Nation's Future Party

The Nation's Future Party (Arabic: حزب مستقبل وطن), also known as the Future of the Nation Party or Mostaqbal Watan, is an Egyptian political party. The party is often seen as a "party of power", created for the sole purpose of backing President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and his policies.[1][12]

Nation's Future Party
حزب مستقبل وطن
ChairmanAbdel-Wahab Abdel-Razeq
Secretary-GeneralHossam El-Khouly
Deputy ChairmanAshraf Rashad
Founders
  • Mohamed Badran
  • Ahmed Shaaban[1]
FoundedNovember 2014; 9 years ago (2014-11)
HeadquartersTalaat Harb axis, Heliopolis, Cairo[2]
NewspaperMostaqbal Watan News (online)
مستقبل وطن نيوز
Youth wingNation's Future Youth
Ideology
Political positionCentre-right
National affiliationFor the Love of Egypt
(2014–2018)[11]
Colors  Navy Blue
  Sky Blue
Slogan"We all are working for Egypt"
(Arabic: كلنا نعمل من أجل مصر)
House of Representatives
316 / 596
Senate
149 / 300
Election symbol
Website
https://mwatan.org

Originally a minor party, it has grown to become Egypt's largest political party and currently controls the majority of seats in the House of Representatives and a plurality of seats in the Senate. The dominant role of the Nation's Future Party in modern Egyptian politics has been compared to that of the National Democratic Party, which ruled from 1978 until the 2011 revolution.[13][14]

History

Nation's Future Party was set up in mid-2014 by Egyptian Military Intelligence. Abdel Azim, a former member of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's presidential campaign, told Mada Masr:

An aide to the president in the presidency told me literally, 'The Nation's Future Party was originally the Nation's Future Front, established by Military Intelligence as a youth entity to support the president. It's ours'.

— Abdel Azim, [1]

A student responsible for Nation's Future Party campaigning in his governorate was interviewed by Mada Masr. He stated that a Military Intelligence officer in civilian clothes frequently delivered cash payments of typically 20,000 to the campaign office, and later on cheques, including one from the National Bank of Egypt for 150,000. For each street march, 15,000 to 20,000 would be delivered, and young men organised by government agencies would be paid 100 each to participate in the marches. Instead of being run by volunteers, the campaign office was staffed by civil servants. Campaigning for signatures for Sisi's presidential candidacy by Nation's Future Party included payments of 50 to each person signing. Party leader Mohamed Badran took his instructions, according to the interviewee, from Major Ahmed Shaaban of Military Intelligence.[1]

2015 parliamentary election

The Future of the Nation Party ran in the 2015 parliamentary elections as part of the "For the Love of Egypt" electoral alliance, which won all 120 party seats in the parliament.[15] It was subsequently allocated 53 seats in parliament, making it the second-largest party after the Free Egyptians Party that won 65 seats, and ahead of the New Wafd Party, Egypt's oldest political party.[16]

2018 presidential election

In 2018, after all political parties, except for the Ghad Party led by Moussa Mostafa Moussa, failed to field candidates for the presidential election in March that year, calls to merge Egypt's 104 political parties into four or five strong parties increased. In response, efforts to strengthen the presence of powerful parties in the Egyptian political scene, primarily led by the Free Egyptians Party, the Nation's Future Party, and the New Wafd Party—as well as the Support Egypt Coalition, which holds 400 out of 597 seats in the Egyptian parliament—began.[17]

The Future of the Nation Party and the For the Love of Egypt alliance announced that that the alliance would merge into the party. Following the announcement, around 50 MPs resigned from their parties in May 2018 and joined the Future of the Nation Party; most of these came from the Free Egyptians and Wafd parties but there were many independents and other party members.[18]

2020 parliamentary election

Results of the 2023 presidential election by governorate

In the 2020 Egyptian parliamentary election, the Nation's Future Party grew significantly and won a majority of seats in the House of Representatives and a plurality in the Senate.[12]

2023 presidential election

In October 2023, President El-Sisi announced that he'll be running for a 3rd term in office in 2023 Presidential election. El-Sisi was in Alliance with the Nation's Future Party going into the election and he won with 89% of the vote.

Policies

The Egyptian Armed Forces

Abdel-Wahab Abdel-Razek, the party's leader and President of the Senate since 2020

The party supports the Egyptian Armed Forces, believing Egyptians need to unite behind the army and the Egyptian National Police in their fight against terrorism in defence of the nation.[19]

Economic reforms

Party leaders have often stated their support for the IMF-backed economic reform program, believing it is the only way to help Egypt recover from the effects of the 2011 revolution and to create a modern, powerful Egyptian state despite the resulting hardships.[20]

Foreign affairs

Reaching out to African states has also been a priority. The party has regularly lobbied the government to improve relations with the African continent, which were arguably non-existent for the latter part of the Mubarak era.[21] The party regularly sends diplomatic delegations to foreign countries in preparation for state visits by the President of Egypt.[22]

Electoral history

Presidential

ElectionCandidateFirst roundSecond roundResult
Votes%Votes%
2018Supported Abdel Fattah el-Sisi[a]21,835,38797.08Won
2023In Alliance with Abdel Fattah el-Sisi[a]39,702,45189.65Won

House of Representatives

ElectionLeaderSeatsGovernment
Seats+/-
2015Ashraf Rashad
53 / 596
53Majority
2020
316 / 596
263Majority

Senate

Election yearSeats won+/-Position
2020
149 / 300
149Majority

Notes

References