ABSTRACT
It is only a month ago that the uprisings in the Middle East were hailed as the greatest good thing that happened in recent history in this part of the world. The basic social problem of the Middle East is the "youth bulge", the fact that there are many millions of young people who are unemployed or underemployed. This is true for Egypt as much as for Yemen and even for Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries. But finding employment for young people is the basic social problem in the Middle East. Without finding a solution, all the talk about democratic reform will remain mere talk and the Middle East will remain a region of unrest and conflict for many years to come. And unless the European dependence on Middle Eastern oil and gas is reduced, Europe will have to deal with whoever will be in power.
