Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Since 2004, Egypt has experienced more than 1600 labor protests, which have dwarfed political protests in scale and consequence. What are the political ramifications of increased labor unrest? Are the labor movements a harbinger for a more active and mobilized Egyptian society?
The steady rise of sectarian tensions over the past few years in Egypt is the result of an indecisive state, an incendiary media, and a failure of civil institutions to stand up for the equal rights of all Egyptians.
Any effective U.S. diplomatic approach to Iran must involve other countries in the Gulf, but Washington will not succeed if it continues to strive for an anti-Iranian alliance. A normalization of relations between Iran and its neighbors is an important and attainable step for reintegrating Iran into the international community.
Non-oil producing countries in the Middle East and North Africa have spent the last decade working to achieve fiscal consolidation. Governments in each of these countries must look beyond the global crisis and make courageous trade-offs to ensure a sustainable future for public finances.
The Egyptian public sphere is filled with ineffective disputes and debates that provide more noise than substance. This stagnant public sphere is the result not only of the policies of the Egyptian government, but also the weaknesses of non-governmental actors and Egypt’s non-pluralistic culture.
This volume examines the Arab world’s major political actors, assesses the weaknesses of secular parties, and evaluates how incumbent regimes have maintained their grip on power in spite of reform-oriented claims.
President Mubarak's recent trip to Washington focused primarily on rekindling the Washington-Cairo relationship and reaffirming Egypt's strategic role in the region. Regional issues remained the priority, with the Obama administration pursuing a measured approach toward the controversial topic of democracy promotion.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's return to Washington offers the opportunity to discuss the Egyptian role in the Arab-Israeli peace process and to examine the important issue of succession.
Egyptian President Mubarak's visit to Washington offers the opportunity to discuss Egypt's role in the region in relation to U.S. priorities. Egypt's domestic politics, particularly the succession issue, also will play a role in further U.S.-Egyptian cooperation.
The United States must balance its advocacy for human rights and democracy promotion in Egypt and the broader Arab world with other strategic interests; it would be wrongheaded to completely cut off ties with authoritarian regimes.