Egyptians are disappointed and sceptical with the new cabinet after reshuffle

Egypt's latest cabinet reshuffle has sparked widespread disappointment, falling short of the transformative change that ordinary people and experts have been demanding.

This is especially so, those objecting to the shakeup say, following recent parliamentary polls and as economic hardships deepen across the populous Arab country.

The members of the new cabinet were sworn in by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday, a day after parliament approved the reshuffle, which included changes to 14 ministerial portfolios, including defence.

The changes focused heavily on economic roles, bringing in a World Bank economist as minister of planning and a Financial Regulatory Authority official as minister of investment and foreign trade.

Nonetheless, the reshuffle, which has left key foreign affairs and security roles unchanged, keeps Mostafa Madbouli in office since 2018 and widely seen as emblematic of past policy shortcomings, in place, fuelling perceptions of continuity rather than meaningful change.

This is why some people are voicing frustration through sharp sarcasm, viewing the shakeup as a superficial change that leaves the core leadership untouched.

One expressive example came from an Egyptian journalist who shared a doctored photo of Madbouli shaking hands with himself. The caption read: "We need to hold a party to honour former Prime Minister Dr Mostafa Madbouli after handing over his post to his successor... Dr Mostafa Madbouli".

Another man expressed clear disappointment at how little is known about the new ministers joining the cabinet.

Old approaches

Critics, including some MPs, have viewed the shakeup as too limited, merely reshuffling faces without addressing deeper failures.

Some critics argue that the change is merely reproducing the same executive structure and will likely maintain the same policies that have harmed middle-class and low-income Egyptians in the coming years.

"I cannot regard this as a genuine cabinet reshuffle, as it fails to address the fundamental causes of Egypt's challenges," MP Freddy Elbaiady told The New Arab.

"While some new faces have been introduced, I am convinced that the same policies and management approach will persist unchanged," he added.

Elbaiady expressed deep regret that the poor continue to bear the brunt of what he called "misguided policies".

"Egypt desperately needed real transformation, one that introduces fresh economic, political, and social approaches," he concluded.

An urban planning expert and former professor, Madbouli, 59, previously served as Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities. He assumed the premiership in June 2018.

This is his third government. However, the record of his two previous administrations remains highly controversial, amid public anger over soaring commodity prices and persistent economic hardships.

An online newspaper attempted to explain why Sisi remains committed to keeping Madbouli in his position, attributing it to the prime minister's strong support for flagship infrastructure megaprojects, most notably the New Administrative Capital.

This ambitious multibillion-dollar desert city, first announced by Madbouli himself in 2015 while he served as housing minister, has faced widespread criticism as an extravagant misuse of public funds, often labelled a vanity project or a drain on resources amid Egypt's economic challenges.

The newspaper suggested that Madbouli's alignment with and stewardship of such grand initiatives, which are central to Sisi's vision for modernising Egypt, make him a reliable figure to continue these high-profile developments.
 

Claims of mismanagement

Sisi has instructed the new government to prioritise improving economic and living conditions and enhancing health and education services.

In his presidential mandate, he handed the prime minister, the Egyptian president also ordered the cabinet to take measures to reduce public debts by implementing new ideas.

There is little confidence, however, that any real change is possible, particularly given that the same prime minister who oversaw Egypt's slide into its current tough economic conditions over the past eight years remains in power.

Since taking the helm of the government, Madbouli has driven Egypt into one economic crisis after another.

His tenure witnessed repeated devaluations of the Egyptian pound, a sharp rise in foreign debts, and a dramatic surge in the poverty rate.

These developments, economists said, have negatively affected the living conditions of tens of millions of Egyptians.

The same developments propelled a wide range of austerity measures, especially in connection with an International Monetary Fund loan programme.

The measures included a raft of structural adjustments and the sale of state assets to the local and foreign private sector.

They also included major cuts to electricity, energy, water, and food subsidies, leaving tens of millions of people struggling, especially as salaries have remained the same for most Egyptians.

This is leaving observers disappointed, especially given the reshuffle's potential failure to deliver the anticipated breakthrough in tackling Egypt's deep-rooted structural problems, such as chronic fiscal mismanagement, overdue subsidy reforms, and measures to genuinely empower the private sector.

Economics professor Alia al-Mahdi called for a fundamental overhaul of the government's past approaches to improving citizens' living standards.

"There is an urgent need for such a revision, particularly given the sharp surge in commodity prices in the past few years," she told TNA.

With the new government now in place, al-Mahdi added, it has a clear opportunity to correct the errors of previous administrations.

Coming with baggage

State-run media have welcomed the cabinet reshuffle, mostly citing the professional and academic background and expertise of incoming ministers.

Nevertheless, some of the same ministers carry baggage from past controversies.

This was probably why the parliamentary session scheduled for debate on the new cabinet lineup was delayed by several hours (from 1 PM to around 4 PM), amid reports of disagreements and objections over certain names.

Some local media outlets have meanwhile alleged that the new housing minister was implicated in financial irregularities dating back to 2017.

The appointment of Khaled Hashem as Minister of Industry has also fuelled additional controversy around the new cabinet.

Hashem, a Dubai-based executive who previously served as President for the Middle East and Africa at Honeywell, a US multinational company accused of supplying components or technology used in Israeli military operations during Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, has drawn criticism over his past corporate ties.

This backlash has even intensified after Sisi's recent visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan just days before the reshuffle was finalised and approved by the parliament.

Observers said this adds to the general atmosphere of confusion around the latest reshuffle.

MP Elbaiady said the prime minister should have carefully reviewed each new minister's background and dossier before submitting their names to the president for approval.

"This apparent lack of thorough preparation erodes public confidence in the new government," he added.