Dr. Abdel Monem Said Aly, Chairman of the Board of Al Ahram Foundation, spoke at IFES about the process of democratization in Egypt. Dr. Said Aly, a prominent figure in Egyptian politics and media, said there are four models of democratization—massive defeat of authoritarianism, as in Nazi Germany; rapid socioeconomic development, seen in Spain in the 1950s; political revolutions, such as the ones in Eastern Europe; and gradual change. He noted that Egypt fits into the latter model, the democratization process that was also experienced in the United States and most countries in Europe. He also talked about the milestones that must be met on the road to being a full-fledged democracy. These include an effective system of taxation and the existence of sound institutions including the media. Dr. Said Aly affirmed that Egypt has been seeing much improvement on both of these areas. Dr. Said also addressed the relationship between market economies and democracy. He explained that the current economic crisis has dampened Egypt’s economic growth, which might reduce the speed of its democratization.

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