After Syria’s government agreed to a ceasefire deal on the 22nd of February 2016 which seems to hold until now, questions are raised on how the country should proceed if it wants to become a unified country once again. A strengthened inclusive Syrian state not only provides military steadfastness against the Islamic State but can additionally improve the political structure and tackle the social and economic deficiencies in the Middle East region - writes Alexander Grims, CIR's intern, in his analysis "Syria: federalism as the way forward?".

A unified inclusive Syrian state is therefore one of the necessary conditions for a solution to a multitude of problems, including the current refugee crisis that the European countries now face - adds Grims.

The full analysis is available below: