ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how exogenous factors affected interest realisation within Mubarak’s elite. The rhetoric of social justice rang hollow when those who claimed to safeguard the interests of the Egyptian people oversaw a political system that saw them line their own pockets. The actions of the Ministries of the Interior irrecoverably altered the relationship between the regime and the Egyptian people. The United States blocked an Egyptian deal with Russia to upgrade its air defence systems with S-300 anti-tactical ballistic missiles that were particularly effective in countering Israeli cruise missiles. The ineffectiveness of events in Tunisia prompted a rethinking on the part of European Union and its member states that became evident during the Egyptian uprising. The rate of privatisation increased, the Egyptian pound was floated and income taxes and customs duties were reduced. The implementation of these measures saw strong growth in the years between 2005 and 2010.
