• About Us
  • Readers Write
  • Our People
Carthage Magazine
  • Home
  • News
  • Food & Drinks
    • Taste Tunisia
  • People
    • Interviews
    • No Sugarcoating
    • Environment
  • Style & Travel
    • Attractions
    • Trip Planning
      • Travel Information
      • Hotels in Tunisia
      • Cost of Living
      • Tunisia’s Language
      • Tunisia’s Weather
      • Tunisia’s Currency
      • Tunisia’s Visa
    • Transport in Tunisia
      • Traveling Around
      • Local Transport
      • Flights to Tunisia
      • Ferries to Tunisia
      • Tunisia Overland
    • Things to Do
      • Leisure
  • Local History
    • Museums
    • Monuments
    • Heritage Sites
    • Historical Figures
  • Education
  • Tech & Startups
  • Editors’ Picks
People

The Struggle for Tunisia’s Fragile Democracy3 min read

By Nadia Ben Hamouda February 28, 2023
Written by Nadia Ben Hamouda February 28, 2023
Struggle for Tunisia's Democracy

Ever since President Kais Saied announced measures allowing him to rule by decree on July 25, 2021, the pace of Tunisia’s democratic backsliding has accelerated.

Saied’s first act was to dismiss the Government and the parliament. Then, in 2022, Saied changed the constitution and secured his consolidation of power by an August referendum in which just 30 percent of eligible voters participated.

Before the last parliamentary elections in December 2022, he altered the electoral law to enable candidates to run as independents instead of on party lists. Thus, the majority of Tunisia’s opposition boycotted the elections, resulting in a weak, obedient legislature. At the same time, Saied has presided over a period of rising restrictions on freedom of expression and intensified populism.

Human Rights Watch reports that three more critics of Saied have been arrested in the previous week, increasing the total number of critics imprisoned to twelve. Politicians from the opposition, members of civil society, and journalists are among those incarcerated. Saied has been giving speeches in which he labels his opponents “terrorists” and portrays them as a threat to national security, setting the path for arrestees to receive harsh penalties.

The security agencies and armed forces of Tunisia have thus far complied with Saied’s orders. After the ousting of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in the country’s 2010-2011 revolution, these state agencies have been implementing a variety of security sector reform programs without formal political involvement. In the years since then, however, they have not abstained from abusing civilians. And after Saied’s declaration of what he termed “exceptional measures” in July 2021, the security forces resorted to excessive force against protestors of the power grab. In contrast, they did not intervene when Saied’s supporters staged demonstrations.

In addition, the judiciary, which is now de facto under Saied’s control, is abusing its mandate. Amnesty International reports people, including lawmakers and journalists, being tried in military courts. Rached Ghannouchi, the leader of the opposition Ennahda party, appeared in a civil court last week on terror-related accusations after being accused of referring to the police as “tyrants.” Saied has made public threats against judges in an effort to prevent them from acquitting persons accused of terrorism, claiming that doing so would make them accomplices of those who pose a threat to national security.

Moreover, restrictions on mobility are increasing. I spoke with members of the Tunisian civil society last week, and many expressed concern about being detained at the airport when attempting to leave or return to the country. Some individuals are concerned they will discover they have been banned from traveling. Due to fear, some people choose to maintain a low profile in public. This is in sharp contrast to the scenario in Tunisia in the decade preceding July 2021, when many civil society organizations chose Tunisia as their regional operations base because it afforded more freedom of movement and expression than other MENA nations.

The most recent case of a crackdown on freedom of expression is the arrest of Noureddine Boutar, the director of Tunisia’s most popular radio station, Mosaique FM. Boutar, was not charged with terrorism, but rather with “money laundering and illegal enrichment.” 

Last Thursday, Saied added to the tense atmosphere by claiming that sub-Saharan African migrants entering Tunisia are part of a plot to alter the country’s demographics. He had made similar claims previously. Two days earlier, there was a public outcry over identical remarks, with critics labeling them racist; this classification was refuted by Saied on Thursday. The majority of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa who arrive in Tunisia do not intend to live there, but rather utilize it as a transit point to Europe. Yet, there is a Black minority community in Tunisia that frequently speaks out against racial prejudice.

The African Union published a letter on Friday condemning Saied’s “racialized hate rhetoric.” On Saturday, hundreds of Tunisian activists opposed Saied’s remarks. Many Tunisians are currently concerned about where Saied’s intolerance may take the country. Reassuringly, the civil society figures with whom I spoke do not believe that the Tunisian military would participate in widespread violence against the population if large-scale protests against Saied were to occur.

0 comment
3
FacebookTwitterEmail
Nadia Ben Hamouda

Nadia is a second year Masters student in Cross Cultural Studies passionate about art, music and literature. She is an activist deeply interested in social and environmental causes.

previous post
e-Payment Transactions in Tunisia Hit Yearly All-Time High in 2022
next post
Central Bank of Tunisia Hikes Interest Rates to 8.02%, Highest Since 1996

Related Articles

Tunisia Celebrates International Labor Day on May 1st

May 1, 2025

Former Tunisia President Fouad Mebazaa Dies at 91

April 23, 2025

April 9th, Tunisian Martyrs’ Day 🇹🇳

April 2, 2025

10 Very Tunisian Proverbs to Live By

March 19, 2025

How to Stick to a Healthy Iftar Table...

March 9, 2025

Guide to Spending a Tunisian-Spirited Ramadan Alone Abroad

February 24, 2025

9 Things to Know about Ramadan in Tunisia

February 24, 2025

Here’s All the Tunisian Culture You Can Enjoy...

February 18, 2025

A Nation of Taxi Enthusiasts: A History of...

February 7, 2025

Tunisia’s Pharma Sector Produces Over 60% of the...

January 27, 2025

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Flavors of Tunisia

Taste-Tunisia-Tunisian-Cuisine-3

Want more top stories?

Carthage Magazine Newsletter

Sign up today and you’ll get our latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.

Just For You

  • 1

    The Tunisia Land Aid Convoy Reaches Libya, Thousands Join

    June 10, 2025
  • 2

    Alcohol in Tunisia: What Visitors Need to Know

    August 2, 2021
  • 3

    Fruits From Tunisia: 15 Tunisian Fruits to Eat When Traveling

    August 20, 2023
  • 4

    Tunisia Land Convoy Heads to Gaza in Effort to Break the Siege

    June 9, 2025
  • 5

    Top 3 Largest Colosseums Around the World

    October 4, 2024

Latest

  • Egypt Refuses Entry to Tunisian Convoy Participants Heading to Gaza

  • Tunisian Diaspora Transfers Exceed $1 Billion by End of May 2025

  • The Tunisia Land Aid Convoy Reaches Libya, Thousands Join

  • Tunisia Land Convoy Heads to Gaza in Effort to Break the Siege

Sections

  • Editors' Picks
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Food & Drinks
  • Local History
  • News
  • No Sugarcoating
  • People
  • Quizzes
  • Style & Travel
  • Tech & Startups
  • Things to Do
  • Videos

Eá™­á‘­á’ªOá–‡E

Carthage Magazine

We’re on a mission to create content that inspires people about experiences, places, products and people in Tunisia!

 

— About Us

— Adverstising

— Transparency

— Contact Us

Facebook Twitter Instagram Linkedin Youtube

ᗯᗩᑎT ᗰOᖇE TOᑭ ᔕTOᖇIEᔕ?

Carthage Magazine Newsletter

Sign up today and you’ll get our latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.

ᔕᑭᖇEᗩᗪ TᕼE ᗯOᖇᗪ

Spread the word

Our goal is to get these stories out in the public arena, and by doing this, keep promoting Tunisia and changing attitudes towards the MENA region.

 

— Ambassadors

— Readers Write

— What You Can Do to Help

EᗪITOᖇᔕ’ ᑭIᑕKᔕ

  • Tunisian Mloukhiya, Your Grandma’s Favorite Dish (& Likely Yours, Too!)

    April 2, 2025
  • Tunisia’s Favorite Pastry: Kaak Warka — A Taste of Heaven

    March 26, 2025
  • The Best Authentic Tunisian Rice Dish — “Rouz Jerbi”

    March 26, 2025

© 2019 - 2025 Carthage Magazine. Privacy Policy

Carthage Magazine
  • Home
  • News
  • Food & Drinks
    • Taste Tunisia
  • People
    • Interviews
    • No Sugarcoating
    • Environment
  • Style & Travel
    • Attractions
    • Trip Planning
      • Travel Information
      • Hotels in Tunisia
      • Cost of Living
      • Tunisia’s Language
      • Tunisia’s Weather
      • Tunisia’s Currency
      • Tunisia’s Visa
    • Transport in Tunisia
      • Traveling Around
      • Local Transport
      • Flights to Tunisia
      • Ferries to Tunisia
      • Tunisia Overland
    • Things to Do
      • Leisure
  • Local History
    • Museums
    • Monuments
    • Heritage Sites
    • Historical Figures
  • Education
  • Tech & Startups
  • Editors’ Picks
Carthage Magazine
  • Home
  • News
  • Food & Drinks
    • Taste Tunisia
  • People
    • Interviews
    • No Sugarcoating
    • Environment
  • Style & Travel
    • Attractions
    • Trip Planning
      • Travel Information
      • Hotels in Tunisia
      • Cost of Living
      • Tunisia’s Language
      • Tunisia’s Weather
      • Tunisia’s Currency
      • Tunisia’s Visa
    • Transport in Tunisia
      • Traveling Around
      • Local Transport
      • Flights to Tunisia
      • Ferries to Tunisia
      • Tunisia Overland
    • Things to Do
      • Leisure
  • Local History
    • Museums
    • Monuments
    • Heritage Sites
    • Historical Figures
  • Education
  • Tech & Startups
  • Editors’ Picks
© 2019 - 2025 Carthage Magazine. Privacy Policy

Read alsox

Top 10 Unwritten Rules in Tunisia to...

January 21, 2025

Amazing (and Bizarre) World Records Achieved in...

December 10, 2019

Facebook & Instagram Suspend Dozens of Tunisian...

October 17, 2023