Egypt’s hungry unite against the policies of impoverishment

Statement by the Revolutionary Socialists

The regime continues to pursue policies that impoverish the people. After successive waves of price increases, the government launched a new wave by announcing a rise in fuel prices, further burdening the poor and stripping the middle class of their remaining stability.

Despite the severe impact of previous price increases on the Egyptian people, the regime remains determined to continue the “reform plan.” This appears to be a form of retribution against a population that once rose against poverty, exploitation, and tyranny, as well as a fulfillment of the International Monetary Fund’s conditions for loans to Egypt.

These price hikes come while the state is expanding projects that serve only the rich, from the new administrative capital to the new city of Alamein, not to mention the extravagant spending on the most prominent mosque, the largest church, the longest bridge, and other projects that have cost billions of pounds to benefit the wealthy and for show. This highlights a stark disparity in spending, with little regard for the needs of the general populace.

This latest wave of price hikes also follows a few months after President Sisi announced increases in the minimum wage, pensions, and salaries, which have only eroded the Egyptians’ remaining savings. We see extravagance in price increases, but when it comes to wage and pension increases, we see only stinginess!

Yet, the Egyptian people, despite the unified efforts of repressive and authoritarian forces to terrorize and intimidate them, still have veins that pulse with life. The residents of Warraq are resisting until the last breath, and the National Steel Industries Company workers are on strike demanding higher wages. These protests will continue, raising the banner of social demands and refusing to surrender to starvation.

The Revolutionary Socialists call on the resisters in every workplace, every stolen land, and every political stream and party to work together to confront the impoverishment policies that Sisi has inflicted on the Egyptian people. They call on the Egyptian people, whose overwhelming majority are now counted among people experiencing poverty, to strive to stop these policies to protect themselves from hunger.