Politics & Diplomacy

Key Questions on Egypt’s Upcoming Referendum [Update]

As Egypt prepares to go to the polls once again, voting for a second constitution in the span of three years, following are key updates on the referendum taking place on January 14 and 15: 

The Gulf is a Flashpoint for Cyber Conflict

By James Andrew Lewis, CSIS

Cyberattack is a new tool of national power. It provides a means of coercion, influence, and warfare.

The New Draft Constitution Part III: A Reactive Constitution

By Yussef Auf

Despite an increasingly volatile security situation and political climate, Egyptians are heading to the polls for the third time in less than three years to cast their votes on a new constitution. Given the state of the country however, the referendum will hardly be an accurate reflection of the text of the constitution itself. However, […]

The Half-Full Cup of Egypt’s New Constitution

By Tamer Nagy Mahmoud

Within days, Egyptians are going to vote in a public referendum on an amended proposed constitution, the nation’s second in two years. The proposed document includes a number of significant improvements as compared to the now-suspended 2012 constitution. 

Richard LeBaron on Opportunities for the Gulf in Egypt

By EgyptSource

Writing for MENASource, Richard LeBaron, a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, highlights the opportunities available to the Gulf countries, namely Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, to redefine their role in the Middle East, particularly when it comes to addressing the question of Egypt’s faltering economy. 

Gulf Leadership Needed in Egypt, Not Just Cash

By Richard LeBaron

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates have been generous donors to Egypt over the last year, supporting the military efforts to neutralize the Muslim Brotherhood and allowing the Egyptian economy to limp along.

Europe’s Ukrainian Blunder

By Joschka Fischer, Project Syndicate

After [Vladimir] Putin succeeded Boris Yeltsin as President of the Russian Federation, he followed three strategic goals, which he continues to pursue

The Quest for Minority Rights in Egypt

By Jayson Casper

Coptic Christians have reason to celebrate… alone. While they and many others rejoice at the removal of the overall Islamist tinge of the 2012 constitution, this largely liberal-produced draft leaves other religious minorities out in the cold. 

Key Conclusions from EU Security Summit

By Council of the European Union

The Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) will continue to develop in full complementarity with NATO

The New Draft Constitution Part II: The Committee’s Work from Within

By Yussef Auf

As Egypt’s constitution writing process has come to an end, and the country is once again gearing up to go to the polls in mid-January in a nationwide referendum, it is worth noting the process that resulted in the drafting of a new constitution, before considering the text itself. The Committee of 50’s performance, as […]