Leaders | Financial crisis in Cairo

Egypt doesn’t deserve a bail-out, but should get one

The Middle East cannot afford the collapse of its most populous country

An Egyptian vendor sits behind half of a poster of Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, the Egyptian president, in Cairo
Photograph: AP

The prospects for war or peace in the Middle East depend on many actors: America, the Houthis, Iran, Israel, the Palestinians, Saudi Arabia and others. But one country is more important than most people realise: Egypt.

Explore more

This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Pyramid scheme”

From the February 3rd 2024 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Leaders

Keir Starmer surrounded by the Eu stars

Sir Keir Starmer should aim higher in his reset with the EU

And he needs to be clearer about what Britain wants

illustration of a world map outlined by a single red electrical cord, with a plug at one end and a socket at the other

To make electricity cheaper and greener, connect the world’s grids

Less than 3% of the world’s power is internationally traded—a huge wasted opportunity


Chinese AI is catching up, posing a dilemma for Donald Trump

The success of cheap Chinese models threatens America’s technological lead


America has an imperial presidency

And in Donald Trump, an imperialist president for the first time in over a century

Tariffs will harm America, not induce a manufacturing rebirth

Donald Trump’s pursuit of tariffs will make the world poorer—and America, too 

How to improve clinical trials

Involving more participants can lead to new medical insights