Sarah Yerkes, a senior fellow in Carnegie's Middle East Program, joins Sophia to discuss the recent re-election of President Kais Saied and what it means for Tunisia's democracy.
Following Sunday's controversial presidential election, Kais Saied has secured his second term in office. While this result was widely anticipated, it raises deeper questions about the trajectory of Tunisia's democracy. Tunisia was once seen as the shining success of the Arab Spring – a beacon of democratic hope. But now, like several of its neighbors, it finds itself grappling with rising authoritarianism, weakened institutions, and disillusioned voters.
Today, we’re not just looking at Tunisia’s election results, but also exploring what these trends tell us about the state of democracy in the wider region. How did Tunisia arrive at this point in its democratic trajectory? What does this mean for the future of political reform, governance, and stability in North Africa and beyond?
In this episode, Sophia Besch discusses these questions and more with Sarah Yerkes, a senior fellow in Carnegie’s Middle East Program and expert on Tunisia’s political and economic reforms.
Notes:
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
Oren Cass is driving these debates as one of the most influential conservative thinkers of the Trump era. Cutting against traditional GOP orthodoxy, he has long argued for more tariffs, trade barriers, and worker protections—anticipating and influencing many of Trump’s policies. Oren joined Jon Bateman on The World Unpacked to explore the China shock, AI disruption, and Alexander Hamilton.
Jon Bateman, Oren Cass
The Paveway bomb, invented by Texas Instruments in the 1970s, was the first truly precise munition. It revolutionized America’s air campaign in Vietnam and allowed whole new kinds of “limited” U.S. wars in Libya, Iraq, Serbia, and beyond.
Jon Bateman, Jeffrey E. Stern
Jon Bateman, Bruce Friedrich
Steve Feldstein, a leading expert on technology and warfare, joined Jon Bateman on The World Unpacked to break down these trends. Are drones helping defenders deter aggression, or enabling attackers to slaughter more civilians? Why haven’t we seen full autonomy? And has the U.S. fallen behind in the weapon class that it first pioneered?
Jon Bateman, Steve Feldstein
Ambassador James B. Story most recently served as U.S. Ambassador for the Venezuela Affairs Unit, located at the United States Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia. Previously, Ambassador Story served as Chargé d’Affaires at the Venezuela Affairs Unit and, prior to mid-2019, the United States Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela.
Jon Bateman, James B. Story
