In 2019, Egypt will mark 150 years since the completion of the Suez Canal. The waterway linking the Mediterranean and Red seas and providing a global shipping shortcut attests to the country's highly strategic location. But controlling a key chokepoint has not sufficed to ward off Cairo's declining significance on the global stage. While Egypt's importance in the global system may be debatable, few in the Middle East would dispute its pivotal role in the region. Its willingness to involve itself in regional affairs, however, waxes and wanes according to how stable it is at home. Today, after years of political chaos since the Arab Spring and the return of the military to power, Egypt's internal politics have stabilized. Under this renewed approach, Egypt's parliament is even debating relaxing presidential term limits, a sign of the government's confidence that it is immune to domestic challenges.