Purpose This study aims to investigate the nature of the relationship between the state and civil society after the 2011 uprising. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted Mygdal’s approach to analyze the relationship between the state and civil society and identify their ability to control the rules of the political game. The study also draws on the theoretical framework of the hypotheses introduced by a number of scholars on the forms of potential relations between the state and civil society, and the impact of these forms on advancing the process of democratization. Findings This study argues that despite some important changes in favor of civil society vis-à-vis the state, it is too early to conclude that a dramatic change has occurred in this relationship, due to a discernable unbalanced power in favor of the state. The state revealed after 2011 that these organizations acted against the state’s stability and against its fundamentals. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this research is the first to study the relationship between the state and the civil society in Egypt after 2011 events.