After years of political turmoil and economic malaise, the time when the world looked to Egypt as a source of political inspiration can seem like ancient history. The way Egypt’s revolt in January 2011 then attracted global attention reflected the country’s regional influence, buoyed by the charisma of past leaders such as Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar el-Sadat. With concerns growing over Egypt’s own stability, Cairo’s inability to play a substantial geopolitical role creates a vicious cycle, increasing the likelihood that the chaos around it further exacerbates Egypt’s own internal problems. It is not easy to pinpoint the exact moment when Egypt began to lose its position of regional pre-eminence. But his own failed military adventure in Yemen and the collapse of his attempt to unify Egypt with Syria in the early 1960s marked a first major setback.
