Egypt’s Moment of Reform: A Reality or Illusion?

In this Policy Brief, Prof. Emad El-Din Shahin of the American University in Cairo assesses the prospects for the democratic reform movement in Egypt ahead of the parliamentary and presidential elections due to take place in the autumn. At stake are not only greater public freedoms demanded by the people, but also the prospect of a hereditary succession to the presidency if the regime governed by President Hosni Mubarak (and progressively his son Gamal) is successful in scuppering change. The author concludes that, to overcome the numerous challenges that the democratic movement faces and make reform a reality instead of yet another missed opportunity, certain structural changes and institutional safeguards should be introduced.