In the West many of us might naturally associate a youth movement for ‘freedom and better opportunities’ with a liberalization of market regulations. However, ther desire for less abusive governments does not translate into a popular desire for less bloated governments in a post-‘Arab Spring’ setting – but rather the opposite. In fact, many Arabs see no natural correlation between free-market policies and broader societal wealth, since they have witnessed quite the opposite in the past. In this report, Susanne Tarkowski explores the popular attitudes towards free-market policies in Egypt and Libya. The conclusion is that change towards a free market, which is necessary for stability and growth in the region in the long run, will be difficult.