THE Egyptian state has taken several steps lately that have defied expectations. In October the government instituted a value-added tax, after years of consideration, and passed reforms to the civil service. Then, in November, its central bank floated the Egyptian pound, which had been overvalued for months, and allowed the price of subsidised fuel to rise. An Egyptian court has now added to the trend by showing leniency to the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group that won Egypt’s first elections following the revolution of 2011.
The Brotherhood-led government, headed by Muhammad Morsi, the president, infuriated many Egyptians, who saw it as abusing its power to impose an Islamist agenda. Thousands of people took to the streets in 2012 and 2013 to protest against the group’s rule. By July 2013 the country had become so divided as to warrant intervention, claimed the army, which tried to impose a resolution and, after that failed, deposed Mr Morsi. Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, the general who led the coup, then crushed the group, declaring it a terrorist organisation, killing hundreds of its members and imprisoning many more.
Mr Sisi has...Continue reading
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