Egypt has had differing multi-party systems since independence, with a hiatus between 1953 and 1977, after which the current party law was enacted. Nevertheless, in practice the National Democratic Party was the long-time ruling party and dominated the Egyptian political arena, first under president Anwar Sadat, and then president Hosni Mubarak from its foundation in 1978, up until its dissolution in the wake of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, and the ousting of Mubarak. Under Mubarak, opposition parties were allowed, but were widely considered to have no real chance of gaining power. On 28 March 2011, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces amended Political Party Law 40/1977, easing restrictions on the legal establishment of new political parties in Egypt, where many new parties covering the political spectrum were formed. After the 2013 popular coup/revolution, and a further seismic political shift, another wave of new parties were formed, a large number of which were aligned with current non-partisan president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. In December 2020, final results of the parliamentary election confirmed a clear majority of the pro-Sisi Mostaqbal Watan (Nation’s Future) Party.
Parties in history Liberation Rally: 23 January 1953 – 28 May 1957 () National Union: 28 May 1957 – 21 May 1962 () Arab Socialist Union: 21 May 1962 – 2 October 1978 () National Democratic Party: 2 October 1978 – 16 April 2011 ()
Restricted partisan pluralism (1977 – 25 January 2011) Under the new Infitah (liberal realignment) of president Anwar Sadat, and in the aftermath of the 1973 October War and the peace process with Israel, Sadat’s decree in March 1976 founded a three-party platform within the framework of the Arab Socialist Union, representing the right, the center and the left, before spinning them off on 22 November of the same year into political parties. These three parties, were the first nucleus of the restricted partisan pluralism allowed by the Political Parties Law 40/1977:
Egyptian Arab Socialist Party (1976). The Socialist Liberal Party (1976–2011). National Progressive Unionist Rally Party (Ḥizb al-Tagammu' al-Watani al-Taqadomi al-Wahdawi – 1976). Parties established later by declaration by the Parties Affairs Committee (10): The New Wafd Party (1978). The National Democratic Party (1978–2011). The Socialist Labour Party (1978). The National Conciliation Party (2000). Al-Ghad Party (2004). The Free Social Constitutional Party (Al-Hizb Al-Distouri – 2004). The Democratic Peace Party (2005). The Conservative Party (2006). The Free Republican Party (Al-Hizb al-Gomhory al-Ahrar – 2006). The Democratic Front Party (2007).
Parties established by judicial rulings (11):
The National Umma Party (1983). The Democratic Unionist Party (1990). The Egyptian Green Party (1990). Young Egypt Party (Misr Al-Fatah – 1990). People's Democratic Party (1992). The Arab Democratic Nasserist Party (1992). Social Justice Party (1993). The Solidarity Party (Hizb Al-Takaful – 1995). Egypt 2000 Party (2001). Democratic Generation Party (Hizb El-Geel Al-Democrati – 2002). Egypt Youth Party (2005)
Post-2011 revolution (2011–2013) In the wake of the January 2011 uprising in Egypt, the deposition of Hosni Mubarak and dissolution of his National Democratic Party that ruled for over three decades, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces issued a decree-law 12/2011 amending certain provisions of the Political Parties Law 40/1977, after which many parties were formed.
The legislation was however criticized as discriminatory. Under the law new parties are now required to have at least 5,000 members from at least ten of Egypt's provinces. Originally, new parties were only required to have 1,000 members. This was cited as a barrier for new parties before parliamentary elections which took place at the end of 2011 and beginning of 2012. Also, new party leaders are required to raise at least LE1 million to publish the names of the founding members in two widely circulated dailies, seen as favoring wealthier interests. No parties are able to form on the basis of religion or class, ruling out the formation of Islamic and labor parties. However, in practice, religious parties have been allowed. After first being denied a license by the political parties commission, the Supreme Administrative Court allowed Gamaa Islamiya to form the Building and Development Party. The political parties commission allowed the Al Nour Party to be approved in May 2011, in part because it does not refer to the hudud in their electoral program. An article on the Daily News Egypt website states that religious parties have gone around the ban by not explicitly advocating a state based on Islam in their political programs.
Freedom and Justice Party (2011–2014) Ghad al-Thawra (splintered from Al-Ghad – 2011) Free Egyptians party (Al-Masrieen Al-Ahrar – 2011) The Conference Party (Al-Mo'tamar) The Socialist Popular Alliance Party (Al-Tahaluf al-Sha'bi – 2011) The Egyptian Social Democratic Party (Al-Masri El-Democrati, merger of the Liberal Egyptian Party, and the Egyptian Democratic Party – 2011) Al-Nour Party (2011) The Justice Party (Al-Adl – 2011) The Constitution Party (Al-Dostour – 2012) Republican People's Party (Al Shaab Al-Gomhouri – 2012)
Post-2013 popular coup/revolution (2013–present) On 3 July 2013, president Mohamed Morsi, the leader of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) was removed from power in the aftermath of the 30 June popular coup/revolution, which later resulted in a new (2014) constitution banning parties based on religion, effectively dissolving the dominant FJP.
In June 2014, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi became Egypt's first president not affiliated with a political party. However, a number of pro-Sisi parties have since formed, and by 2018, 104 political parties were officially registered and approved by the Committee of Parties.
Bread and Freedom Party (splintered from Social Popular Alliance – 2013, provisional) Homeland Defenders Party (Homat Watan – 2013) Sadat Democratic Party (2014) Nation's Future Party (Mostakbal Watan – 2014) Popular Current (Al-Tayyar al-Shaabi – 2014) 30 June Party (2015)
List of currently active parties Egyptian politics are subject to unique circumstances and often defy simple classification in terms of the political spectrum. Currently, over 100 registered political parties in Egypt exist. Groups are sometimes associated with the political left or right, especially in international circles, according to their stance on issues. While the current Egyptian constitution prohibits the formation of political parties based on religion, there are parties that seek to establish Islamic sharia laws, or uphold the article in the constitution that states that sharia law is the main source of legislation, and others that support the formation of a secular state. The following is a categorization of political parties based on their social, economical, and political orientation, as well as their legal status:
Parties represented in the House of Representatives or the Senate Name Founded Leader Political position Ideology Senate House Position on 2013 coup d'étatand 2011 revolution Nation's Future PartyHizb Mustaqbal Watan 2014 Abdel-Wahab Abdel-Razeq Big tent Egyptian nationalismEconomic liberalismMilitarism Pro-Coup Republican People's PartyHezb al-Shaeb al-Gomhuri 2012 Hazem Omar Centre-left to Centre-right Egyptian nationalismSecularismMilitarismLiberalismSocial liberalism Pro-Coup New Wafd PartyḤizb al-Wafd al-Jadīd 1978 Bahaa El-Din Abu Shoka Centre-right Egyptian nationalismSecularismConservatismLiberal conservatismEconomic liberalismNational liberalismConservative liberalism Anti-Coup Homeland Defenders PartyḤizb Hamaat al-Watan 2013 Galal Haridy Centre to centre-right CentrismMilitarism Pro-Coup Modern Egypt PartyḤizb Masr al-Haditha 2011 Nabil Deibis Centre to centre-right Liberalism Pro-Coup Reform and Development PartyḤizb al-Islah wa al-Tanmiyah 2009 Mohamed Anwar Esmat Sadat Centre Market liberalism Anti-Coup Egyptian Social Democratic Partyal-Ḥizb al-Maṣrī al-Dimuqrāṭī al-Ijtmāʿī 2011 Mervat Tallawy Centre-left SecularismSocial democracySocial liberalismProgressivism Anti-Coup Egyptian Freedom PartyHizb al-Huriyat al-Misriu 2011 Ahmed Muhanna Big tent Liberalism Anti-Coup Egyptian Conference PartyḤizb al-Muʾtamar al-Maṣrī 2012 Omar El-Mokhtar Semeida Centre to centre-left Big tentSocial liberalism Anti-Coup Al-Nour PartyḤizb an-Nūr 2011 Yunis Makhyun Far-right Salafi IslamismWahhabismMadkhalism Pro-Coup National Progressive Unionist Rally PartyḤizb al-Tagammu' al-Watani al-Taqadomi al-Wahdawi 1977 Sayed Abdel Aal Left-wing NasserismLeft-wing nationalismDemocratic socialismLeft-wing populism Anti-Coup Justice PartyḤizb el-Adl 2011 Hamdi Stouhi Centre Big tentSecularism Eradet Geel PartyḤizb 'Iiradat Jil 2019 Tayseer Matar Egyptian Patriotic MovementḤizb al-Ḥarakat al-Waṭaniyya al-Miṣriyya 2012 Sayed Abdel Aal Centre Secularism Sadat Democratic PartyHizb al-Saadat al-Diymuqratii 2014 Effat Sadat Nationalism
Non-represented parties +Party name EnglishParty name ArabicIdeologyPolitical positionLegal statusFoundedRole in 2011 Egyptian RevolutionNotesRevolutionary Guards Partyحزب حراس الثورةHuman Rights and Citizenship Partyحزب حقوق الانسان والمواطنةCentre27 September 2011New Independent Partyالحزب المستقل الجديدCreated by former members of the National Democratic PartyPopular Current Partyat-tāyar ash-shāʿībi al-masriالتيار الشعبي المصري21 September 2014Consciousness Partyحزب الوعي2011Knights of Egypt Partyفرسان حزب مصرForsan MasrLiberalismFounded by former members of the Egyptian militaryNational Blocلكتلة الوطنيةFounded by former members of the Constitution PartyArabism Egypt Partyحزب مصر العروبةFounded by Sami AnanArabic Popular Movementالحركة الشعبية العربيةFounded by members of the Tamarod movementEgyptian Hope Partyحزب الأمل المصريPragmatismFounded by former members of the Constitution PartyYouth for Egypt Partyحزب شباب من أجل مصرIslamismFounded by former members of the Egyptian Muslim BrotherhoodMy Homeland Egypt PartyMisr Baladi حزب مصر بلديFounded by former National Democratic Party membersBread and Freedom PartyEish we Horria حزب عيش وحريةSocialismLeft-wing2013Founded by former members of the Socialist Popular Alliance PartyDemocratic Jihad Partyحزب الجهاد الديموقراطيIslamismCentreFounded by former members of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad groupEgyptian Will Partyحزب الإرادة المصريةFounded by retired members of the Egyptian militaryConstitution Party El-Dostour حزب الدستورBig tent, LiberalismCentre-left20122012SupportedFounded by Mohamed ElBaradeiAl Ansar Partyحزب الأنصارIslamism, SalafismFlag Partyحزب العلمIslamism, SalafismFounded by Hazem Salah Abu IsmailWe Are the People Partyحزب نحن الشعب2014Founded by former members of the parliamentNubian Nile Partyحزب النيل النوبيHomeland PartyAl-Watan حزب الوطنIslamism, Salafism20132013Founded by Emad Abdel GhaffourPioneer PartyAl Riyada حزب الريادةUnregistered2011Founded by former members of the Muslim BrotherhoodVictory PartyEl Nasr حزب النصرSufismFounded by a Sufi orderArab Party for Justice and EqualityEl Hezb el Araby lel Adl wel Mosawa الحزب العربي للعدل والمساواةArab nationalism2011Arab Bedouin tribes in Sinai and Upper EgyptSocial Peace PartyAl Salam el Egtemaii حزب السلام الاجتماعيSocial liberalismThird Way2011You Are Egyptian PartyEnta Masry حزب أنت مصري2011Revolution Egypt PartyMasr El Thawra حزب مصر الثورةLiberal democracy2011Free Egypt PartyMasr el Horra حزب مصر الحرة2011Quiver PartyEl Kenana2009Voice of Freedom PartySot el Horreya حزب صوت الحريةIslamism, SufismRifa’i Sufi orderWorkers and Peasants Partyel Ommal wel Fallahin