Egypt Daily News – King Abdullah II of Jordan has appointed Jaafar Hassan as the new Prime Minister following the resignation of Bisher Al-Khasawneh’s government, which came shortly after parliamentary elections that saw gains for the Islamic opposition.
Hassan, who has served as the King’s Office Director and previously as Minister of Planning, is expected to navigate the challenges posed by the ongoing Gaza war, which has adversely affected Jordan’s economy due to reduced investment and a significant drop in tourism.
In his remarks regarding Hassan’s appointment, King Abdullah emphasized the importance of strengthening democracy in Jordan and highlighted the need for advancing large infrastructure projects in the energy and water sectors, backed by international donors, to secure the country’s economic future.
Hassan, an esteemed technocrat educated at Harvard, will inherit a complex political situation where the previous government sought to implement reforms addressing a long-standing economic slowdown, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and regional instabilities.
The recent elections resulted in significant success for the Islamic Action Front party, associated with the Muslim Brotherhood, which won 31 seats—marking the largest parliamentary presence for Islamists since Jordan’s political revival in 1989.
This new political landscape, alongside strong anti-Israel sentiment in the nation, presents both opportunities and challenges for Hassan’s leadership.
While the King’s constitutional powers remain substantial, including government appointment and parliamentary dissolution, the newly empowered opposition may pose challenges to planned economic reforms aligned with guidance from the International Monetary Fund and influence government foreign policy.
Thus, Hassan’s administration will be tested in balancing reform demands while maintaining political stability in a context of increasing opposition representation.
