In the context of an unprecedented opening of the political system in Egypt in 2004/2005, the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) scored an impressive success in the 2005 legislative elections that showed that the mainstream non-violent Islamist movement, despite the legal ban of the movement itself and of its political activities, is the only influential and organized political opposition in the face of the veteran National Democratic Party (NDP).

This study analyzes the reasons that have led to the Muslim Brotherhood’s relative success in the Egyptian Parliamentary elections in 2005 and discusses the impact of that performance on Egyptian politics.