Free Egyptians Party

Free Egyptians Party
حزب المصريين الأحرار
ChairmanEssam Khalil[1]
Secretary-GeneralNader El Sharkawy (Acting)
Ahmed Kahiry
Essam Khalil
FounderNaguib Sawiris[2]
Founded3 April 2011 (2011-04-03)
Headquarters2 Hassan Sabry Street Zamalek, Cairo
Membership (2011)100,000[3]
IdeologyLiberalism (Egyptian)[4]
Secularism[5]
Political positionCentre[6] to centre-right[7]
National affiliationFor the Love of Egypt (2015–2018)
National Unified List for Egypt (2020)
Regional affiliationArab Liberal Federation
Colors  Red
SloganParty For All Egyptians
حزب لكل المصريين
House of Representatives
0 / 596
Senate
0 / 300
Website
www.almasreyeenelahrar.com

The Free Egyptians Party (Arabic: حزب المصريين الأحرار, romanized: Ḥizb El Maṣrīyīn El Aḥrār [ħezb el mɑsˤrɪjˈjiːn el ʔɑħˈrɑːr]) is an Egyptian liberal party, founded after the 2011 Egyptian revolution.[8] It supports the principles of a liberal, democratic, and secular political order in Egypt. The Free Egyptians Party was the largest party in the House of Representatives following the 2015 Egyptian parliamentary election. The party is a founding member of Al Hurriya Liberal Network.[9]

History

Establishment

The party's first annual conference in 2011.

On 3 April 2011, the engineer and businessman Naguib Sawiris, and a group of intellectuals and political activists announced the establishment of the party and declared the program, the objectives and the basic principles of the party.[10] Other prominent party members include the Egyptian American scientist Farouk El-Baz,[11] the Egyptian Arabic poet Ahmed Fouad Negm, the writer Gamal El-Ghitani, and the telecommunications entrepreneur Khaled Bichara.[12]

In July 2011, infighting emerged within the party. An internal faction called the "Group of 17" accused the national leadership of undemocratic methods in choosing local leaders in the Damietta Governorate and of tolerating former members of the National Democratic Party, the ruling party of the toppled Mubarak regime, within the ranks of the Free Egyptians Party. Five of the dissidents have been excluded from the party, and have been denoted as "troublemakers" by party officials.[4] Nevertheless, in August of the same year, the new party reported to have 100,000 members.[3]

Egyptian Bloc and elections of 2011/2012

The Free Egyptians Party was an integral component of the Egyptian Bloc, a broad electoral alliance opposing the Muslim Brotherhood, founded on 16 August 2011. The Egyptian Bloc has taken up the cause of defending Egypt's secularity and civic society.[13] However, several member parties, including the Socialist Popular Alliance Party and the Socialist Party of Egypt, left the Egyptian Bloc, complaining that it included "remnants of the former regime".[14]

The Bloc only included the Free Egyptians Party, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party (ESDP), and Tagammu when the first post-revolutionary parliamentary elections were held in November 2011 and January 2012.[15][16] Together, the Bloc won 2,402,238 votes, corresponding to a share of 8.9%. Of the 332 seats allocated to parties and coalitions, 33 were taken by candidates of the Egyptian Bloc, 14 of which were members of the Free Egyptians Party. One FEP member was elected to one of the 166 seats reserved for individual candidates.

Unlike its partners ESDP and Tagammu, the Free Egyptians Party decided to boycott the Shura council elections in January and February 2012, citing the reluctance of authorities to address irregularities during the lower house elections.[17] After the elections, the Egyptian Bloc collapsed with the ESDP retiring, claiming that the other partners were more concerned over the secular-Islamist divide than over the differences between the former regime and the forces of the revolution.[18] In March 2012, former deputy chairman and member of parliament Mohamed Abu Hamed resigned from the party to become a leader of the Life of the Egyptians Party and later of the Egyptian Patriotic Movement.[19]

Opposition against the Islamist government

The Free Egyptians did not take part in the selection of members of the Constituent Assembly in June 2012, lamenting an over-representation of Islamists in it.[20] It confirmed its calls to boycott the assembly in September 2012.[21] Instead, the FEP participated in a number of projects trying to coordinate the secular opposition against the Islamist majority that came out of the election, namely the Egyptian Nation Alliance that was announced in September 2012,[22] the Civil Democratic Movement of October 2012,[23] and the National Salvation Front founded in November 2012.[24] The FEP called for a boycott of the constitutional referendum in December 2012 to demonstrate their rejection of the entire process that led to the Islamist-sponsored 2012 constitution.[25]

After 2013 protests

The Free Egyptians Party supported the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi, which followed anti-government protests against him. The party regarded the protests leading up to Morsi's removal as a revolution and did not regard his overthrow as a coup.[26] In December 2013, the older liberal Democratic Front Party merged into the Free Egyptians Party.[27] In the same month, it was reported that the Free Egyptians Party had become part of the National Front Coalition,[28] but in February 2014 the party clarified that it would not make sense to join an electoral alliance before the electoral law was even passed.[29]

The Free Egyptians supported the 2014 Egyptian constitution that was up for vote during the January 2014 constitutional referendum,[30] which it passed with 98.1% (while the turnout was 38.6%). In April 2014, the Free Egyptians Party was admitted as a full member to the Liberal International,[31] as it had previously already been an observer member and member of the regional Arab Alliance for Freedom and Democracy. The party declared its support for candidate Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in the May 2014 presidential election.[32]

The party won 65 seats in the 2015 Egyptian parliamentary election.[33]

Internal crisis

Party founder Naguib Sawiris had cut off funding towards the party for 6–7 months in protest of its policies.[34]

In late 2016, the party underwent a major internal crisis that led to the division of the party into two opposing factions; one led by party leader Essam Khalil, and the other led by Sawiris. Party members voted to dismiss the trustees of the party, including Sawiris, at a "general assembly" meeting in December.[35]

Sawiris was ejected from the party the following February[36] and filed a lawsuit against Khalil for violation of the party's internal bylaws.[37]

It ran 14 candidates in the 2020 Egyptian parliamentary election for individual seats.[38] However, due to the inactivity of the party, especially in the face of the growing influence of the Egyptian Wafd Party and the rise of the Nation's Future Party, the Free Egyptians Party is no longer seen as the political force it once was and lost all of its seats in the 2020 Egyptian parliamentary election.

Organization

Leaders

Leader Took office Left office
1 Ahmed Hassan Said 10 May 2013[39] 19 September 2014[40]
2 Essam Khalil (acting) September 2014[41] 2014[41]
3 Essam Khalil 31 December 2015[41]
4 Essam Khalil 24 March 2017[42]
4 Mahmoud El-Alaily (Sawiris-backed faction) 6 May 2017[43]

President

After the party's establishment, a presidential office was established to act as president of the party until internal elections. After the parliamentary elections of November 2011 and January 2012, Ahmed Said was appointed as interim president of the party and Rawi Camel-Touge as interim Secretary General. After holding the first congress of the party on 10 May 2013 Ahmed Said was elected as the first elected president of the Free Egyptians Party. After the merger of the Democratic Front Party into the Free Egyptians Party, at the first Supreme Council meeting on 28 April 2014 Essam Khalil was elected to be General Secretary.

in December 2015, the party elected Khalil as the second leader of the party, with 84% of the vote.[1]

Election results

Election year # of
overall votes 		% of
overall vote 		# of
overall seats won 		+/– Government
2011 1,201,119 (#4)
15 / 508
 Increase 15 Opposition
2015 1,009,083 (#1)
65 / 596
 Increase 50 Majority
2020 0 (NA)
0 / 284
 Decrease -65 (NA)

References

  1. ^ a b El-Fekki, Amira (1 January 2016). "Free Egyptians Party elects its president". Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  2. ^ Al-Masriyeen al-Ahrrar (Free Egyptians Party), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, archived from the original on 29 January 2014, retrieved 16 December 2013
  3. ^ a b "Liberal Egyptian party secures 100,000 members", The Jerusalem Post, Reuters, 25 August 2011, retrieved 5 February 2026
  4. ^ a b "Free Egyptians party sacks five 'troublemakers'", Ahram Online, 17 July 2011, retrieved 16 December 2013
  5. ^ نص عبد القادر خيشي. "حزب "المصريين الأحرار" يرفع شعار العلمانية بزعامة الملياردير نجيب ساويرس - France - فرانس24". France24 (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  6. ^ Charbel, Jano (8 April 2014), "Anti-MB group dominates Engineers Syndicate elections", Mada Masr
  7. ^ Sabry, Bassem (12 September 2013), "The Uncertain Fate of Egypt's Political Parties", Al Monitor
  8. ^ "A Partial Guide to the Egyptian Political Parties". Connected in Cairo. 15 November 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  9. ^ "شبكة الحرية الليبرالية تطلق اجتماعها الأول من الأردن عبر منصة "زووم" | ثقافة | وكالة أنباء سرايا الإخبارية - حرية سقفها السماء". www.sarayanews.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  10. ^ "The Free Egyptians (Al Masreyeen Al Ahrar) Party". Electionnaire. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
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  12. ^ Afify, Heba (4 April 2011), "Naguib Sawiris launches liberal 'Free Egyptians Party'", Egypt Independent, retrieved 16 December 2013
  13. ^ Saleh, Yasmine (16 August 2011). "Egypt liberals launch 'The Egyptian Bloc' to counter Islamists in Nov. vote". Reuters. Archived from the original on 27 December 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  14. ^ Raslan, Sarah (23 October 2011), "Revolution Continues Alliance stabilises, one day ahead of registration deadline", Ahram Online, retrieved 13 January 2026
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  21. ^ "Political forces sign on ElBaradei call for Constituent Assembly boycott". Ahram Online. 29 September 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  22. ^ "Liberal, leftist forces unite to defeat 'unrepresentative' constitution". Ahram Online. 27 September 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  23. ^ Massive New Coalition Unites To Rival Political Islam in Egypt, Al Monitor, 11 October 2012
  24. ^ "Profile: Egypt's National Salvation Front". BBC. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  25. ^ "Opposition forces gear towards a 'no' vote". Egypt Independent. 13 December 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  26. ^ Wedeman, Ben; Sayah, Reza; Smith, Matt (4 July 2013), Coup topples Egypt's Morsy; deposed president under 'house arrest', CNN.com
  27. ^ Two Egyptian liberal parties announce merger, Ahram Online, 21 December 2013, retrieved 29 April 2014
  28. ^ "Conference Party to form electoral coalition". Cairo Post. 15 December 2013. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  29. ^ "Free Egyptians Party: We will not enter any alliance until elections law issued". Cairo Post. 15 February 2014. Archived from the original on 25 February 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  30. ^ "Egypt's Free Egyptians Party distributes Braille draft constitution at rally". Ahram Online. 9 January 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  31. ^ "Free Egyptians Party joins Liberal International", The Cairo Post, 28 April 2014, archived from the original on 29 April 2014
  32. ^ Kortam, Hend (28 April 2014), "Parties choose between Al-Sisi and Sabahy", Daily News Egypt, retrieved 6 February 2026
  33. ^ Abdelaziz, Mohamed (22 October 2020), "Egypt's Parliamentary Election at Stake", The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, retrieved 6 February 2026
  34. ^ "القصة الكاملة لأزمة المصريين الأحرار - برلمانى". برلمانى (in Arabic). 29 December 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
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  37. ^ "Dispute between Free Egyptians Party's founder and president goes to court". 27 February 2017. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  38. ^ El-Bey, Doaa (9 January 2014). "The race for seats: Parties contesting Egypt parliament elections". Ahram Online. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  39. ^ El-Behairy, Nouran (11 May 2013). "Free Egyptians Party elects chairman". Daily News Egypt. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  40. ^ "Head of Free Egyptians Party resigns". Ahram Online. 24 April 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  41. ^ a b c El-Fekki, Amira (1 January 2016). "Free Egyptians Party elects its president". Daily News Egypt. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
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  43. ^ "Sawiris faction in Free Egyptians Party announces results of high committee elections". Ahram Online. 6 May 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
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