President Mohammad Morsi condemned the warnings issued by some opposition figures concerning the economic degradation and Egypt possibly stepping into a state of bankruptcy unless immediate measures are taken to establish political conciliation, revive markets and manage expenses. As soon as Morsi made these condemnations, several official sides, including the Central Bank, issued reports reinforcing the fears of the oppositionists and carrying figures contradictory to those announced by the president when he was trying to reassure the people that all is well and that this is nothing but a passing storm!! The response was quite practical in the markets and on the street, as the price of the Egyptian pound dropped even lower than it had a few days before, thereby reaching its lowest value against the American dollar in ten years. In general, the bad economic and living conditions are nothing to be optimistic about. As long as the political conflict exists, there is no room to talk about an economic improvement. Will President Morsi be able to proceed with his first presidential term without problems, and will he be able to repair the economic situation and meet the people's demands, and improve the level of services without offering any compromises and without showing any flexibility vis-à-vis his opponents? Will the Freedom and Justice party maintain the parliamentary majority in the next elections, and will it obtain the same acceptance that it had prior to the presidential elections in the street and among the masses, without changing its mode of operation with the other forces? Will the Muslim Brotherhood proceed in the same path and will it achieve the objectives of the “call" at a time when it considers that every opposition is a conspiracy and every contradictory opinion is a threat and every competition is a hostility? So far, the president, his party and his people seem to have no intention to change the ways they use to deal with the other forces. They clearly believe that a day will come when the opposition will realize its mistake, regain its right mind, and meet the demands of the president!! The actions of Morsi, his party and his group, tell of their full conviction that no one in the opposition has good intentions and that every opposition movement both in the street and through the statements of the elite members primarily aims at thwarting the president and taking the majority away from the party and weakening the group!! Morsi did back away from some decisions ever since he came to power. The party always found excuses for him and suggested reasons for his change of heart. Indeed, the group would stand by a decision then welcome its annulment at a later stage. However, it seems that the national agreement, which is an objective that Morsi, his party and his group often allude to, will not be realized because neither the president, nor the party, nor the group intend to respond to any of the opposition's demands or even reach common grounds with the opposition with the aim of inducing pacification and releasing tensions. Thus, the Street will remain ablaze, the economy will degrade, and people will near the phase of explosion. The president wants the opposition to hold a dialogue with him based on his own agenda and according to his own style, without him showing any flexibility or meeting the opposition halfway. Regardless of the opposition's intentions, the objectives of the Salvation Front, and the demands of the revolutionary forces, the atmosphere where the president is currently operating is not good at all and this will not allow him to proceed with reform, come up with plans, or proceed in the direction of implementing a strategy, rescue the country from its slip, come up with solutions, or tend to the society's ailments. The upcoming weeks will certainly be ridden with additional tension, which will reflect on the movement of the street, thus inducing even more harm to the economy and to people's lives. The parliamentary elections will be taking place in less than three months amidst this state of polarization and conflict. Will Egypt be able to bear the outcomes of these elections if they were to take place in this atmosphere? If the situation were to worsen during the electoral challenge, the president might appear in front of the people and accuse his opponents of being losers, or of having organized a conspiracy to overthrown him. However, the conflict opposing the president, his party, and group on one hand, and their opponents on the other, will not be one of the masses' priorities. The people are waiting for a ray of hope beyond the speeches and the rosy numbers and the friendly statements, kisses and hugs. A hungry man has no time for love!
