Egypt : Too big to fail

By Jeffrey Gedmin and Michele Dunne

Libya may be burning, but it's Egypt that must succeed—economically, first and foremost—if democracy in the Middle East is to have a chance

CAIRO — There's still of whiff of euphoria here. Members of the April 6 Youth Movement beamed as they told us over breakfast how they had learned from young Serbs, Georgians, and Tunisians about how "to make their revolution." A young academic eagerly told us of the pleasure she and her friends now derive from the power simply to say "no" to symbols of authority. A group of senior businessmen sounded like NGO idealists as they spoke with us over dinner about the new Egypt and its future.

For three decades, Egyptians had seen civil society, political life, and personal freedom repressed under the heavy-handed rule of strongman Hosni Mubarak. They feel they can breathe now.

The Middle East's unfolding crises will feature the unpredictable along with the mainstays of the region's politics: alliances of convenience, brutal power, and bloodshed.

In Cairo you experience Egyptians bursting with pride. They've taken their country back and done so peacefully through people power. Who wouldn't want the celebration to last?

But it's also beginning to dawn on the architects and enthusiasts of the revolution that began on January 25 that Egypt now faces truly daunting challenges.