Al-Sisi Ascendant

WHEN he addresses the UN General Assembly on September 25th, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will surely have reason to feel pleased. The former field-marshal’s first 100 days as president, following a strong electoral win in June, have brought economic and diplomatic advances as well as hope to Egyptians wearied by years of political turmoil. Yet the health of the most populous Arab state remains fragile. Full recovery will take more time and less of a few things, not least reliance on heavy-handed police to silence dissent.

Mr Sisi can take credit for some good first steps. Successive Egyptian governments have shied from tackling ruinously large energy subsidies. But in July Mr Sisi’s cabinet raised fuel prices, which will both restrain galloping consumption and trim the government’s budget deficit, running perilously above 11% of GDP.