Application of Shared-Democratic-Values Perspective (SDVP) in the Egyptian Context

There is an essential political theory about civil-military relations, and a critical framework associated with it which is the “Shared-Democratic-Values Perspective.” This framework can help us understand and analyze the relations between civil and military in Egypt after sweeping changes starting with the “revolution” in 1952.

It is known that after the 1952 “revolution,” the military’s role in politics came to the fore and dominated life in Egypt at nearly every level. This tended to create a gap between the military and civilians that gradually increased and deepened. This gap has widened further in the last decade. When examining the situation from this framework, we can see a significant impact on the relationship between the military and civilians, as well as on the democratic and social fabric of the country.

Historically, the “revolution” in 1952 was headed by the “Free Officers Movement”, thereby establishing a republic led by the military, giving the military huge influence in governance until now. Although the 2011 revolution was promising for a shift to a civilian-ruled country, it was followed by a military coup in 2013 that further cemented the position of the military in the governance of Egypt.