The Egyptian military’s involvement in the economy has come at a high cost, contributing to underperformance in development.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has reinvigorated state capitalism in Egypt through military-led real estate development, industrial hubs, extractive activities, private sector encroachment, and using private investment to recapitalize the public sector.
The successful completion of Egypt’s 2016 IMF program is superficial, hiding poor economic growth relative to emerging market peers and an economy burdened by a military-led public sector.
The Egyptian military’s capture of state resources under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi depends on a poorly run state and the visible corruption of the former regime, auguring a new ruling class of military officers.
Flanked by the United States’ and China’s radically opposing interests, France has a narrow path to walk.
Many countries in the Middle East and North Africa still struggle to manage the coronavirus, but Morocco’s response suggests an important evolution in civil-military relations.
The EU is poised to release new policies to bolster democracy in a digital age. How well these policies fare will depend on how well Europe tackles domestic challenges to democracy.
Influence campaigns have long targeted journalists, but a recent operation lays bare the Russians’ plan to exploit the media and sow disinformation in a complex information environment.
As China’s engagement with African countries has grown over the past several years, Beijing is increasingly turning to security contractors to protect its Belt and Road Initiative projects, citizens, and diplomats.
Even as the Vietnamese government has kept diplomatic channels with Beijing open, it has also sought to assert and advocate for its own sovereignty and rights by diversifying its diplomatic partnerships and strengthening its own capabilities.
In Lebanon, spatial inequality is deepening amid the economic, financial, and political crises. To level out regional disparities, the Lebanese government should pursue these redistribution policies.
Women are increasingly joining the male-dominated world of smuggling. Could this be the start of a cultural revolution that challenges long-held gender norms?
Most anti-state revolts across the Indian subcontinent have now been crushed, demobilized, or contained. Yet beneath that surface, state coercive power remains contested.
The coronavirus has accelerated a negative trend toward a more polarized and fragmented world. While movement restrictions have momentarily diminished effective diplomacy, the pandemic could help shape a more agile diplomatic craft.
Revisions to the U.S.–South Korea missile guidelines open a new era in Seoul’s space ambitions, but their consequences for regional security are limited.
The coronavirus pandemic has been a trigger for many autocrats to step up repressive measures. But the poor handling of the pandemic by many non-democratic governments, as well as the longer term economic fallout, spells longer-term political trouble for them.
To build his regime, Putin manipulated his predecessors’ crumbling institutions and the country’s economic system. Now, Putin must become his own successor—or let someone else pull his own trick on him.
The choice to hold or delay elections carries big risks for the legitimacy of democratic institutions.
In Egypt, coronavirus response efforts were led by the prime minister and other technocrats. What does this change mean for Egypt—and how long will it last?
The European Parliament should be an important source of democratic oversight and accountability as the EU continues to pursue greater security and defense integration.