Seit 2025 (und 2015 - 2018 sowie 2019 - 2023): Sprecherin des Forschungsteams "Authoritarian Politics" im FSP 1
Seit 07/2023: MECAM Publikationsmanagerin
Managing Editor der MECAM-Buchreihe "Perspectives on the Maghreb" (Routledge)
Herausgeberin der MECAM Papers
2014-2019: Koordinatorin des IDCAR-Netzwerks
Seit 07/2014: Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin am GIGA Institut für Nahoststudien
2009 - 2014: Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin am Institut für Politikwissenschaft der Universität Tübingen, Arbeitsbereich Politik des Vorderen Orients und Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft
Studium: Politikwissenschaft, Islamkunde und Öffentliches Recht an den Universitäten Tübingen und Kopenhagen, Dissertation "The Arab Uprisings as Crises of Legitimacy: Success and Failure of Strategies of Political Rule in Jordan and Algeria”
Aktuelle Forschung
Persistenz autoritärer Herrschaft im Arabischen Frühling
Middle East Studies Association (MESA), Mitgliedschaft in regionenbezogenem Fachverband oder Netzwerk, seit 2020
Deutsche Vereinigung für Politikwissenschaft (DVPW), Mitgliedschaft in disziplinärem Fachverband oder Netzwerk, seit 2015
Deutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft Vorderer Orient für gegenwartsbezogene Forschung und Dokumentation (DAVO), Mitgliedschaft in regionenbezogenem Fachverband oder Netzwerk, seit 2003
In diesem Artikel liefert Dr. Maria Josua Einschätzungen zu den politische Strukturen in Tunesien anlässlich der zunehmenden Repression sowie jüngsten Proteste.
The Soft-Handed Kingdom? Revisiting Repression in the Moroccan “Arab Spring”
Deutscher Orientalistentag 2025, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen
Organisation: Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Deutsche Morgenländische Gesellschaft
Dr. Maria Josua (Vortragende:r), Dr. Kressen Thyen (Vortragende:r)
This paper disentangles the specific patterns of repression that was employed in Morocco during the 2011-12 protests, challenging the narrative of a benign and reform-based response to the Arab uprisings.
Perceptions of State-Society Relations, MECAM, Tunis
Dr. Maria Josua (Organisator:in)
This workshop tackled the question of state-society relations in the Maghreb from a historical perspective. Focusing on the late phase of the rule of Ben Ali, the contributors investigated the interrelationship of communication and control between societal and state actors. Comparative analyses embedded the historical findings from Tunisia into the bigger picture of developments in the MENA.
This widely cited and currently most-read article in Mediterranean Politics provides a concise overview of how the Arab uprisings changed repression in Arab states on the one hand. On the other hand, it points to lacunae in existing repression research and lines out several approaches and themes that are becoming relevant in researching repression in the MENA and beyond.
This article investigates the communication of everyday repression in autocracies. It analyzes data from the novel "Justifications of Repressive Incidents in Morocco and Tunisia Dataset (JuRI)" covering human rights violations and judicial repression in the years 2000-2010.
In this article, Maria Josua sketches the state of the art of the interrelation between legitimation and repression in autocracies, pointing to existing research on framing and political communication in autocracies and the role of rhetoric in protest policing.
In this article, Maria Josua analyses the regional and local vis-à-vis international drivers of diffusion. The introduction of antiterror legislation in Arab countries followed domestic attacks and regional examples rather than international obligations after 9/11. After the Arab uprisings, the modification of counterterror legislation was driven by fears of protests and aimed at criminalizing dissent.
Der Ereignisdatensatz enthält 439 repressive Vorfälle in Marokko und Tunisien von 2000-2010. Die Daten desaggregieren verschiedene Dimensionen von Repression und ihrer Rechtfertigung. Der JuRI-Datensatz basiert auf einer Synthese öffentlich zugänglicher Berichte über Menschenrechtsverletzungen.
The Merian Centre for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM) based in Tunis is the first and only Institute for Advanced Studies in North Africa. MECAM’s ambition is to become an intellectual hub that contributes to the emergence of cutting-edge, internationally relevant and visible research in the humanities and social sciences on, from and in the Maghreb and in particular with scholars from the Maghreb. The GIGA coordinates MECAM's publications as well as outreach and transfer activities. BMFTR, 2023-2029
This project offers a new perspective on how repression can sustain authoritarianism. It focuses on Tunesia and Morocco – two countries with divergent trajectories during the Arab uprisings. Bridging framing and autocracy research, the project develops a new concept of justifications of repression. It shows how their application in different branches of government differs, why certain types of justifications are chosen, and what effect they have. DFG, 2019-2024
In the WDR Zeitzeichen History Podcast, Dr. Maria Josua offers insights into the state of democracy in Tunisia since the 2010-11 revolution, analysing the transition process until the current repressive phase.
In diesem Artikel liefert Dr. Maria Josua Einschätzungen zu den politische Strukturen in Tunesien anlässlich der zunehmenden Repression sowie jüngsten Proteste.
The Soft-Handed Kingdom? Revisiting Repression in the Moroccan “Arab Spring”
Deutscher Orientalistentag 2025, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen
Organisation: Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Deutsche Morgenländische Gesellschaft
Dr. Maria Josua (Vortragende:r), Dr. Kressen Thyen (Vortragende:r)
This paper disentangles the specific patterns of repression that was employed in Morocco during the 2011-12 protests, challenging the narrative of a benign and reform-based response to the Arab uprisings.
Perceptions of State-Society Relations, MECAM, Tunis
Dr. Maria Josua (Organisator:in)
This workshop tackled the question of state-society relations in the Maghreb from a historical perspective. Focusing on the late phase of the rule of Ben Ali, the contributors investigated the interrelationship of communication and control between societal and state actors. Comparative analyses embedded the historical findings from Tunisia into the bigger picture of developments in the MENA.
This widely cited and currently most-read article in Mediterranean Politics provides a concise overview of how the Arab uprisings changed repression in Arab states on the one hand. On the other hand, it points to lacunae in existing repression research and lines out several approaches and themes that are becoming relevant in researching repression in the MENA and beyond.
This article investigates the communication of everyday repression in autocracies. It analyzes data from the novel "Justifications of Repressive Incidents in Morocco and Tunisia Dataset (JuRI)" covering human rights violations and judicial repression in the years 2000-2010.
In this article, Maria Josua sketches the state of the art of the interrelation between legitimation and repression in autocracies, pointing to existing research on framing and political communication in autocracies and the role of rhetoric in protest policing.
In this article, Maria Josua analyses the regional and local vis-à-vis international drivers of diffusion. The introduction of antiterror legislation in Arab countries followed domestic attacks and regional examples rather than international obligations after 9/11. After the Arab uprisings, the modification of counterterror legislation was driven by fears of protests and aimed at criminalizing dissent.
Der Ereignisdatensatz enthält 439 repressive Vorfälle in Marokko und Tunisien von 2000-2010. Die Daten desaggregieren verschiedene Dimensionen von Repression und ihrer Rechtfertigung. Der JuRI-Datensatz basiert auf einer Synthese öffentlich zugänglicher Berichte über Menschenrechtsverletzungen.
The Merian Centre for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM) based in Tunis is the first and only Institute for Advanced Studies in North Africa. MECAM’s ambition is to become an intellectual hub that contributes to the emergence of cutting-edge, internationally relevant and visible research in the humanities and social sciences on, from and in the Maghreb and in particular with scholars from the Maghreb. The GIGA coordinates MECAM's publications as well as outreach and transfer activities. BMFTR, 2023-2029
This project offers a new perspective on how repression can sustain authoritarianism. It focuses on Tunesia and Morocco – two countries with divergent trajectories during the Arab uprisings. Bridging framing and autocracy research, the project develops a new concept of justifications of repression. It shows how their application in different branches of government differs, why certain types of justifications are chosen, and what effect they have. DFG, 2019-2024
In the WDR Zeitzeichen History Podcast, Dr. Maria Josua offers insights into the state of democracy in Tunisia since the 2010-11 revolution, analysing the transition process until the current repressive phase.
In diesem Artikel liefert Dr. Maria Josua Einschätzungen zu den politische Strukturen in Tunesien anlässlich der zunehmenden Repression sowie jüngsten Proteste.
The Soft-Handed Kingdom? Revisiting Repression in the Moroccan “Arab Spring”
Deutscher Orientalistentag 2025, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen
Organisation: Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Deutsche Morgenländische Gesellschaft
Dr. Maria Josua (Vortragende:r), Dr. Kressen Thyen (Vortragende:r)
This paper disentangles the specific patterns of repression that was employed in Morocco during the 2011-12 protests, challenging the narrative of a benign and reform-based response to the Arab uprisings.
Perceptions of State-Society Relations, MECAM, Tunis
Dr. Maria Josua (Organisator:in)
This workshop tackled the question of state-society relations in the Maghreb from a historical perspective. Focusing on the late phase of the rule of Ben Ali, the contributors investigated the interrelationship of communication and control between societal and state actors. Comparative analyses embedded the historical findings from Tunisia into the bigger picture of developments in the MENA.
This article investigates the communication of everyday repression in autocracies. It analyzes data from the novel "Justifications of Repressive Incidents in Morocco and Tunisia Dataset (JuRI)" covering human rights violations and judicial repression in the years 2000-2010.
Nach dem arabischen Frühling war Tunesien die einzige arabische Demokratie. Präsident Kais Saieds Putsch im Juli 2021 führte jedoch zu einer Autokratisierung. Dieser GIGA Focus zeichnet seine Unterstützungsbasis, Strategien und Rhetorik nach.
Wie kommunizieren Autokraten über alltägliche Repressionen? Die Analyse eines neuen Datensatzes über die Rechtfertigungen repressiver Vorfälle in Marokko und Tunesien in den Jahren 2000 bis 2010 zeigt, dass die gewählten Formen von Repression die Kommunikation darüber beeinflusst.
Der Ereignisdatensatz enthält 439 repressive Vorfälle in Marokko und Tunisien von 2000-2010. Die Daten desaggregieren verschiedene Dimensionen von Repression und ihrer Rechtfertigung. Der JuRI-Datensatz basiert auf einer Synthese öffentlich zugänglicher Berichte über Menschenrechtsverletzungen.
In this article, Maria Josua analyses the regional and local vis-à-vis international drivers of diffusion. The introduction of antiterror legislation in Arab countries followed domestic attacks and regional examples rather than international obligations after 9/11. After the Arab uprisings, the modification of counterterror legislation was driven by fears of protests and aimed at criminalizing dissent.
The Merian Centre for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM) based in Tunis is the first and only Institute for Advanced Studies in North Africa. MECAM’s ambition is to become an intellectual hub that contributes to the emergence of cutting-edge, internationally relevant and visible research in the humanities and social sciences on, from and in the Maghreb and in particular with scholars from the Maghreb. The GIGA coordinates MECAM's publications as well as outreach and transfer activities. BMFTR, 2023-2029
This project offers a new perspective on how repression can sustain authoritarianism. It focuses on Tunesia and Morocco – two countries with divergent trajectories during the Arab uprisings. Bridging framing and autocracy research, the project develops a new concept of justifications of repression. It shows how their application in different branches of government differs, why certain types of justifications are chosen, and what effect they have. DFG, 2019-2024
In politics and political science alike, the increasing international influence of authoritarian regimes has become a central concern around the globe. From 2014-2019, the IDCAR network brought together some of the most renowned scholars in the field to produce high-level research and, based on this, policy advice and public outreach. Leibniz Association, 2014-2019
In the WDR Zeitzeichen History Podcast, Dr. Maria Josua offers insights into the state of democracy in Tunisia since the 2010-11 revolution, analysing the transition process until the current repressive phase.
In diesem Artikel liefert Dr. Maria Josua Einschätzungen zu den politische Strukturen in Tunesien anlässlich der zunehmenden Repression sowie jüngsten Proteste.
Taking domestic and international audiences seriously: Justifications of repression in the Arab uprisings
Authoritarian Convergence: Mechanisms, Strategies and Consequences of Policy Transfer in Post-Soviet States, Södertörn University, Stockholm
Dr. Maria Josua (Vortragende:r)
At the workshop bringing together scholars working on authoritarian diffusion in the post-Soviet space, Maria Josua contributed findings from her research within the IDCAR network next to presenting results of her DFG-funded project.
Taking audiences seriously: Justifications of repression in the Tunisian and Moroccan uprisings of 2011
Nordic Conference on Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oslo, Oslo
Organisation: Institutt for kultur, religion, Asia- og Midtøstenstudier, Universitetet i Oslo
Dr. Maria Josua (Vortragende:r)
At the Nordic Conference on Middle Eastern Studies, Maria Josua presented findings from her DFG-funded project on justifications of repression during the Arab uprisings.
Nordic Conference on Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oslo, Oslo
Organisation: Institutt for kultur, religion, Asia- og Midtøstenstudier, Universitetet i Oslo
Dr. Maria Josua (Chair)
Maria Josua chaired a panel on "Regional (Dis)Order in the Wake of the Gaza War – Global, Regional and Domestic intertwinements" at the Nordic Conference on Middle Eastern Studies.
