Egypt’s stability rests on economic gains

Unless Cairo can consolidate economic progress, upcoming elections could become a focal point for mass protests

The Egyptian political scene has a crowded agenda for 2020. With three elections scheduled to take place, there are signs among important segments of the population of growing discontent with the authoritarianism of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi . The economic backdrop presents stark contrasts. By many traditional metrics, Egypt’s economy is performing well, with high growth, falling rates of inflation and unemployment, a shrinking budget deficit and relatively robust investment. However, the effects of previous economic shocks and the IMF-backed reforms enacted since 2016 have eroded living standards, and there is widespread resentment at the growing economic power of a largely unaccountab