Artists Make Remarkable Impact in Egyptian Presidential Elections

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi speaks while meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, at Al-Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo, Oct. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi speaks while meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, at Al-Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo, Oct. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
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Artists Make Remarkable Impact in Egyptian Presidential Elections

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi speaks while meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, at Al-Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo, Oct. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi speaks while meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, at Al-Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo, Oct. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

Egyptian artists showed support to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during the presidential elections that concluded on Tuesday night.

A large number of artists backed Sisi since he announced his plans to run for another term in early October. Among those are Karim Abdelaziz, Ahmed el-Sakka, Nelly Karim and Salah Abdullah. Others showed their support in short videos that were shared on his campaign’s Facebook page, including Yasser Galal, who played the role of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in “The Choice” series.

“Artists’ support of President Sisi and his reelection reflect the stance of the majority of the Egyptian people,” said Ehab Fahmy, vice president of the Syndicate of Acting Professions. He told “Asharq Al-Awsat” that his colleagues’ support of President Sisi stems from their observation of “the achievements he has accomplished and their will to see him continue.”

Egyptian artists have played a growing role in the political landscape since the January 25 uprising in 2011; their participation in the protest at the ministry of culture alongside intellects and academics on June 30, 2013, helped overthrow the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood; they have also had remarkable contributions in the different elections and referendums since then.

Many artists boasted their support of the president during the elections including Wafaa Amer, who confirmed that she voted to “the one who has loved Egypt and lifted it since 2010”, in reference to Sisi; other like Nadia al-Gendy, Nabila Ebeid and Leila Taher said explicitly that they voted for him.

In the recent elections, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi competed with Farid Zahran, head of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party; Abdel Sanad Yamama, head of the Wafd party; and Hazem Omar, head of the Republican Peoples' Party.

Some of the artists who backed president Sisi urged people to vote, including Yousra, who said in a statement that she believes that “one vote can make a difference”, while Laila Elwi called on Egyptian citizens to vote for “the continuity of the path.”

Art critic Majida Khairallah said that artists’ support of president Sisi is a good thing. “They are citizens and have the right to participate in the different political events,” she told Asharq Al-Awsat, adding that “this political participation isn’t limited to Egyptian artists and has been seen among celebrities around the world.”

Egyptian artists are used to taking part in the political life through elections or by contributing to major political developments, like the donations Umm Kulthum made for the benefit of the Egyptian army after the war of 1967. Some were even involved directly in the political work, such as late Hamdi Ahmad, who was elected as a member of the parliament, and Yehia el-Fakharany, who was appointed in the Senate.

The artists’ participation in the elections saw some pitfalls. The cast of “Al Atawla” series, including Ahmed el-Sakka, Salah Abdullah and Bassem Samra had to vote at the Expats Committee in Alexandria because they were in the city to shoot some outdoor scenes.

Actress Lebleba committed a legal violation for voting twice; one at the Egyptian consulate in Jeddah and the other in Al Doqi district.

Ehab Fahmy highlighted that artists were keen to take part in the elections “because they are aware of the importance of this election and the critical circumstances in the region,” noting that he saw the same eagerness among the majority of the Egyptian people.

But Critic Majida Khairallah believes that the most important thing is “for artists to believe in their stance and not using it for personal gains.”



Japan Births in 2024 Fell Below 700,000 for First Time 

People walk along a pedestrian crossing at a shopping street Wednesday, June 4, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP)
People walk along a pedestrian crossing at a shopping street Wednesday, June 4, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP)
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Japan Births in 2024 Fell Below 700,000 for First Time 

People walk along a pedestrian crossing at a shopping street Wednesday, June 4, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP)
People walk along a pedestrian crossing at a shopping street Wednesday, June 4, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP)

The number of births in Japan last year fell below 700,000 for the first time on record, government data showed Wednesday.

The fast-ageing nation welcomed 686,061 newborns in 2024 -- 41,227 fewer than in 2023, the data showed. It was the lowest figure since records began in 1899.

Japan has the world's second-oldest population after tiny Monaco, according to the World Bank.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has called the situation a "quiet emergency", pledging family-friendly measures like more flexible working hours to try and reverse the trend.

Wednesday's health ministry data showed that Japan's total fertility rate -- the average number of children a woman is expected to have -- also fell to a record low of 1.15.

The ministry said Japan saw 1.6 million deaths in 2024, up 1.9 percent from a year earlier.

Ishiba has called for the revitalization of rural regions, where shrinking elderly villages are becoming increasingly isolated.

In more than 20,000 communities in Japan, the majority of residents are aged 65 and above, according to the internal affairs ministry.

The country of 123 million people is also facing increasingly severe worker shortages as its population ages, not helped by relatively strict immigration rules.

In neighboring South Korea, the fertility rate in 2024 was even lower than Japan's, at 0.75 -- remaining one of the world's lowest but marking a small rise from the previous year on the back of a rise in marriages.