ABSTRACT
In this concluding chapter, the main arguments are summarized and key findings are highlighted. The two stages of alignment formation are briefly reviewed, focusing on the empirical results of the investigation. The chapter concludes that the interplay of developments on the domestic, regional, and global levels has shaped Egypt’s external alignments after 2013. None of these developments were completely new; they rather all represented an accelerated continuation of older trends. Moreover, they interacted in unique ways, resulting in the diversification of Egypt’s external relations. While this allows the Egyptian regime to formulate comparatively independent foreign policies, at the same time, no external partner is providing unrestricted support either. A brief outlook is provided, highlighting that new developments on any of the three levels may lead to alterations in the future. Finally, it is reasoned that the model of two-staged alignment formation can also guide the analysis of other states’ external alignments, but that context sensitivity is key and that the model may have to be adjusted accordingly.
