Robert Springborg argues that the 2012 parliamentary elections did not advance the democratic transition process in Egypt: Islamist candidates won over two thirds of the seats in Parliament in an election process that had been designed by the military to ensure its permanent hold on power. Counting on Islamists to take away votes from secular revolutionaries, which it initially deemed most threatening, the military implemented countless hurdles to voter participation in an attempt to avoid a legitimated and coherent legislative body. Realising it had underestimated Islamist voter potential, it went on to restrict parliamentary powers. The Policy Brief thus concludes that the recent ballot may well derail Egypt’s transition into military dictatorship, Islamist authoritarianism or chaos.