The president of Egypt does a U-turn on economic policy
Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi suddenly wants to empower the private sector
TACT IS NOT Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi’s strong suit. Egypt’s authoritarian president, who overthrew an elected government in 2013, lectures his citizens for being fat and spoiled and chides foreign leaders who mention his dismal human-rights record. In recent weeks he has aimed criticism at his own government. Inaugurating a new chemical plant on December 28th, the president observed that the state was not great at running the economy. “We need the private sector,” he said. “We have been proven incompetent in management.”
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Rise and shine”
From the February 5th 2022 edition
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