Morsi’s First official address: A departure!?

Morsi’s first official presidential address at Cairo University today was unprecedented on many symbolic levels. Yet, at the policy level it did not sound as a clear departure from Mubarak’s era policies or from known Muslim Brotherhood doctrines.

The tone of the 61 years old president sounded a departure from that of Mubarak’s. Morsi is more than 20 years younger than Mubarak. He speaks with a more commanding, powerful and youthful voice.

Morsi also talks about change and his desire to transform Egypt and bring back its glory. He sounds more credible and enthusiastic than Mubarak. He speaks about the revolution and the rights of the martyrs and of the people in general with credible voice.

He talks about himself as “people’s servant.” He even apologized at the beginning of his speech to Cairo University students’ whose exams were unexpectedly delayed in a last minute push to secure Cairo University to host Morsi’s speech.

Yet, at the policy level, Morsi’s speech did not sound like a departure for many reasons:

First, Morsi was very interested in sounding reconciliatory. He said he wants to guard the institutions and role of the Egyptian state many times and in different ways. He wanted to assure his domestic and foreign audience that he does not plan any surprising moves or departures from old policies. He clearly stated that he respects Egypt’s treaties and agreements.

He said he wants to support the military, the police, the judiciary, and state institutions and traditions. He knows he has a very long road ahead before gaining enough power to implement his programs and to gain more public and official support.

Second, Morsi did not have clear domestic plans or policy statements. He seemed ready to speak on foreign policy in more specific ways.

Domestically, Morsi spoke about the need to encourage foreign investment, tourism, and production. But, he did not offer new ideas on how to do that.

He also did not speak about issues such as social justice, redistribution of wealth, or economic rights. He seemed more interested in starting with economic reform, but he did not offer new or specific ideas.

This may sound typical of many opposition groups in Egypt and of Muslim Brotherhood leaders, who often speak more fluently and in details about foreign policies than domestic economic affairs. For some reasons, Egyptian opposition groups were forces under old regime to focus more on international relations than domestic and economic policies, which were more of a political taboo under Mubarak.

Third, Morsi made some new foreign policy statements which sound like a departure.

He said he wanted to work on achieving national unity among Palestinians, stopping the shedding of the Syrian people’s blood, defending Arab security, and advancing Arab economic and military cooperation. He also said that he is not interested in exporting Egyptian revolution.

The last point may sound comforting to some Arab regimes worried about the spread to Arab spring to their countries and worried about the rise of another Nasser like regime in Egypt or a Muslim Brotherhood regime interested in empowering affiliate Muslim Brotherhood groups around the Arab world.

Morsi’s statement about Palestinian unity will be met by strong opposition by Israel and its supporters in the US. They will try to represent it as an evidence of a departure from old Mubarak’s pro Israel policies.

Yet, Morsi’s statements on Syria, Palestinian unity, and Arab cooperation are vague and it is not clear how Morsi will work on implementing them and if he can make a change.

On Palestinian unity, Morsi’s efforts could be met by opposition from Israel and by economic and political pressure from the US on the Palestinian Authority, which receives more than half a billion US dollars in aid each year. Clearly, Morsi does not have the financial resources to substitute US aid to the Palestinians.

The conflict in Syria is also complicated and shaped by outplay between major international players, including the US and Russia, and it is not clear what can Egypt bring to the table.

Arab economic and political cooperation is hindered by some serious challenges, such as the lack of good economic infrastructure in the Arab countries, lack of democracy and needed economic laws, and lack of enough military power to support or defend other Arab countries.

In summary, Morsi may have expressed some Muslim Brotherhood doctrines that focus on Arab unity, a leading role for Egypt, and on defending the rights of the Palestinian people. But, it is too already to tell if the new president can back his ideas with enough economic and political power.

Conditions in Egypt may force Morsi to focus more domestically and especially on fixing the troubled Egyptian economy. Yet, he seems to have the will and interest to change Egyptian policies at all levels and if he is creative enough, he might succeed. Time will tell.

Alaa Bayoumi