President Kais Saied has won a second term in office, but his country is facing a host of problems that necessitate urgent reforms, above all preventing the possibility of a financial meltdown. 

Unless Tunisia undertakes much deeper structural change, Saied’s modus vivendi with big business will lead to increasing economic gridlock.

Tunisia’s vulnerability to financial crisis is clear from its economic performance in 2023. How can the country pull itself back from the edge?

Since 2011, Tunisia has been heading for a macroeconomic crisis—large deficits, shrinking fiscal space, and difficult negotiations with the IMF. In this election year, policymakers face high stakes: A hard economic adjustment risks sociopolitical crisis, but without correction, the country faces a future economic meltdown.

Financial crises are threatening the stability of Egypt, Tunisia, and Lebanon. Despite a rare alignment of elements conducive to change, reforming the economy will still be politically challenging.

To address Egypt’s economic problems, The MHKCMEC and the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy cordially invite you to a public panel that will unpack these issues and more on Wednesday, May 18 from 5:00 p.m. until 6:15 p.m. EEST, and will feature contributions from Ishac Diwan, Robert Springborg, Hafsa Halawa, and Yezid Sayigh and Timothy Kaldas.

In the past year, Egypt has announced several ambitious economic initiatives. The Egyptian government will have to overcome major challenges to actually implement those changes.

To better understand the financial challenges and the rise of debt ratios after Arab uprisings and how this was further precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine war, and the rise in global interest rates, the MHKCKEC are organizing a joint event on Friday, April 14 from 05:00 p.m. till 06:30 p.m. (EEST)

Join us on Tuesday, November 30 from 4:00 till 5:30 p.m Beirut time for a public panel with Amr Adly, Rym Ayadi, Ishac Diwan, Hamza Meddeb and Jérôme Vacher to discuss Tunisia's worsening economic crisis.

While Lebanon's ruling elite continues to delay the formation of a new cabinet under Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri, French President Emmanuel Macron is growing impatient as he watches his initiative and timeline for reforms crumble.