192 M. HOCHBERG
and will thus have significant influence on the rules of the game and who
comes to play.
Egypt’s Recent Transitions of Power
Egypt’s internal stability has wavered significantly in recent years. Prior
to the Arab Spring, Hosni Mubarak ruled Egypt for nearly thirty years
with relative stability, albeit under a repressive human rights regime.
After 18 days of public demonstrations against the Mubarak administration in the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, he was ousted and indicted,
with the Egyptian military assuming interim rule until Mohamed Morsi
of the Muslim Brotherhood was democratically as president in 2012.
Morsi was then overthrown in 2013 by a military coup led by Sisi, who
has served as president of the country since the successful coup. Sisi has
increased the powers of the presidency since taking office, perhaps most
notably through a 2019 referendum which approved augmented presidential power over the judiciary and the legislature. 19 The referendum
also extended the legal term of the Egyptian president, which could allow
Sisi to remain in power until 2030.
Internal Stability
While the Sisi administration is largely perceived as an ally to the West,
freedom of expression and public opposition have been further restricted
under his rule, with thousands of opposition-related arrests and reports
of serious human rights abuses. These alleged abuses may be partially
in response to an increase in political violence in Egypt since the 2011
revolution. Since then, the majority of violent attacks in the nation
have targeted Egyptian security forces, with violence also targeting key
economic sectors including tourism. In response, the Sisi government has
enacted national states of emergency on several occasions, granting the
federal government far-reaching authority over the citizenry and media.
Human rights organizations have deemed the Sisi administration’s actions
particularly repressive under states of emergency. 20
Even still, unauthorized protests managed to break out in September
2019 in several cities throughout Egypt including the capital, Cairo, and
Alexandria, the nation’s second largest city and a major economic center.
The protestors seek to end Sisi’s rule and oppose the current economic
and will thus have significant influence on the rules of the game and who
comes to play.
Egypt’s Recent Transitions of Power
Egypt’s internal stability has wavered significantly in recent years. Prior
to the Arab Spring, Hosni Mubarak ruled Egypt for nearly thirty years
with relative stability, albeit under a repressive human rights regime.
After 18 days of public demonstrations against the Mubarak administration in the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, he was ousted and indicted,
with the Egyptian military assuming interim rule until Mohamed Morsi
of the Muslim Brotherhood was democratically as president in 2012.
Morsi was then overthrown in 2013 by a military coup led by Sisi, who
has served as president of the country since the successful coup. Sisi has
increased the powers of the presidency since taking office, perhaps most
notably through a 2019 referendum which approved augmented presidential power over the judiciary and the legislature. 19 The referendum
also extended the legal term of the Egyptian president, which could allow
Sisi to remain in power until 2030.
Internal Stability
While the Sisi administration is largely perceived as an ally to the West,
freedom of expression and public opposition have been further restricted
under his rule, with thousands of opposition-related arrests and reports
of serious human rights abuses. These alleged abuses may be partially
in response to an increase in political violence in Egypt since the 2011
revolution. Since then, the majority of violent attacks in the nation
have targeted Egyptian security forces, with violence also targeting key
economic sectors including tourism. In response, the Sisi government has
enacted national states of emergency on several occasions, granting the
federal government far-reaching authority over the citizenry and media.
Human rights organizations have deemed the Sisi administration’s actions
particularly repressive under states of emergency. 20
Even still, unauthorized protests managed to break out in September
2019 in several cities throughout Egypt including the capital, Cairo, and
Alexandria, the nation’s second largest city and a major economic center.
The protestors seek to end Sisi’s rule and oppose the current economic