Speculation about a potential cabinet shuffle dominated the airwaves last night as talk show hosts parsed whether a change in personnel — including in the PM’s seat — is warranted. The smarter half of the nation’s erstwhile TV power couple (that would be Lamees, if you had any doubt) made a clear case for policy stability, while her more bombastic former-other-half argued for change.

Also on the airwaves last night: What does Israel’s recognition of Somaliland mean for Egypt?

Is Cabinet staying put? Speaking on Al Soura with Lamees El Hadidi, Rep. Mostafa Bakry said Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly struck an optimistic tone late last week after revealing the government aims to “bring [Egypt’s external debt] down to levels the country hasn’t seen in 50 years.” Still, Bakry said that Madbouly staying on could reinforce the view that “there is no change — even if the entire cabinet is reshuffled.” He added that he expects the next prime minister to come from within the current cabinet (watch, runtime: 9:06).

Whoever forms the next government has their work cut out for them. Asked whether either of the two deputy prime ministers could be in line for the top job, Bakry said the decision rests with the president, but argued that the government will need “decisiveness … delivery, forward momentum, an economic revival, and implementing what the current prime minister promised on reducing debt.”

Bakry is clearly worried about the regional backdrop, flagging that Egypt will need a strong PM as the region braces for “dangerous political developments” involving the fragmentation of states and territories — developments that, in his view, will require popular cohesion and broader social buy-in. (More on that below.)

Over on El Hekaya, Amr Adib argued that the debate over Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly’s tenure is secondary to the need for a fundamental shift in “social and economic policies.” Adib characterized current government policy as “emergency measures” that have reached their limit; keeping them in place will only yield the same results, he argued. Whether the mandate is carried out by Madbouly or a successor “from within the cabinet — to be clear,” Adib insisted the focus must be on implementing a new policy framework (watch, runtime: 4:27).

What new framework? Adib stopped short of explaining what sort of policy shift he’s looking for — and simply skipped over the improvement in the economy and in business confidence over the past 12 months.

Why Somaliland set off alarms in Cairo

It’s part of a wider Israeli policy shift that threatens to destabilize the Red Sea. Commenting on Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, former Assistant Foreign Minister Mohamed Hegazy told Ala Masouleety’s Ahmed Moussa that the move fits into a broader regional and international scheme — led by Israel and Ethiopia — aimed at exerting control over Somalia and Sudan (watch, runtime: 4:17). Hegazy warned that threats to Red Sea navigation are not limited to Israel and Somaliland, but also involve “Ethiopia, unfortunately with another regional power, and a global power as well.” The battle, he said, is over “control of shipping lanes, the militarization of the Red Sea, and dominance over the region’s gateways — from the Gulf of Aden to the Bab El-Mandeb strait.” Those dynamics, tied to wider regional tensions including Iran, could have direct negative implications for the Suez Canal, he warned.

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