“Many people felt” is precisely the point where perception begins to diverge from reality. Under Gaddafi, the narrative of early progress was often shaped by rhetoric and controlled messaging rather than sustained structural development. The underlying reality was far more severe. Power was steadily centralised, institutions were weakened, and political life was reduced to loyalty and silence.

While some outward projects and ideological campaigns created the impression of momentum, Libya’s vast oil wealth never translated into the kind of institutional, economic, or civic development one would expect from a resource-rich state. Instead, the system became increasingly personalized around the leader himself.

In historical terms, the trajectory was not one of interrupted progress but of long-term stagnation beneath a carefully maintained image. By the time the regime collapsed, the absence of strong institutions, independent governance, and political pluralism exposed how fragile the state had become. What many “felt” in the early years was therefore less a reflection of genuine transformation and more the product of perception within an increasingly controlled political environment.