Because they are neighbours, the fates of the Libyan and the Egyptian people have always been intertwined. In ancient times, thousands fled the Libyan desert and settled nearer the River Nile. Today millions of people of Libyan descent live in Egypt and in fact, the Libyan dialect is almost more common than Egyptian ones in certain areas.  That historic impact is also noticeable in how a lot of Egyptians, including politicians and officials, have Libyan surnames; former Prime Minister Kamal Ganzouri and senior judge, Hossam El-Gheriany, for example.

Because they are neighbours, the fates of the Libyan and the Egyptian people have always been intertwined. In ancient times, thousands fled the Libyan desert and settled nearer the River Nile. Today millions of people of Libyan descent live in Egypt and in fact, the Libyan dialect is almost more common than Egyptian ones in certain areas.  That historic impact is also noticeable in how a lot of Egyptians, including politicians and officials, have Libyan surnames; former Prime Minister Kamal Ganzouri and senior judge, Hossam El-Gheriany, for example.

However in more modern times, it is Egypt that has made a firm impression on Libya. In 1949, two members of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic political party, fled Egypt and found shelter in Libya. Although the political party was largely repressed by former Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, it retained a presence in Libya.

There was a difference in the outcomes of elections held in Libya and Egypt. The political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood in Libya, the Justice and Construction Party, only managed to get seven seats and the National Front Alliance, a group of more liberal political parties there that favour a moderate Islam, won 39 seats. That went against the electoral trend in Egypt and Tunisia, where Islamic parties managed to come to power. But that doesn’t mean that Islamic parties no longer have any influence in Libya.

With the current unrest in Egypt though, it seems that once again the Muslim Brotherhood may influence Libyan politics. Currently the fear remains that the current Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood party plan to dominate Egyptian politics. Other Egyptian political parties that have tried to deal with the Muslim Brotherhood have only bitter experiences to speak about.

But if the conflict there continues and the demonstrations go out of control, the military might be forced to step in and hold new elections.  Or there might be some kind of violent conflict.  

In such a situation, millions would most likely flood into Libya from Egypt – even if that’s just as a pit stop on the way toward Europe. This would put pressure on the Libyan government, which is still unable to satisfy the demands and desires of its citizens and various armed groups around in the country.

Democracy has never been served to the people who demanded it on a platter of gold. Instead it’s been delivered by their torn and wounded limbs. That has been the case all throughout history. To resolve current problems in this region, we need to learn how to compromise and how to bring two disparate elements together.

If Egypt overcomes its current difficulties peacefully, there’s no doubt that Libya would feel a positive influence.