Calls for political reform in Jordan have come at a time when there is no popular political pressure or protest movement in the streets, as was the case during the Arab Spring, and - unexpectedly - after the parliamentary elections. As a result, political elites have developed various theories to explain the timing of these calls and the hidden motives behind them. Of course, this also raises the usual questions about whether there was in fact a genuine and serious intent to move further towards a democratic transition, which seems to have stalled and perhaps even been reversed, with regard to Jordan’s ranking for democratic institutions and international human rights.