The book takes stock of the evolution of political regimes in countries stretching from the former Soviet Union to the Arab Mediterranean world. It analyzes the plight of the hopes for democratization in this region since the ""color revolutions"" of 2004 and 2005 (a wave of mostly nonviolent, democracy-advocating protests against authoritarian governments), and the major causes of progress and regress seen in the region.

Contributors include Gergana Noutcheva (CEPS, Brussels), Alina Mundei Pippidi (Hertie School of Governance, Berlin), Vesna Pesic (member of Parliament, Belgrade), Senem Aydin-Duzgit (CEPS and Bilgi University, Istanbul), Elena Klitsounova (Center for Integration Research and Projects, St. Petersberg), Leyla Alieva (Center for National and International Studies, Baku), Hakin Darbouche (Oxford Institute for Energy Studies), Alexander Bogomolov (Maidan, Kyiv), Richard Giragosian (Armenian Center for National and International Studies, Yerevan), George Khutsishvili (International Center on Conflict and Negotiation, Tbilisi), Salam Kawakibi (Paris), Neil Melvin (Energy Charter Secretariat, Brussels), Nicu Popescu (European Council for Foreign Relations), Dina Shehata (Al-Ahram Center for Political & Strategic Studies, Cairo), and Balazs Jarabik (Pact Ukraine).