How long can Egypt's Mubarak last?

As the Tunisian-inspired protests in Egypt continue, can the country's strongman president withstand popular calls for his ouster?

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his government have declared the protests illegal and banned the use of Facebook and Twitter.
(Image credit: Corbis)

Egypt's anti-government protests continued on Thursday, further intensifying speculation that longtime President Hosni Mubarak could fall, as his Tunisian counterpart did after similar unrest. The authoritarian Mubarak, who has held power for nearly 30 years, is fighting back by declaring all protests illegal and banning Facebook and Twitter, which protesters have used to coordinate their movements. And, "against all evidence," he has attempted to pin the uprising on the Muslim Brotherhood, an opposition party he has demonized for two decades. But with the uprising continuing, and with the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, ready to lead for a transitional period if necessary, can Mubarak hold onto power? (Watch an al Jazeera report about the protests)

Egypt is not the same as Tunisia: It's possible that Egypt could follow Tunisia's lead, says Michael Bell at the Toronto Globe and Mail, but the two cases are different. "Egypt is corrupt, but the Mubarak family doesn't share the odor of decay" that enveloped the clan of Tunisia's ousted iron-fisted leader, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. And another "factor of great significance" is that "Tunisia's military defied orders to fire on the crowds," avoiding serious bloodshed, while Egypt's troops are showing no signs of restraint.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us