The combination of political repression and economic repression have produced a vicious circle that kept the Egyptian people in misery and frustration. A situation that allows a better understanding of the Egyptian revolt.

The street revolts against Egyptian President Mubarak. To understand the dynamics of the dispute, it is necessary to analyze the links between economic and political repression.


* A political authoritarianism

For three decades, Egypt's Mubarak has stifled political freedoms. Building on the army, which he comes from, and the powerful National Democratic Party, the President could lock the country: even the media and unions work to strengthen his personal power. If Egypt does not seem like a dictatorship it is because multiparty democracy has been developed to put a good face to the West. But the organization of sham elections with opposition puppet has grown tired of the Egyptians. The last elections of autumn 2010 have also proved again how democracy is an alien concept in Egypt.


* Economic authoritarianism

Indeed, this political authoritarianism, based on the monopolization of resources and the stifling of competition, has doubled a logical economic authoritarianism. While efforts in the direction of business development have been identified, much remains to be done in a country that had chosen the path of the socialist economy. Egypt suffers from a excessive bureaucratization, with multiple consequences. According to Doing Business the country is still poorly positioned in terms of business climate: a very bad incentives for small entrepreneurs ... The country ranks 143rd out of 178 in terms of respect for contracts, which raises the question of judicial inefficiency, which is, moreover, not exactly independent. The labor market is very rigid, many prices are controlled and some subsidized commodities.


* Getting out of the vicious circle

Poverty has also been for years a fertile ground for Islamism. And so a vicious circle closes: economic authoritarianism requires politic authoritarianism that generates poverty, which promotes Islam, which threat legitimates the use of a "legitimate" authoritarianism policy.

To break this vicious circle, Egypt must first establish not only political freedom but more specifically out of a presidential system to move toward a parliamentary system. It is, as recalled by the President of the Ivorian National Assembly, Prof. Mamadou Koulibaly, the best recipe for the State at the service of citizens - and not vice versa. It is then imperative to create conditions so that economic freedom leads to prosperity. This involves establishing the rule of law and lead very quickly anti-corruption policies (on the model of Georgia, for example) to clean up the business climate for companies that alone can ensure sustainable employment and output underdevelopment.