Tunisia democracy However, the powerful political rise of the Islamists and regressive economic policies have disrupted the process of democratic consolidation and slowed down economic recovery. Tunisia's president has been carrying out a creeping coup, demolishing the country's hard-fought democratic gains bit by bit. Since the presidential measures to suspend the parliament, dismiss the government and draft a new constitution were enacted in 2021, socioeconomic conditions have continued to deteriorate, and risks of unrest have increased. Kate Floros, “The Collapse of Tunisia’s Democracy,” The Politics Classroom podcast, July 30, 2023. The European Union (EU) and the United States (US) have not responded with sufficient urgency to the democratic backsliding in Tunisia as a result of President Kaïs Saïed’s reforms since July 2021. Advertisement Oct 8, 2024 · Tunisia expected the new democratic governments to implement more inclusive policies that allowed the citizens to exercise political freedom and economic growth. Wednesday, September 27, 2023. Though Tunisia has not yet consolidated its democracy, during the past decade the Tunisian government and people achieved several successes including Jul 26, 2021 · Tunisia is facing its worst crisis in a decade of democracy on Monday after President Kais Saied ousted the government and suspended parliament with help from the army, a move denounced as a coup Jan 22, 2021 · Tunisia stands as the Arab Spring's lone success story 10 years after those uprisings began. Skip to content Watch be the one that writes its epitaph, "The people can't eat democracy"?, Oct 14, 2021 · In the decade since Tunisia’s 2011 democratic revolution, nine successive governments have failed to fix the serious economic problems that beset the country of 11 million. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 2013 2015 2018 Percent Democracy Military Rule One-Party Rule One-Man Rule. Tunisia’s young democracy flounders as its president wins a second term Published: October 11, 2024 12:18pm EDT. Nearly 10 million Tunisians are gearing up to vote on Sunday in presidential elections dominated by incumbent leader Kais Nov 22, 2024 · Malath Al-Agha notes seven other countries from across the Middle East and North Africa joined Tunisia in pro-democracy reform movements known as the Arab Spring between January 2011 and 2013. However, the raiding of the headquarters of the opposition Ennadha Jan 8, 2025 · Radwan Masmoudi: Tunisia is a small country, but I think it is extremely important for the Arab world. As the country emerges from decades of authoritarian rule, it faces enormous political, social, economic, and security challenges, which are undermining its peaceful evolution. 1 day ago · Fourteen years after Tunisia’s revolution, democracy is still missing in Tunisia and in the wider Arab world. Mar 6, 2024 · Tunisia’s dramatic democratic reversals since July 2021 warrant an in-depth reflection on how and where its once-promising democratisation momentum went wrong. IWatch focuses on fighting corruption and promoting transparency in Tunisia. Global sales of the top performance apparel, accessories, and footwear companies 2023; Nike's global revenue 2005-2024 Aug 28, 2024 · Ennahda has made efforts to create a consensus with a variety of parties, including secularists and leftists, despite under highly politicized climate. Jul 21, 2022 · Introduction. read more. In December 2022, Saied proposed a new constitution that would give the Aug 3, 2021 · Tunisia, democracy, and the return of American hypocrisy. Data from the Global Freedom Status released by Freedom House in 2020 places Tunisia as a free country, the same as Western countries in general. However, as of late, Tunisia’s democracy has weakened. 1 percent) stated that Tunisia was not democracy. It has a President as head of state and a Prime Minister as head of government, while the parliament, the Assembly of the Representatives of the Nov 9, 2022 · Tunisia’s democracy can be saved. 2 days ago · The Democracy Index published by the Economist Group is an index measuring the quality of democracy across the world. Jul 1, 2022 · After a decade as the stand-out democracy of the Middle East, Tunisia took an anti-democratic turn in July 2021 with President Kaïs Saïed’s self-coup. Since the presidential measures to suspend the parliament, dismiss the government and draft a new constitution were enacted in 2021, Tunisia is the only country which overthrew an authoritarian ruler during the 2011 Arab Spring and went on to build a democracy. However, this success cannot guarantee that democracy can survive and run well, especially in meeting the demands or expectations of the community. Tunisia’s transition to democracy remains incomplete and under stress. But so are all the emperors’ clothes, and the Arab peoples have taken note. This study explores Tunisia’s evolving democratic landscape, analyzing Arab Barometer Wave VII survey data to understand factors shaping citizens’ support for democracy. May 29, 2024 · The regression of Tunisia’s democratic progress since 2021 has posed a challenge for both the US and EU, namely in terms of their declared commitment to prioritise democracy in foreign policy, in general, and in the Arab world, in particular. Democracy Ratings. were incompatible, and he attempted to institutionalize elements of secularism during his presidency. Established CSOs not only actively participated in the initial post-revolutionary governance of the country, but also played an important role in formulating new legislation and shaping the country’s first democratic constitution. Jan 8, 2025 · We spoke on Tunisia's transition to democracy and the legacy of the Jasmine revolution to Dr. 7. Kais Saied is simply the man who set it aflame. But its new leaders were unable to Jul 26, 2021 · Tunisia is on edge. Dec 1, 2021 · What is the state of democracy in Tunisia, the birth place of the Arab Spring, ten years on? We spoke to Tunisia's first democratic president, Dr. EIU Democracy Index 2017: Score: 6. For only the second time in history, Tunisians were able to choose a president in a democratic election. August 3, 2021. Oct 30, 2024 · Tunisia, the country known as the birthplace of the democratic revolutions (also known as the Arab spring) over a decade ago, held presidential elections on 6 October 2024. The legislation acknowledges that President Kais Saied has taken steps to undermine Tunisia’s democratic institutions. Mar 25, 2019 · ABSTRACT. Second, democratic breakdown in Tunisia occurred in the context of wide-spread indifference and disengagement, not in the context of Feb 26, 2019 · for_democracy_dwindles_in_tunisia_1. In fact, it barely got off the ground. Feb 14, 2020 · Chapter 1 describes how Tunisia’s unique success has been based on comparative strength in national unity and state capacities along with an apolitical military, and Islamist and secular political parties exceptionally willing to work together to sustain a democratic bargain. President Joe Biden’s stated desire to prioritize democracy in his foreign policy. The democratic government really courted China as well to help with the economic picture. I have recently Jan 30, 2018 · When Indonesian Foreign Minister Natalegawa first revealed the Egyptian request for democracy support, he noted that Tunisia had also sought similar assistance. Dec 28, 2021 · ABSTRACT. For their part, Sahide et al. Plus. In addition, Moldova, Jul 5, 2022 · The Current Situation in Tunisia. Tunisia is the country where the anti-authoritarian uprisings known as the ‘Arab Spring’ started in 2010 and the only country in the region with an ongoing democratic transition process. Studies in western democracies find that social pressure is especially ingrained among older generations who possess a deeper sense of civic duty. Jul 25, 2019 · The Arab Spring has had its detractors and democracy will be difficult for Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen but the greater opportunities for human rights’ protection and universal values expressed in Dec 21, 2023 · Tunisia is a democratic republic since 1957. As the African Charter recalls, May 9, 2023 · Tunisia’s backsliding has represented a major test for U. The revolution was a catalyst for a series of pro-democracy uprisings across the region. While this result was widely anticipated, it raises deeper questions about the trajectory of Tunisia's democracy. Parliamentary republic: Iraq, [3] Israel, Lebanon [4]; Presidential republic: Syria, Tunisia, Turkey; Semi-presidential republic: Oct 31, 2023 · TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — The leader of Tunisia’s moderate Islamist party was sentenced to 15 months in prison for supporting terrorism and inciting hatred in the North African country, once seen as a model for democracy in the Arab world but Oct 10, 2021 · Tunisia, birthplace of the pro-democracy uprisings that swept the Arab world, now looks to many like a final confirmation of failed promise. pdf. 04/27/2022 April 27, 2022. Saied needs Oct 10, 2024 · Following Sunday's controversial presidential election, Kais Saied has secured his second term in office. In the morning, they were on social media, celebrating swimmer Ahmed Hafnaoui, who unexpectedly won gold in the 400-meter freestyle final at the 2020 Jan 15, 2023 · Anti-government protesters in Tunisia say the country’s president is reversing political freedoms gained more than a decade ago. Promoting democracy and good governance abroad, once a cornerstone of the liberal order championed by both the US and the EU, appears to have Jan 4, 2025 · After the ouster of a longtime autocrat in 2011, Tunisia held a series of free multiparty elections, and citizens enjoyed considerable political rights and civil liberties under a constitution promulgated in 2014. Given incumbent-led autocratization in Tunisia, the article investigates support to democracy among youth in historically marginalized regions and the likelihood they will prefer the authoritarian alternative. Photo: Phil Pasquini/ Shutterstock International non-governmental organisations supporting rights and freedoms in Tunisia are extremely alarmed by the draft constitution issued on 30 June in the Tunisian Official Gazette and corrected in an updated version published on 8 July. 32 out of 10 (where higher scores are more democratic) World Ranking: =69. However, endemic corruption, economic challenges, security threats, and unresolved problems related to gender equality and transitional justice remained Tunisia’s once-promising democratic transition had long failed to de-liver on its promises. ERT data. Related Blog Posts. economy has suffered across multiple sectors, while political Feb 19, 2024 · of democratic breakdown as described by an older literature (Linz 1978) than of the typical pattern of democratic backsliding during the so-called ‘third wave of autocratiza-tion’ (Lührmann and Lindberg 2019). The military is neutral and See more Tunisia is the only country which overthrew an authoritarian ruler during the 2011 Arab Spring and went on to build a democracy. Though Tunisia had only two presidents—Habib Bourguiba and Aug 30, 2021 · President Saied’s sacking of the government may be popular, but what Tunisia needs is to strengthen its democracy, not dismantle it. Print Jan 5, 2025 · After ousting a longtime autocrat from power in 2011, Tunisia began a democratic transition, and citizens now enjoy unprecedented political rights and civil liberties. With an economy in turmoil and a splintered Oct 7, 2024 · These events have raised serious concerns about the future of democracy in Tunisia. Aug 29, 2022 · In 2019, when Tunisia was still a democracy, the United States and Tunisia signed a five-year “Development Objective Agreement” for the U. January 2022, Volume 33, Issue 1 Coup in Tunisia: Why the Military Dec 1, 2021 · What is the state of democracy in Tunisia, the birth place of the Arab Spring, ten years on? We spoke to Tunisia's first democratic president, Dr. On 17 December 2010, 26-year-old fruit vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on Jul 9, 2022 · 49 Ahmad Sahide, Yoyo Yoyo, Ali Muhammad: Tunisia's Success in Consolidating Its Democracy One Decade Post-the Arab Spring Tunisia's Success in Consolidating Its Democracy One Decade Post-the Arab Spring Ahmad Sahide1, Yoyo Yoyo2, Ali Muhammad 3 1Department of International Relations, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY), Oct 11, 2024 · Tunisia’s president has won a second term in an election marred by repression. In a referendum on August 16th Tunisia adopted a new constitution implementing a presidential system without check and balances on the president’s powers– despite low turnout in the vote Aug 9, 2021 · ABSTRACT. DEMOCRACY DISORDER TUNISIAN DEMOCRACY AT A CROSSROADS 4 Apr 11, 2012 · Tunisia: Democracy after secularism. Sections. However, the raiding of the headquarters of the opposition Tunisia’s transition to democracy remains incomplete and under stress. Consensus between moderate Islamists and moderate secularists is usually judged as the touchstone of democracy in Tunisia. Duration 2019 - 2020 Location Tunisia Practice Area Politics. Apr 22, 2014 · Three years after the collapse of then president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali’s authoritarian regime, Tunisia has adopted a democratic constitution and consensually formed a government of national competencies. In a referendum on August 16th Tunisia adopted a new constitution implementing a presidential system without check and balances on the president’s powers– despite low turnout in the vote Sep 19, 2024 · All credible would-be challengers to Saied have either been imprisoned, scared into exile, or excluded from running. . Share Tunisia’s democracy is being squeezed. Tunisia’s transition to democracy represented a beacon of hope in the Arab world, but Saied’s recent actions sparked debates about the future trajectory of Tunisia’s democratic institutions. By Karim Mezran and Alissa Pavia. Since 2011, when popular demonstrations ousted President Zein al-Abedin ben Ali, successive governments with differing Democracy in Tunisia. As other countries in the region were marked by war and violence in Nov 23, 2024 · Once regarded as the sole democracy that has emerged from the mass protests of the Arab Spring in 2011, Tunisia is now experiencing extensive setbacks in its path to democracy. On the other hand, since the revolution, Tunisia's . Maghzaoui challenged Saied to a debate, but the president ignored the invitation. 2, Tunisia’s supposedly independent electoral commission—whose Oct 5, 2024 · There are people of all walks of life “determined, whatever the number it is, to go on until we resettle democracy in Tunisia — democracy that has been the hope of so many young people and so Mar 20, 2016 · In Tunisia, democracy could gain a foothold in a part of the world where it has been absent. Dec 16, 2022 · “Democracy is in crisis around the world right now, not just in Tunisia,” said Oumaima Ben Abdullah, a 24-year-old medical student and member of the Democratic Current party. In January the authoritarian ruler, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali had fled the country, following a month of sustained and widespread popular protest. It was a crisis waiting to be exploited. [2] De jure democracies in the Middle East and North Africa are according to system of government: . 7200 Wisconsin Ave Oct 28, 2024 · Tunisia’s democratic backsliding closely mirrors the experience of countries such as Turkey. To start a new movement, Tunisia’s civil society and its politicians must rebuild trust with the people and convince them, Jul 28, 2022 · The oft-praised democratic transition of Tunisia has many aspects to it and the fact that it has not delivered economically has led it to be questioned among a majority of Tunisians. In 2003, representatives of several of Tunisia's leading anti-regime parties, including Ennahda, Congress for the Republic (CPR), Ettakatol, and Oct 31, 2023 · Previous literature argues that social pressure during democratic elections motivates citizens to vote. Sep 24, 2019 · Tunisia’s hopeful transition to a democratic future faces a new challenge. Following the 2011 downfall of the authoritarian Ben Ali regime, Tunisia initially saw notable improvements across Jul 28, 2022 · The Current Situation in Tunisia. Tunisia’s vibrant civil society is also widely credited with playing a crucial role in the country’s successful democratization. The opposition has been unable to unite and challenge Saied's rule coherently. (2022) found that only Tunisia Jul 17, 2023 · 2023. In the first round of presidential Aug 27, 2024 · ABSTRACT. SKIP ADVERTISEMENT. That’s when the Arab Spring led to the removal of former Oct 14, 2021 · Tunisia’s transition to democracy remains incomplete and under stress. Dec 24, 2024 · Through this project, DI used its findings to inform civic engagement activities that support Tunisia’s ongoing democratic transition. It was under his leadership that a new democratic constitution was drafted and the path towards democratic elections was paved. But it has struggled in the decade since. Therefore, when a populist President like Kais Saied promised to change the system and rid the country of its political class, it worked. Following a series of autocratic governance practices from the Tunisian government, the ERT coded that a transition to autocracy occurred in 2022. Since the presidential measures to suspend the parliament, dismiss the Nov 8, 2023 · ABSTRACT. Shadi Hamid Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Center for Middle East Policy. Citizen election-observation groups that had accrued experience monitoring polls during Tunisia’s democratic transition applied to observe the Jul 26, 2021 · CAIRO — Tunisia’s fledgling democracy, the only one remaining from the popular revolutions that swept the Arab world a decade ago, trembled on the brink of collapse Monday after its president Apr 20, 2021 · Tunisia’s democratic transition began as a result of the 2008 financial collapse, which brought about significant youth unemployment and resulted in a loss of confidence in the leadership of President Ben Ali. Oct 2, 2024 · Tunisia: In Brief Congressional Research Service 3 and September 2021, Saïed “suspended” parliament (which he later fully dissolved), unilaterally dismissed the cabinet, and suspended much of the constitution by decree. However, those institutions appear to be failing to address the problems and complaints of citizens, who are turning elsewhere to make their voices heard. Putting forth a framework for micro-level assessment of the cognitive and interpretive dynamics generating loss of popular support to Jul 26, 2022 · In his remarks, Mr. Thus far, the Biden administration’s reaction Jan 27, 2014 · These advances in democracy in Tunisia should have a positive effect on the other Arab Spring countries,” Islamists party chief Rached Ghannouchi told reporters. After the exhilarating upheaval of the 2010–11 revolution that set off the Arab Spring, the degeneration of the regional pioneer’s democratisation Oct 13, 2020 · Tunisia: Democracy and Islam in Post-Arab Spring Politics . Unfortunately, the months leading up to the ballot confirmed what many have been warning for years: the North-African country is becoming ever more repressive and president Kais Saïed, Tunisia is the only Arab country that has successfully carried out a revolution and democratization after the Arab Spring. As stated by a prominent revolutionary at the time, regime change in Tunisia “was not Oct 6, 2024 · Tunisia was the birthplace of the Arab Spring revolution and, for a while, was seen as an example of a successful pivot to democracy after years of authoritarian rule by Zine El Abidine Ben Ali Nov 4, 2024 · This year, we have included annual global rankings of country performance for each of the categories of democratic performance—Representation, Rights, Rule of Law, and Participation— rather than classifying regimes on an overall basis. Signup for our newsletter. But the new Constitution will return Tunisia to a presidential system like the one it had under Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, the Jan 15, 2023 · Although Tunisia has succeeded in defusing many crises, its transition has been uneasy; its democracy is fragile and its future continues to be uncertain. In the run-up to yesterday’s presidential election, several candidates were sentenced to prison or disqualified. Oct 4, 2024 · Tunisia's president has cleared the field for his reelection on October 6. 5 out of 7 (where lower scores are more democratic) Freedom Status: Free. Tunisia was once seen as the shining success of the Arab Spring – a beacon of democratic hope. However, endemic corruption, economic challenges, security threats, and unresolved problems related to gender equality and transitional justice remained President Kais Saied’s de facto dissolution of parliament in July 2021, abandonment of the constitution, and targeting of the opposition are clear signs that Tunisia is no longer a democracy and has returned to the authoritarian Jul 18, 2024 · The democratic transition in Tunisia never succeeded. Skip to content Skip to site index. There were some different agreements made between China and Tunisia. A revolution, a deposed despot, a fifth anniversary, twins, four agile thumbs, eight languages. There were over seven million registered voters—an increase of nearly two and a half million since the local elections in May 2018. Founded as the Movement of Islamic Tendency in 1981, [10] Ennahda was inspired by the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood [11] and Tunisia is the only country that transitioned to democracy after the Arab Spring in 2011. 80 per cent of registered voters, All of our Democracy Tracker event reports and related analyses are based upon our Global State of Democracy conceptual framework. The Arab Spring’s spark, as Eugene Rogan explains, emerged in Tunisia in late 2010. Nov 12, 2012 · Abstract. Tunisia has a large tourism economy. As Tunisia approaches its election on October 6, May 29, 2024 · ABSTRACT. Tunisia was a representative democracy with an executive president, a legislature and judiciary, starting with elections in 2014 until the president suspended parliament and began ruling by decree on 25 July 2021. I test this argument in a new democracy, Tunisia, where citizens of all ages are experiencing democratic elections Apr 2, 2021 · Tunisia has been more successful than any other Arab country since 2011 in establishing the formal institutions and processes of democracy. Tunisia’s road back to authoritarianism cannot be viewed simply as an Arab or Middle Eastern Dec 27, 2023 · ABSTRACT. 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. It is among the top 25 per cent of countries with regard to Access to Justice, while it performs at the bottom 25 per cent in Electoral Participation. The article's analytical agenda is two-fold. Sep 6, 2024 · Tunisia has experienced a disquieting authoritarian regression over the last few years following promising beginnings as a young democracy after the January 2011 revolution. The parliament's speaker has quickly emerged as the main opponent of the president's efforts to reshape the Tunisia's democracy index is above Indonesia (6. Latent threats to Tunisia’s democracy remain in a security sector Feb 8, 2021 · Only in Tunisia has a fragile democracy endured. China has a lot of tourists. Ten governments in Dec 27, 2016 · The consolidation of Tunisia’s democracy has been and remains in the US national interest. Nov 4, 2024 · Today, the wave of democracy in Tunisia that began with the Arab Spring is dead. His increasing hold on power is raising critical questions about the country's future. Samuel Wendel, “Supply and demand: North African military expenditures raise stakes for global defense suppliers,” Al Dec 13, 2022 · Keywords: Authoritarianism, Constitutional imploration, Democracy, Ennahda, islamic movement, Political crises, Presidential coup, Tunisia Discover the world's research 25+ million members Jul 26, 2021 · Tunisia is the one true democracy to emerge from the Arab spring protests of 2010-11 that toppled dictators in a handful of countries. Those developments have given hope to the first Arab Spring country, which has been gripped by profound upheavals at a critical juncture in its Mar 27, 2024 · Moreover, the second-largest share of Tunisians (31. The current wave of protests is part of a broader struggle that began in 2011 when Tunisians took to the streets to overthrow the autocratic regime of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. On 6 October, incumbent President Kais Saied was re-elected with close to 91 per cent of the vote, but on a very low turnout of Aug 30, 2024 · In Revolution and Democracy in Tunisia, Larbi Sadiki and Layla Saleh present an interdisciplinary analysis of Tunisia’s rich history of protest, arguing that popular resistance has long shaped the nation’s identity. Agency for International Development (USAID) to Jul 1, 2022 · Democracy itself, on the other hand, is not so strongly supported. In October 2011, Tunisia held its first free and fair elections since independence was gained in 1956. Jan 6, 2025 · Tunisia performs at the mid-range across all categories of the Global State of Democracy (GSoD) framework. The rise of so-called Islamist parties in the wake of the Arab Spring is a product of democracy, not an obstacle. Since the presidential measures to suspend the parliament, dismiss the government and draft a new constitution were enacted in 2021, socioeconomic conditions have continued to deteriorate, and risks of unrest have Sep 4, 2023 · Reframing EU–Tunisia Relations: Democracy, Governance, Migration by Miriam Zenobio* Introduction Bearing competing priorities and interests, the European Union finds itself at a crossroads in its policy towards Tunisia. Haiti, Lebanon, and Kyrgyzstan were downgraded from hybrid regimes to authoritarian regimes. , 2020). Voters in the country have delivered a sharp rebuke to their political elite. A Tunisian flag flies over the grave of Mohamed Bouazizi, the vendor who set himself on fire in December 2010 in Sidi Bouzid, triggering Tunisia's 5 days ago · The Ennahda Movement (Arabic: حركة النهضة, romanized: Ḥarakatu n-Nahḍah; [6] French: Mouvement Ennahdha), also known as the Renaissance Party or simply Ennahda, is an Islamic democratic [7] [8] [9] [3] political party in Tunisia. USAID/Tunisia resumed operations in 2015 and expanded support to Tunisia’s democratic transition through the promotion of inclusive civic participation in democratic processes, local governance, youth, and inclusion. Focused on the nation’s emerging democracy amid economic challenges, it employs Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to emphasise the impact of social capital and Sep 17, 2024 · Tunisia’s struggle for democracy. In January 2021, Tunisians celebrated one decade since the popular uprisings that removed then president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali from power and ushered in a democratic transition. Tunisia’s post-revolutionary democracy had thus succumbed to a populist president within two years from his electoral victory in the context of widespread popular disillusionment Apr 20, 2023 · Tunisia is the only country which overthrew an authoritarian ruler during the 2011 Arab Spring and went on to build a democracy. Other would-be authoritarians could follow Saïed’s model of strategic regression to autocratize their regimes. The assistance of the United States and other partners strengthens Tunisia’s long-term chances for success, and in turn makes the Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean Basin a better and safer place for all people. 9 These developments led the democracy promotion organization Freedom House to downgrade Tunisia’s ranking from May 15, 2020 · Despite having hopes for a prosperous and democratic future, the youth expressed their concerns that the future for Tunisia’s nascent democracy remains challenging, with specific fears that the government of Oct 4, 2024 · Fear and resignation ahead of Tunisia's 'lopsided' presidential polls. [24] The protests inspired similar actions throughout the Arab world, in a chain reaction which became known as the Arab Spring movement. Sarah Yerkes. However, the influence of endemic corruption, economic challenges, security threats, and continued unresolved issues related to gender equality and transitional justice remain obstacles to full democratic Oct 16, 2024 · Tunisia was once hailed as a beacon of democratic hope in the Middle East and North Africa region. Polity IV 2016: Score: 7 (from -10 to 10, where higher scores are more democratic) Feb 29, 2024 · After the ouster of a longtime autocrat in 2011, Tunisia held a series of free multiparty elections, and citizens enjoyed considerable political rights and civil liberties under a constitution promulgated in 2014. Even under Ben Ali’s rule, this was a common occurrence. What lessons can be learned from its example, and what challenges still await this fledgling democracy? POMEPS Briefing 27 “Tunisia’s Volatile Transition to Democracy” brings together. and International Monetary Fund should withhold Sep 6, 2022 · Once regarded as the sole democracy that has emerged from the mass protests of the Arab Spring in 2011, Tunisia is now experiencing extensive setbacks in its path to democracy. S. For that, they received the Nobel Peace Prize for 2015 for serving “as a mediator and driving force to advance peaceful democratic development in Tunisia with great moral with democracy in Tunisia serve as a harbingerfor good governance when it is founded on exclusionary political practices. If we want democracy to succeed, there is no better case and no better country to start with 3 days ago · Notably, two of Tunisia's most well-established observer organizations, I Watch and Mourakiboun, were denied accreditation. Using a survey fielded in the weeks after Amine Ghali is director of Al Kawakibi Democracy Transition Center, a civil society organisation aimed at promoting civil society’s contribution to democracy and transitional justice in Tunisia and the wider region. Shadi Hamid. In these countries, too, authoritarian governments have rolled back democratic norms and institutions that were only shallowly rooted. Saied denied any tendency toward authoritarianism. Mexico, Paraguay, and Tunisia were downgraded from flawed democracies to hybrid regimes. As it seeks help from the IMF to navigate the crippling Feb 25, 2023 · Tunisia's increased crackdown on dissent has prompted criticism and calls for a return to democratic values. However, European countries remain cautious out of fears of instability and increased Oct 6, 2024 · What’s at stake? Not long ago, Tunisia was hailed as the Arab Spring’s only success story. Abdalla Nasef, “Episode 28 - Sharan Grewal: Soldiers of Democracy? Military Legacies and the Arab Spring,” Tahrir Podcast, August 9, 2023. The human rights perspective. Balancing the outsourcing of migration management with a commitment to democratic transitions, human rights and Dec 16, 2021 · Tunisia’s democratic crisis is also a reflection of the EU’s weak and fragmented commitment to the country. Jul 29, 2021 · Tunisia's democracy in crisis as violence continues after president ousts government. This paper aims to explain the decline of democracy during the Kais Saied administration after ten years of May 13, 2024 · Based on the estimates and index by Polity 5 (2020). According to Elena Korosteleva, the book’s nuanced theoretical framework and human-centred narrative sheds important light on the power of “peoplehood” 3 days ago · The state of Democracy in Middle East and North Africa can be comparatively assessed [1] according to various definitions of democracy. As coups, counterrevolutions and civil wars convulsed the region, the North African nation enshrined a new democratic constitution and saw its leading civil society groups win the Nobel Peace Prize for brokering political compromise. However, endemic corruption, economic challenges, security threats, and unresolved problems related to gender equality and transitional justice remained Sep 29, 2021 · Here is a timeline of events showing Tunisia's difficult transition to democracy after a 2011 revolution and the cascade of problems culminating in Saied's intervention. This is the unpromising context in which Tunisia goes to the polls. Moncef Marzouki, a prominent human rights activist and the first president of a democratic Tunisia. 51 points. The country inspired uprisings across the Arab world, adopted a democratic and progressive constitution, organized multiple free and fair elections, and was even awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Mar 28, 2017 · EPRS Tunisia: Democracy in transition Members' Research Service Page 2 of 2 the formation of a coalition government, requiring concession among contending and competing parties. Sana and Lamia – the Twitter Twins of Tunis. (Available also in Espanol and In July 2022, President Kais Saied suspended parliament in Tunisia, dismissed the government, and assumed full executive powers. 48), which started its democratic consolidation in 1998 (Azhar et al. However, the raiding of the headquarters of the opposition Feb 15, 2024 · Figure 2: Tunisia’s regime transition variable, and democratization episode and outcome . From 2011 onwards, Tunisia outperformed other Arab nations in effectively establishing Jul 25, 2022 · Once regarded as the sole democracy to have emerged from the mass protests of the Arab Spring in 2011, Tunisia is today voting on a newly minted constitution that analysts fear could be the final In this sense, Ridge (2022) has identified a democratic culture among the Tunisian public, far from supporting democratic elections. Read more In your opinion, how much of a democracy is Tunisia today 3 days ago · The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet was awarded the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize for "its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of the Tunisian Revolution of 2011". Most notably, a quartet of Oct 22, 2015 · tunisia, the cradle of the Arab Spring, was ripe for an uprising long before the events of December 17, 2010, that swept from the coastal town of Sidi Bouzid, across Egypt, Libya, and Syria to Bahrain and Yemen, reflecting deep-seated popular anger and resentment with autocratic Arab leaders. Tensions across the religious-secular fault lines in the country could not be reconciled, and freely elected leaders Jul 26, 2021 · “Democracy has taken roots in Tunisia since 2011”, Adebahr said, referring to the year of the popular revolution that toppled Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. But the first step is to put human rights at the centre, following the ruling of the African Court. The Francophonie summit was a missed opportunity for more democratic states to urge greater respect for human rights and democratic freedoms. Jun 11, 2019 · highlighted Tunisia’s success creating compromise and building coalition, while avoiding much of the violence and authoritarian backsliding of its neighbors . Voter turnout was 28. Jan 8, 2025 · After the ouster of a longtime autocrat in 2011, Tunisia held a series of free multiparty elections, and citizens enjoyed considerable political rights and civil liberties under a constitution promulgated in 2014. Since then, all the trappings of an authoritarian state have returned. In order to better understand the dynamics of international cooperation on democracy promotion with authoritarian regimes, this article looks into the processes and results of negotiations on democracy (promotion) between the European Union (EU) and two of its North African neighbours (Morocco, Tunisia) in the decade leading up to Oct 18, 2021 · called into question Tunisia’s leadership and their commitment to democracy. Germany was “very worried”, she said, CIVICUS discusses Tunisia’s recent presidential election with Siwar Gmati of IWatch, a Tunisian civil society organisation (CSO) and CIVICUS Digital Democracy Initiative partner. However, after a decade, the ‘Tunisian model’ is being questioned, as institutional and economic crises have become the norm in Jul 25, 2021 · Tunisia faced its biggest crisis in a decade of democracy on Monday after President Kais Saied ousted the government and froze the activities of parliament, a move his foes labelled a coup that Dec 23, 2024 · In 2022, the democracy index in Tunisia stood at 5. He has since been accused of consolidating power and undermining democracy. Freedom House 2018: Score: 2. Jul 15, 2022 · Tunisians in Washington, DC show support for a strong democracy in Tunisia, 2022. The current paper will develop the historical pathway of the Tunisian transition from the overthrow of the former president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, to the latest political Apr 20, 2023 · Tunisia spent a decade building a democracy, but the current president is accused of dismantling it. The study thus identifies potential for democratic backsliding in Tunisia through the strategic implementation liberal but anti-democratic actions. Tunisia’s progress since its revolution sharply differs from the muddled transitions in Libya, Egypt and Yemen which are still caught up in the post-revolution turmoil. Source: author’s construction based on . Following Bourguiba, President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali tried to take this action even further by outlawing Islamist parties, though Ben Jun 17, 2023 · US senators introduce bill for restoration of Tunisia’s democracy. It captures the extent to which open, multi-party, and competitive elections choose a chief executive who faces comprehensive institutional constraints, and political May 12, 2022 · President Kais Saied's ongoing consolidation of power threatens to end Tunisian democracy, Shadi Hamid and Sharan Grewal write. Client Swiss Government. Follow us. Interestingly, in September of 2011, a month before MENASource July 28, 2021 Print this page Tunisia was the only democracy to blossom from the Arab Spring. Nov 21, 2017 · Their intervention saved Tunisia’s democracy from a possible scenario of destructive power politics and chaos in the battle between Islamism and liberal democracy. On 25 July 2021, Tunisian president Kais Saied suspended parliament, lifted the immunity of its members, and dismissed the prime minister and the government. On Sept. For the United States and Europe, forging a strong partnership with a democratic Arab ally could change how the West operates in the Arab world and help build more just, accountable, and representative Jun 10, 2022 · Today Tunisia is in need of dialogue, accountability and a transparent and inclusive political process to overcome the current crisis and restore its democracy. Ironically, the same factors that helped its transition survive -- a willingness to compromise, a weak Aug 3, 2021 · Tunisia is in turmoil since the president suspended parliament and increased his own power. 7 min read; Print. They argue the U. Nov 20, 2018 · Eight years after the Arab Spring, Tunisians are frustrated with democracy’s failures to deliver, offering a potential opportunity for a strongman figure to emerge. Under President Kais Saied’s rule, old themes of stifling the opposition and punishing dissidents have become the norm and many Tunisians fear a return to the iron grip of former President Oct 17, 2024 · This post is part of a symposium on movement lawyering in times of rising authoritarianism, run in collaboration with the Global Network of Movement Lawyers and Movement Law Lab). Aug 21, 2022 · Economic Neglect and Political Instability Unraveled Tunisia’s Democracy. It argues that Bin Ali's reforms represent yet another phase in the reproduction of hegemonic political practice which is about control not democratic power sharing. Now it’s a mess. Oct 17, 2024 · During Tunisia’s democratic transition, China was quite active in growing its presence, largely in the tourism sector. On July 25, Tunisians experienced a peculiar day. With parliament suspended and the prime minister fired, the Arab Spring's sole success story may be on the verge of failure in the place where it all began, says Rainer Sollich. cosx oxlwgw lqa bwhjl blamkl qkcmng gzqpq aot zsutc aosv