Three and a half tumultuous years after Egypt's revolution, the power outage that blacked out Cairo and other cities for hours last Thursday could easily be seen as emblematic of the country's lack of progress. President Abdel Fatah El Sisi is certainly aware of that impression, which is why he went on television to directly address the nation about the problem.
If the most severe blackout since the 1990s acted as one symbol for Egypt in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, Mr El Sisi’s 30-minute television address was another because it demonstrated just how much has changed since the authoritarian reign of Hosni Mubarak and then the over-reaching rule of his Islamist successor, Mohammed Morsi.
Speaking in colloquial Arabic in a style described by some observers as “heart to heart”, Mr El Sisi sought to explain that tackling the country’s profound challenges would take time and there would be setbacks along the way. Quite apart from the threats of terrorism and slow economic rejuvenation, he estimated Egypt needed $12 billion (Dhbn) of investment in power generation over the next five years just to meet increasing demand.
Few listening in Egypt would disagree with him about the scale of the country’s difficulties or that fixing them will not happen overnight. But in some ways the most important message to emerge from Mr El Sisi’s address is an acknowledgement that the ultimate power in Egypt rests with its citizens and not the rulers.
By acknowledging public frustration about the pace of progress and begging for patience, he demonstrated a categorical change in mindset from before the Arab Spring. Mr El Sisi needs this. Part of the discontent about life in Egypt is because of a crackdown on public protest, and especially by supporters of Mr Morsi, and about the slow economic progress.
The general understanding among ordinary Egyptians that progress will be gradual and incremental means Mr El Sisi has goodwill to make headway on his reforms. But if there is one lesson from Egypt’s recent history, it’s that progress must eventually come or the public will lose faith – and that’s what Mr El Sisi’s speech really addressed.
