For three years the former general ignored the entreaties of Mr. Kerry and other Western counselors. Now Mr. Sissi has finally embraced liberal reforms recommended by the International Monetary Fund. Mr. Kerry was quick with praise: “Egyptian leaders are making the difficult decisions needed to move their country towards prosperity,” he said in a statement. Diplomatically, he is likely to get even stronger support from the incoming Trump administration than he has from Mr. Kerry. But it’s unlikely that the strongman can succeed in stabilizing Egypt’s economy while suffocating civil society.

Source: Washington Post November 25, 2016 00:27 UTC