The economy is the bedrock that any future Syria will be built on. This excerpt from the concluding sections of ECFR's policy brief explores what is left of that bedrock, how it has been transformed, and what European states can do in the light of the current state of Syria's economy.

The only Arab country where protests started from rural areas might find itself facing an internationally funded reconstruction which will award money to urban centres, thus abandoning the very roots of the current crisis. The only solution is to build economic awareness. Starting from now.

The bitter divisions in Syria both reflect and intensify the grave, long-term economic challenges that must be met if the country is to have a viable future, says Jihad Yazigi