Elections

Egypt’s Divisive Influence in Libya and Tunisia

By Lara Talverdian

No two Arab transitions have unfolded the same over the last three years. Each transition is unique, but the societies are not insulated and the borders are not retentive; what happens in one place reverberates elsewhere. In the case of North Africa, developments in Egypt over the past year threaten to undermine consensus-building and the […]

Sisi’s Presidency Fueling Expectations in Egypt

By Svetlana Milbert

Now that Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been elected president, Egyptians await to see what measures he will undertake to ease economic burdens and improve living conditions. A priority for most citizens are the recurrent, and growing, energy shortages in the face of peak demand season. Although energy shortages and blackouts are not a new phenomenon, […]

The Gulf and Egypt: From Life Support to a Sustainable Economy?

By Richard LeBaron

With the election of former army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as Egypt’s eighth president, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait are likely to continue to provide substantial economic support for Egypt. In the aftermath of the elections, news reports indicate large aid packages are under discussion. The Gulf may add up to another […]

Egypt and the Return of the ‘Old Time Religion’

By Maged Atiya

Posters featuring former Defense Minister and president elect Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and both Coptic Pope Tawadros II and Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb of Al-Azhar are not uncommon in Egypt, offered both in praise and in condemnation. In praise, they attempt to burnish Sisi’s legitimacy as a man uniting all of Egypt and bridging the religious divide. […]

Elections, Elections Everywhere and Not a Democracy in Sight

By Adam Simpson

The United States, the European Union, and the United Nations all affirm their intention to facilitate democratic transition in the Middle East and North Africa. Despite this claim and in the face of deeply flawed elections, they remain married to political niceties and empty diplomatic rhetoric.

An IMF Program for Egypt Finally?

By Mohsin Khan

With the election of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi the prospects of an Egyptian agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a program have brightened.

Afghan Leader Ashraf Ghani: Obama Pullout Plan Poses New Challenge

Ashraf Ghani, the former World Bank official who is one of two candidates in the June 14 presidential runoff election, said that President Obama’s West Point speech this week on foreign policy sharply compresses the time available for US troops to complete their mentoring of Afghan security forces. President Obama’s “West Point speech telescopes a […]