The Constitution of Egypt — Written Twice in Three Years Because the First One Triggered a Revolution

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Egypt — Constitution Profile

📅 Active SinceJanuary 18, 2014
🏛️ GovernmentSemi-Presidential Republic
🌍 CapitalCairo
📄 Constitutions in 3 YearsTwo — 2012 and 2014
🗳️ Referendum Result98.1% approved (2014)
✏️ Amended2019

The Country That Wrote Two Constitutions in Two Years — Because the First One Started a Revolution

Egypt's modern constitutional story cannot be told without starting in Tahrir Square.

In 2011, mass protests toppled President Hosni Mubarak after nearly three decades in power. The country celebrated. A new constitution was drafted. It was approved by referendum in December 2012.

It lasted barely a year.

The 2012 constitution, pushed through under President Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, was seen by millions of Egyptians as an attempt to lock in religious and political control rather than build genuine democracy. The 2014 constitution removes the most controversial elements which the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies had introduced in the short-lived constitution of December 26, 2012.

Mass protests returned. The military intervened. Morsi was removed. And Egypt found itself, remarkably, writing an entirely new constitution for the second time in three years.

The Preamble That Calls Itself Unique in All of Human History

Most constitutional preambles are measured and formal. Egypt's makes one of the boldest claims of any founding document on earth.

Compared to major revolutions in the history of mankind, the Jan 25 – June 30 Revolution is a unique revolution, because of the heavy popular participation involved — which was estimated to be in the tens of millions — and the significant role of youth who aspire to a brighter future.

It continues: this Revolution is both a sign and a good omen; a sign of a past that is still present and a good omen of a future at which all humanity aspires.

Few constitutions in the world describe their own founding moment in language this sweeping — comparing a national uprising directly to the greatest revolutions in the entire history of mankind.

A Constitution That Reads Like a Religious and Historical Epic

Egypt's preamble does something almost no other modern constitution attempts — it weaves together thousands of years of religious and civilizational history into its own legal foundation.

With its unique location and history, Egypt is the Arab heart of the world. It is the meeting point of world civilizations and cultures... Egypt is the cradle of belief and the banner of glory of the revealed religions. On its land, Prophet Moses grew up and on Mount Sinai, the Revelation of Allah shone on his heart... On its land, Egyptians harbored in their bosoms Virgin Mary and her baby and offered thousands of martyrs in defense of the Church of Jesus.

Where most constitutions begin with a statement of national sovereignty, Egypt's begins by positioning itself as a holy crossroads for three of the world's major Abrahamic religions — a deliberate statement of identity wrapped around a legal document.

The Body That Was Abolished to Simplify Power

One of the most significant structural changes in the 2014 constitution had nothing to do with religion or revolution — it was about cutting away a layer of government that had become widely unpopular.

Perhaps the greatest step forward has been the abolition of a second chamber with questionable democratic credentials but substantial legislative authority. Law-making powers are now concentrated in the House of Representatives which is elected by direct universal suffrage. The unpopular Shura Council has been abolished.

It was a rare moment of genuine simplification in a constitutional process otherwise defined by political conflict — one chamber of parliament, directly elected, with no unelected upper house standing in the way.

The 98.1% Vote That Still Could Not Guarantee Stability

When Egyptians voted on the new constitution in January 2014, the result was overwhelming. Officially, support exceeded 98 percent.

But a landslide referendum result did not translate into a settled political order. Egypt's 2014 constitution failed to deliver on the promise of the 2011 uprising and has resulted in a political order in which important state institutions have insulated themselves from the political process, placing themselves in a supervisory position over the entire political system.

A constitution can be overwhelmingly approved at the ballot box and still fail to resolve the deeper power struggles that produced it in the first place.

The Counterterrorism Powers That Came Back Stronger

The 2012 constitution, in one of its few liberalizing moves, had actually weakened the state's anti-terrorism legal powers. The 2014 constitution reversed that completely.

Even more disconcertingly, the 2014 constitution gives the public authorities broad powers in the fight against terrorism. The 2012 constitution had eliminated references to antiterrorist laws together with the power to create special courts for the trial of suspected terrorists.

The new document restored and expanded these powers — a reflection of a state that, after years of unrest, prioritized security architecture as heavily as it prioritized the democratic promises of the original 2011 revolution.

Constitution at a Glance

DetailInformation
2011 RevolutionOusted President Hosni Mubarak
First Post-Revolution ConstitutionDecember 2012 (lasted ~1 year)
Current Constitution ApprovedJanuary 15–16, 2014 (referendum)
Came into ForceJanuary 18, 2014
Referendum Result98.1% in favor
Legislative BodyHouse of Representatives (unicameral)
Body AbolishedShura Council (upper chamber)
Amended2019
State ReligionIslam (principles of Sharia as main legislation source)
Official LanguageArabic

📥 Read the Constitution of Egypt

Read the complete, official English text of the Constitution of the Arab Republic of Egypt:

👉 Read Constitution of Egypt — Full Text

Two constitutions in three years. A preamble that compares itself to humanity's greatest revolutions. A 98% vote that still couldn't deliver stability. Which part of Egypt's constitutional story surprised you the most? Tell us in the comments below.

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