During a meeting with young journalists April 15, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi reportedly said he approves of the idea of a “Support Egypt” political party, referring to the pro-government parliamentary coalition with the same name. He had been asked his opinion on establishing a political party, and his answer has led to comparisons with the regime of former President Hosni Mubarak, who headed the now-defunct National Democratic Party (NDP) and against whom the people revolted five years ago.

Sisi’s answer was not definitive as to whether he would back such a party or lead it sometime in the future, raising questions about whether he hopes to establish a political party that will have his back politically in the coming period and about who the leaders of such a party would be — especially considering that his popular support is beginning to wane.

Sisi said in previous speeches and statements that he was satisfied with the level of popular support he enjoyed and he never expressed any desire to form a political party. Article 140 of the Egyptian Constitution states that a president may not occupy any partisan position throughout his term in office.

After toppling the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013 and removing then-President Mohammed Morsi from power, Sisi received overwhelming support from the Egyptian populace. His candidacy for the presidency garnered the endorsement of many political parties and forces that opposed the Brotherhood at the time, as well as the support of state institutions. He achieved an overwhelming victory over his opponent, Hamdeen Sabahi.