Flickr/Dan H. Some rights reserved.A cloud of suppressed anger, regret and boredom engulfs Cairo, the city I know as overpowering and harsh but also vibrant. Five years on, the city has changed — at least to my mind – but not necessarily for the worse, as some followers of the ‘good old days’ school like to claim. But it has changed, and I can say with near certainty that it will never go back as it was. The supporters of the revolution who thought that possibly better times were ahead are frustrated and dispersed. Those who followed the revolution’s news with interest and anticipation are jaded. And those who remained against the revolution and considered it a conspiracy still fear the 2011 earthquake and its repercussions – temporarily dormant as they might be.
All these different parties have one question in mind, whether they voice it or not: “what now?” A large part of the population that dreamt of the 2011 revolution in Egypt and believed in it is wondering, “did the revolution fail?” I do not think anyone, regardless of what they claim, can answer this question categorically. But there are important – albeit insufficient – conditions and starting points to allow us to understand what happened, and more importantly, what might happen.
We must realise that over the last five years Egypt has been witnessing more than just a political movement or a foiled attempt at revolution. It has been undergoing a historical transformation that involves society as a whole, in its political and cultural structure – a transformation that might go on for decades. The post-colonial state established in the middle of the last century became obsolete when it failed to continue fulfilling its various social management roles, and to gain the support of new generations who no longer accept to sacrifice freedom for non-existent economic affluence, or personal dignity for ‘national security’ in a police state.
