Maghreb Roundtable: Egypt's Impact on Maghreb Political Dynamics

Political upheaval in Egypt, including the overthrow of the Morsi government, has affected political debates and actors across the Maghreb in different ways. Though political actors across the region see implications for local politics in Egypt’s recent events, the specific circumstances in each country remain the most important determinants of how local political trends will evolve in the Maghreb. William Lawrence, visiting professor of political science and international affairs at the George Washington University, and Ellen Lust, associate professor of political science at Yale University, shared their assessments of the broader regional effects of developments in Egypt at a CSIS Maghreb Roundtable entitled “Egypt’s Impact on Maghreb Political Dynamics” on September 16, 2013. While acknowledging that Egyptian dynamics have been influential, particularly with regard to the outlook for other Islamist political parties, both Lust and Lawrence also cautioned against overstating Egypt’s influence on other countries’ domestic affairs.