The American Foreign Policy magazine said that Tunisia - which ignited the first spark of the Arab Spring and is considered the last stronghold of democracy that resulted from this popular movement in the region - can return to a permanent authoritarian rule under the leadership of President Kais Saied.
The magazine indicated - in a report - that the Tunisian president is one of the symptoms of the major problem in which the country is floundering, as many see the violent arrests that targeted his critics as a reminder of the methods and tactics of the late Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was overthrown by the revolution in 2011.
Youssef El Sherif, a political analyst and director of the Columbia Global Centers in Tunisia believes that "in a way, Tunisia slipped back into a form of tyranny," and it may move forward on this path or join the ranks of countries that witnessed comprehensive military coups in other places. from the African continent.
The magazine asserts that the defenders of democracy called on foreign diplomats to curb the influence of regional external parties that interfere in Tunisian affairs and "use much of their influence, at least on the media and social networking sites, to push Tunisians away from democracy, and to portray democracy as something completely useless," according to the magazine. Sheriff's expression.
If the endeavors of these parties succeed - the magazine adds - and democracy fails in Tunisia and authoritarian rule returns permanently, this will be a "symbolic end" of the Arab Spring revolutions.
Foreign Policy saw that one of the aspects of this crisis afflicting Tunisia is a purely economic one, as the country is gradually descending towards “national bankruptcy” after the payment of employee salaries was postponed last January against the background of slow negotiations taking place with the International Monetary Fund regarding a rescue plan, Debt has also risen to nearly 100% of the country's GDP.
In light of the high unemployment rates and the deteriorating economic situation, Tunisians in 2021 topped the list of irregular migrants who tried to reach Europe via the Mediterranean, while 51% of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 are “constantly” thinking of emigrating, according to research conducted by the organization International Alert Tunisia.
The last line of defense
On the other hand, Tunisian police last week closed judges' offices a day after Said dissolved the Supreme Judicial Council (the body that guarantees the independence of the judiciary), in a move critics described as an "attempt to exploit" the courts in the political struggle.
The International Commission of Jurists in Tunisia warned last December that Said's interference in the judiciary amounted to an attack on "the last remaining line of defense against the president's seizure of power."
On July 25, 2021, Saeed plunged the country into a crisis by dissolving Parliament, and granting himself executive powers on the basis of an “imminent danger,” an exceptional measure in accordance with Article 80 of the 2014 constitution, and on August 25, he extended those powers indefinitely. Masma, which critics described as a "presidential coup", although opinion polls at the time showed that his intervention was largely supported by Tunisians, who saw it as a way to "end corruption."