Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi wins another stage-managed election in Egypt
EconomistAUG 2023
Egypt's el-Sissi Wins Third Presidential Term
Image copyright: Sean Gallup/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
Despite the ongoing economic crisis, Egyptians flocked to polls as they had never done before with the clear intent to express their opposition to the catastrophic war in Gaza and their support to Pres. el-Sissi — a stabilizing force in the region. The nation has delivered him such a resounding victory as it appreciates his leadership.
Pro-establishment narrative
Egyptian authorities have orchestrated an essentially sham election to let el-Sissi claim a broad mandate to advance some unpopular policies to deal with challenges that include the war in Gaza and the economic crisis — even harassing supporters of his main challenger to drop him out of the race. However, if he continues to fail to solve the problems, it's very likely that his mandate will not last.