n 17 November 2025, the NEA abruptly reversed its week-long narrative defending the integrity of the voting process—only hours after President Sisi posted a public message instructing the supposedly independent body to intensify scrutiny of vote-counting, investigate irregularities, and even cancel results where necessary. This extraordinary intervention, followed by the NEA’s immediate compliance, lays bare the extent to which Egypt’s electoral process and the entire political field is beholden to Sisi’s will.
