News from Berlin

News from Berlin – The upcoming presidential elections in Egypt, to take place on May 26^th and 27^th, are not only important for Egyptian residents. As it is becoming possible with more and more nations, Egyptian nationals living abroad are now able to vote for the president that they want to see leading their country. The Embassy of Berlin, as well as the Consulates of Hamburg and Frankfurt, opened their doors from May 15^th to May 18^th, to give time to all Egyptians living in Germany to cast their ballots.

Eleven months after the eviction of the first democratically elected president Mohammed Morsi by the army, the electoral campaign, officially launched on May 3rd, went on to a background of violence and tensions in Egypt.

Two candidates are running for office. The former chief of the Egyptian Army Abdel Falah Al-Sissi is by far the favorite. All experts agree to say that he will win the elections, with over 75% of intended votes according to opinion polls. He is at the moment extremely popular in Egypt, as he is currently seen as the man who saved the Egyptian nation from the Muslim Brotherhood, whose members have been subjected to severe repression since 2013. A very important majority of the media and institutions supports his candidacy. His only opponent is Hamdeen Sabbahi, a renowned figure of the secular left wing movement who rose out of the 2011 revolution in Egypt. He stands very little chance, as he is expected to collect only around 5% of the votes.

The election process in Germany proceeded with a smooth run and a rather high turnout of voters, compared to other European countries. As H.E the Ambassador of Egypt to Germany stated, the voter turnout reflects the keenness of the Egyptians to outline the future of their homeland, noting that representatives of each presidential candidate had attended the voting process. The Egyptian Delegates in Germany took all measures necessary to ensure that the voting process took place in a neutral and candid manner, allowing for a truly democratic expression of the Egyptian people.

News from Berlin – Berlin Global