the sense most people associate with free and general elections. Of the parliament's 210 seats were designated 140 through so-called regional electoral colleges. A system where local representatives vote for candidates on behalf of the local population.
According to the transitional government, this was necessary in a country with neither functioning electoral authorities nor secure voter registers. Critics say However, the model makes it easier for HTS to control the outcome. The remaining 70 seats are filled directly by interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa and the HTS leadership.
“People just want a functioning system,” he says. Souad, a widow in Homs. – No matter who rules. If this parliament can give us electricity and bread, then that is enough for now.
Souad is one of several people that Utvecklingsmagasinet spoke to through mediators within civil society in northern Syria and who wish to remain anonymous for security reasons. Several of them testify that everyday life, rather than ideology, is what guides their view of the election.
But not everyone shares Souad's pragmatism. In the Kurdish-led city of Qamishli, where the election was boycotted, the central government's attempts to establish control are met with distrust.
– We did not participate, because we do not believe that Damascus represents us. Everyone is talking about a new beginning, but for us it feels like the same old game with new players, says Lina, 29-year-old activist and student.
The election has highlighted Syria's continued division, according to the BBC. In the south, the vote was postponed after violent clashes this summer, while parts of the country's northeastern regions are completely outside the process.
Some voices, like Rasha al-Hamwi, a lawyer in Aleppo, however, sees the election as a necessary first step towards some form of order:
“We have seen many sham elections, but this is at least an attempt to rebuild institutions,” she says.
The fact that the election took place at all is largely due to international pressure, especially from Turkey and Qatar, which, in return for continued humanitarian and economic support, demanded that HTS begin rebuilding the country's institutions. For HTS, the election can therefore be considered a way to signal legitimacy, both within and outside the country.
But for most Syrians, the election has been about building stability rather than democracy. There is no independent electoral authority, press freedom remains limited, and candidates must be approved by HTS. There are fears that the election could cement a new form of authoritarian status quo, where power is centralized rather than shared.
At the same time, the symbolic significance should not be underestimated. The fact that elections are being held at all, and that some civilian structures are being re-established, marks a break with the totalitarian control that defined the Assad era.
Unlike the elections under Assad, which were controlled by the Baath Party and lacked real competition, the latest election has provided space for several local candidates, although it still takes place within the framework of a strongly controlled system.
The future depends on whether the transitional government succeeds in making the process more inclusive. If it fails, Syria risks remaining stuck in a new version of old oppression, but if it succeeds, the election could be the first step towards a slow, painful but necessary rebuilding of state legitimacy.
The election results in brief
After decades of war and dictatorship, Syria went to the polls for the first time since the fall of Bashar al-Assad. According to the interim government, it is the beginning of a new political era. But many wonder whether anything will actually change.
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