Egypt After the Spring

Book excerpt: This edited Adelphi volume brings together senior scholars as well as rising analysts of Egypt to examine the turbulent period from the January 2011 uprising to the consolidation of power of President Abdelfattah el-Sisi in 2014-15. The nine authors provide a sober, in-depth look at the country's contested politics, institutional and political players, struggling economy, constant foreign policy and evolving security challenges. The book analyses the complex calculations of the various political and social forces that emerged from or surfed on the revolutionary fervor that gripped Egypt in 2011, from the Muslim Brotherhood to non-Islamist factions and civil society groups. It examines the rise and limitations of Islamist politics and the military and societal response to Muslim Brotherhood rule. In parallel, it investigates how state institutions (the military but also the judiciary and the bureaucracy) have adapted and shaped the transition to secure their own interests, resulting in the accession to power of el-Sisi after the popular mobilization and military coup of July 2013. One chapter examines the foundations and constancy of Egyptian foreign policy throughout the transition. The policy responses to Egypt's economic ills are also detailed. A chapter is dedicated to the study of Egypt's worsening security threats and an assessment of the state response.