After escalating demonstrations challenged the long-standing strong-man rule of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Obama and many European leaders called for him to step down and he did so in 2011. The Egyptians elected a new government based on the Muslim Brotherhood. However, the new President Mohamed Morsi was overthrown in 2013 by the military. President Obama strongly criticized the military takeover and the situations at the end of 2013 remained very tense.