Analyzing Latest Political Developments in Tunisia: Unclear Paths for A Structural Change

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On September 22, 2021, Tunisian President Kais Saied enacted a decree that further expanded his grip over the country’s political transition following the measures on the 25th July’s that sacked the head of government and froze the parliament. A few days later, Saied appointed senior civil servant Najla Bouden to form a new government, the first female-led cabinet in the Arab region. A promising new path towards inclusion and power-sharing, yet insufficient to reassure both internal and external stakeholders.

The 2014 constitution fragmented political parties’ power and allowed no clear majority to emerge, implement its policies, or be held accountable. It has been efficient in preventing the hegemony of a single political formation, yet in reality the constitution’s weaknesses largely served the interests of the well-organized Islamists of Ennahda and deflected accountability from the failure of post-2014 governments. However, Tunisia’s problems lie in its political elite and dire economic crisis which no constitution could handle on its own. The focus on debating the current political system puts the much-needed structural economic reforms in second place. The president’s narrative about Tunisia’s unlimited existing resources which simply need to be retrieved, as well as his disregard for the reality of market dynamics, also set unrealistic expectations no political system can fulfill.