The Myth of Sisyphus Egypt’s Delayed and Aborted Democratization

Abstract

Arafat offers an analysis of Egypt’s six aborted waves of democratization from 1866 to the present. It is argued that El-Sisi’s rise to power in Egypt sets back Egypt’s democratization and represents the sixth reverse wave of democratization. The author also offers an explanation of why the six reverse waves of democratization occurred. ‘The Myth of Sisyphus: Egypt Delayed and Aborted Democratic Transition ’ concludes that Egypt has experienced and made reforms that coincide with all three waves of democratization suggested by Huntington , especially the third. However, the trends, trajectories, and the outcomes of the democratization waves in Egypt were not similar to that of Huntington’s. The myth of Sisyphus is an apt analogy for Egypt’s ongoing democratic transition.