Seminar: Valget i Egypten og islamisterne

TIME: Monday, 16 January, 13-17

VENUE: Danish Institute for International Studies, Main Auditorium, Strandgade 71, ground floor, Christianshavn, 1401 Copenhagen K

The official results of the elections in Egypt for the People’s Assembly (the lower house) are ready to be announced in the end of January after three rounds of elections stretching from end-November to mid-January.

TIME: Monday, 16 January, 13-17

VENUE: Danish Institute for International Studies, Main Auditorium, Strandgade 71, ground floor, Christianshavn, 1401 Copenhagen K

The official results of the elections in Egypt for the People’s Assembly (the lower house) are ready to be announced in the end of January after three rounds of elections stretching from end-November to mid-January.

The election has seen an – for Egypt – unprecedented large turnout of voters and has widely been considered the most free and fair elections in Egypt for decades.

To most observers the results of the elections have come as a surprise. The two major Islamist parties – The Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) and the Nour Party – stand to gain between 70-80 percent of the seats in the People’s Assembly.

While the FJP – which is closely linked to the Muslim Brotherhood – was expected to do very well with around 50 percent of the seats, it has come as a major surprise that the Nour Party – which is closely linked to the Salafist movements – is expected to get about 25% of the seats in the People’s Assembly.

To analyze these developments the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), the Danish Institute for Parties (DIPD) and the Danish-Egyptian Dialogue Institute (DEDI) have organized a conference focusing on:

– Likely explanations for the election result
– The logic behind the rise of the Islamic parties
– Future scenarios for Egypt and the relations to the West

The presenters at the conference will be a combination of knowledgeable Egyptian and Danish observers and scholars on Egyptian politics, and the presentations will be based on unique empirical material from six national voters surveys conducted in Egypt leading up to the elections.

The surveys were made as part of the project ‘Towards a Participatory and Dynamic Political Party Environment in Egypt’ implemented by DIPD and DEDI in collaboration with – among others – Al-Ahram Centre for Strategic and Political Studies (Egypt’s leading think-tank on social and political issues).

Programme:

13.00-13.15: Introduction; Lars Erslev Andersen, Senior Researcher, DIIS

13.15-13.30: Introduction of the ‘Political Party Project’ in Egypt; Jakob Erle, Director, Danish-Egyptian Dialogue Institute; Bjørn Førde, Director, Danish Institute of Parties and Democracy

13.30-14.00: The Religious-Secular Divide and its Importance for Egyptian Politics ― Political Values and Voting Behavior in the People’s Assembly Elections; Gamal Abdul Gawad, former Director, Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies; Lecturer, American University in Cairo

14.00-14.30: Do the Poor Vote Islamist? Socio-Economic Explanations for Voting Behaviour in the People’s Assembly Elections; Jakob Mathias Wichmann, Partner, JMW Consulting

14.30-15.00: Parliaments and the Changing Arab Political Order; Rasmus Alenius Boserup, Project Researcher, DIIS

15.00-15.30: Coffee Break

15.30-16.00: Scenarios for Future Relations between Egypt and Denmark (and the EU); Jakob Erle, Director, Danish-Egyptian Dialogue Institute

16.00-17.00: Open Discussion

Chair: Lars Erslev Andersen, Senior Researcher, DIIS

The seminar will be held in English.

Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. Read more about the seminar and please use the online registration form from the website no later than Friday, 13 January at 12.00 noon.

Please await confirmation by e-mail from DIIS for participation.