{{short description|Political party in Egypt}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox political party | name = Strong Egypt Party | native_name = حزب مصر القوية | native_name_lang = ar | logo = Strong Egypt Party Logo.png | logo_size = 200px | leader = [[Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh]]<ref>{{Citation|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/122964/Egypt/Politics-/AbulFotouh-remains-head-of-Strong-Egypt-Party-afte.aspx|title=Abul-Fotouh remains head of Strong Egypt Party after elections|work=Ahram Online|date=13 February 2015|access-date=13 February 2015}}</ref> | spokesperson = Ahmed Imam<ref>{{Citation|url=http://madamasr.com/content/narrow-space-no-campaign|title=Narrow space for a 'no' campaign|work=Mada Masr|date=13 January 2014|access-date=13 January 2014}}</ref><br />Mohammed El-Qassas<ref>{{Citation|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/116924.aspx|title=Rival groups to protest Mubarak verdict this week|work=Ahram Online|date=1 December 2014|access-date=1 December 2014}}</ref> | colorcode = Orange | foundation = {{start date|2012|7|5|df=y}}<ref name="AllAfrica">{{Citation|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201207060443.html|title=Egypt: Aboul Fotouh's Campaign Initiates New Party|work=All Africa|date=5 July 2012|access-date=13 January 2014}}</ref> | predecessor = [[Egyptian Current Party]] | position = [[Centrism|Center]]<ref name="Al Jazeera English">{{Citation|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/01/egyptian-anti-charter-activists-face-charges-201411363815334446.html|title=Egyptian anti-charter activists face charges|work=Al Jazeera English|date=13 January 2014|access-date=13 January 2014}}</ref> | ideology = | national = [[Third Square]]<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/tamarod-attacks-third-square-breakaway|title=Tamarod attacks Third Square breakaway|work=Egypt Independent|date=30 July 2013|access-date=16 December 2013}}</ref><br />[[Road of the Revolution Front]]<ref name=Ahram24Sept>{{cite news|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/82400.aspx|title=New 'anti-Brotherhood, anti-military' front launched to 'achieve revolution goals'|date=24 September 2013|access-date=13 January 2014|work=Ahram Online}}</ref> | seats1_title = [[House of Representatives (Egypt)|House of Representatives]] | seats1 = {{Composition bar|0|568}} | country = Egypt }}
The '''Strong Egypt Party''' ({{langx|ar|حزب مصر القوية|Hizb Misr al-Qawia}}) is an Egyptian centrist <ref name="carnegiee">{{cite web|url=https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2017/03/egypts-secular-political-parties-a-struggle-for-identity-and-independence?lang=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170401002653/http://carnegieendowment.org/2017/03/31/egypt-s-secular-political-parties-struggle-for-identity-and-independence-pub-68482|url-status=live|archive-date=1 April 2017|title= Egypt's Secular Political Parties: A Struggle for Identity and Independence|work=Carnegie Endowment|date= 31 March 2017|access-date=26 October 2017}}</ref> political party founded in 2012 by former presidential candidate [[Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh]].<ref name="AllAfrica"/>
==History== The Strong Egypt Party was established in July 2012 by former [[Muslim Brotherhood]] member and [[2012 Egyptian presidential election|2012 presidential candidate]] [[Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh]].<ref name="AllAfrica"/> On 31 October 2012, the party was officially inaugurated by Aboul Fotouh and co-founders Mokhtar Nouh and Rabab El-Mahdi in front of hundreds of supporters at the Supreme Court in Cairo.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/56863/Egypt/Politics-/Strong-Egypt-party-formally-launched.aspx|title='Strong Egypt' party formally launched|access-date=16 December 2013|work=Ahram Online|date=31 October 2012}}</ref>
On 10 December 2012, Aboul Fotouh announced that the party is calling on Egyptians to vote "no" in the [[2012 Egyptian constitutional referendum|2012 constitutional referendum]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/60187/Egypt/Politics-/AbulFotouhs-Strong-Egypt-Party-to-vote-no-at-refer.aspx|title=Abul-Fotouh's Strong Egypt Party to vote no at referendum|access-date=16 December 2013|work=Ahram Online|date=10 December 2012}}</ref> In a videotaped statement, he said that there were three main reasons why Egyptians should reject the draft: first, a weakness in achieving social justice, second, the special status given to the military establishment and the provision for military trials of civilians, and third, the almost unchanged authorities of the president.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/12/14/255055.html|title=Islamist Aboul Fotouh urges 'no' vote against Egypt's draft constitution|access-date=16 December 2013|work=Al Arabiya|date=14 December 2012}}</ref>
On 3 December 2013, the party announced that it will oppose the constitution that will be voted on in the [[2014 Egyptian constitutional referendum|2014 constitutional referendum]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/parties-start-campaigns-support-new-constitution|title=Parties start campaigns to support new constitution|newspaper=Egypt Independent|date=3 December 2013|access-date=16 December 2013}}</ref> In a press statement, party leader Aboul Fotouh said that the party rejected the draft for the same reasons as the 2012 constitution: it failed to promote social justice and gave too much power to the president. He asserted that the draft did not fulfill the goals of the [[Egyptian Revolution of 2011]], and he also criticised that it made the military "a state above the state".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/88669/Egypt/Politics-/Strong-Egypt-Party-urges-rejection-of-charter.aspx|title=Strong Egypt Party urges rejection of charter|access-date=11 December 2013|work=Ahram Online|date=9 December 2013}}</ref> A court case was brought forth to dissolve the party,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/egyptsource/political-islam-s-fate-in-egypt-lies-in-the-hands-of-the-courts|title=Political Islam's Fate in Egypt Lies in the Hands of the Courts|first=Yussef|last=Auf|date=25 November 2014|work=Atlantic Council|access-date=1 December 2014}}</ref> though the Alexandria Urgent Matters Court ruled on 26 November 2014 that it lacked jurisdiction.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2014/11/26/court-claims-jurisdiction-religiously-affiliated-parties/|title=Court claims no jurisdiction over religiously affiliated parties|date=26 November 2014|work=Daily News Egypt|access-date=1 December 2014}}</ref>
The Strong Egypt Party boycotted the [[2015 Egyptian parliamentary election|parliamentary elections]] on 17 October 2015.<ref name="aatey">{{cite news|author1=Ahmed Ateyya|title=Islamist party to boycott Egyptian parliamentary election|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/10/egypt-parliament-elections-boycott-constitution-breaches.html#|access-date=7 May 2016|work=Al Monitor|date=16 October 2015}}</ref>
==Basic tenets== The party describes itself as an economically progressive and socially moderate political group.<ref name=jd>{{cite news|url=http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/8698/the-strong-egypt-party-the-constitutional-decree-a|last=Al Arian|first=Abdullah|title=The Strong Egypt Party, the Constitutional Decree, and Gaza: An Interview with Abdel Moneim Abul Futuh|access-date=16 December 2013|newspaper=Jadaliyya}}</ref> However, it does not endorse the politics of international loans, believing that it is not the solution to the economic problems of Egypt.<ref name=jd/>
==Cooperation with other parties and movements== In July 2013, following the [[2013 Egyptian coup d'état|military coup]] against [[Mohamed Morsi|President Morsi]], members of the Strong Egypt Party participated in the [[Third Square]] movement, which was created by liberal, leftist and moderate Islamist activists who reject both the [[Muslim Brotherhood]] and military rule.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2013/08/third-square-movement-hopes-to-unite-egyptians/|title=Third Square movement hopes to unite Egyptians|access-date=16 December 2013|website=Index on Censorship|date=2 August 2013}}</ref>
In September 2013, members of the party were amongst the founders of the [[Road of the Revolution Front]], an alliance of activists from different political backgrounds that aims to achieve the goals of the [[Egyptian Revolution of 2011]] of bread, freedom and social justice.<ref name=Ahram24Sept/>
== Lawsuit against Islamic parties == The ''Strong Egypt Party'' is one of the eleven [[Islamic party|Islamic parties]] targeted by a lawsuit in November 2014, when an organization named ''Popular Front for opposing the Brotherhoodization of Egypt'' sought to dissolve all political parties established "on a religious basis."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/egyptsource/political-islam-s-fate-in-egypt-lies-in-the-hands-of-the-courts |title=Political Islam's Fate in Egypt Lies in the Hands of the Courts |first=Yussef |last=Auf |publisher=[[Atlantic Council]] |date=25 November 2014 |access-date=1 December 2014}}</ref> The Alexandria Urgent Matters Court however ruled on 26 November 2014 that it lacked jurisdiction.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2014/11/26/court-claims-jurisdiction-religiously-affiliated-parties/|title=Court claims no jurisdiction over religiously affiliated parties|date=26 November 2014|work=[[Daily News Egypt]]|access-date=1 December 2014}}</ref>
==See also== *[[Anti-Coup Alliance]] *[[Tamarod]] *[[Revolutionary Socialists (Egypt)|Revolutionary Socialists]] *[[April 6 Youth Movement]] *[[Kefaya]]
==References== {{Reflist|33em}}
{{Egyptian political parties}} {{Egyptian Revolution of 2011}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Strong Egypt Party}} [[Category:2012 establishments in Egypt]] [[Category:2013 Egyptian coup d'état]] [[Category:Centrist parties in Egypt]] [[Category:Egyptian democracy movements]] [[Category:Organisations of the Egyptian Crisis (2011–2014)]] [[Category:Political parties established in 2012]]