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This paper will cast a closer look at the alleged 'legitimacy' of the Syrian regime and will show that the two main legitimating credentials of Bashar al-Asad – namely, his nationalist and reformist missions – carry with them an array of implicit norms and commitments, which shape the Syrian state–society relationship in such a way as to draw non-state actors into the spheres of power. Moreover this paper will examine various regional and international framings of legitimacy in relation to the Syrian war, charting the transition between diplomatic narratives of negotiation and intervention, humanitarian and security imperatives, religious conflict and war on terror. In so doing, the paper will question the common understanding of legitimacy as an evaluative concept embracing a variety of issues which play a role in justifying and maintaining effective political authority. Rather than exploring the legal validity or the moral justification for existing political institutions – as the notion of legitimacy suggests – my focus is on the persistent grip of power mechanisms and strategies of government which elicit discipline and compliance with the dicta of authoritarian rulers, and on how patterns of authoritarian state–society relations are established, justified and adapted to changing circumstances. An analysis of the imbrications of legitimacy and domination, I believe, will help us to understand the magnitude of current events in Syria and will contribute to a reflection about how we can achieve and sustain the movement away from authoritarianism.

1. Introduction: Changing Discourse under the Ba'thRaymond Hinnebusch2. Ideology And Discourse in the Era of Ba'thist Reforms: Towards an Analysis of Authoritarian GovernmentalityAurora Sottimano3. It's the Mentality, Stupid: Syria's Turn to the Private Sector Kjetil Selvik

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