Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Tunisia’s president has just prepared a new constitution, whose principal aim is to enhance his own authority.
The Tunisian case has implications for other MENA states and states with a vibrant women’s movement. Pandemics and crises can create political opportunities to empower women and civil society in fragile and democratizing states.
For his misfortune, Tunisia’s president finds himself on the opposite side of the powerful Tunisian General Labor Union.
President Kais Saied needs more carrots than sticks.
It’s about managing oil prices, bread prices, and strategic partnerships.
Hollowed out by corruption and mismanagement and buffeted by adverse economic conditions, authoritarian governments in the Middle East are struggling to deliver the socioeconomic benefits that once pacified their publics.
The conflict in Ukraine is exacerbating an already poor economic situation in Tunisia.
Five months after he seized power, Kais Saied has given no signs he plans to return the country to its democratic path.
The crisis in these marginalized border areas is likely to perpetuate social instability.
Tunisia’s democratic crisis is also a reflection of the EU’s weak and fragmented commitment to the country. The EU should encourage a return to democracy by alleviating Tunisia’s economic struggles, spurring political reforms, and pressuring regional partners to stop meddling in Tunisian affairs.