Europe 1 with AFP 5:47 p.m., November 19, 2022
President Emmanuel Macron announced Saturday to his Tunisian counterpart, Kaïs Saïed, that France would grant a loan of 200 million euros to Tunisia.
The Maghreb country has been going through a deep economic crisis since the 2011 revolution, aggravated by the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
France will grant a loan of 200 million euros to Tunisia, which is going through a deep economic crisis aggravated by the war in Ukraine, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Saturday to his Tunisian counterpart, Kaïs Saïed.
"The President of the Republic reiterated France's support for Tunisia and the Tunisian people in the face of the challenges facing the country," according to a press release from the Elysée.
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The French head of state also welcomed the "open constructive dialogue between the government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), hoping that it will lead to a definitive agreement".
Economic difficulties since the 2011 revolution
Since the 2011 revolution, Tunisia has sunk into economic difficulties, aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic, with sluggish growth and very high unemployment.
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February accentuated the crisis in a country highly dependent on grain and fuel imports, two sectors where prices are soaring.
Suffocated by a debt exceeding 100% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Tunisia obtained in mid-October an agreement in principle from the IMF for a new loan of some two billion dollars disbursable in tranches starting in December.
In return, the government has committed to reforms, including a gradual lifting of state subsidies for basic products (food and energy) and a restructuring of public enterprises which have a monopoly in many sectors.
Interview on the Tunisian political situation
Emmanuel Macron also discussed with his Tunisian counterpart the political situation in Tunisia, recalling that "fundamental freedoms" were "intrinsic" to the "democratic acquis" in Tunisia at a time when NGOs denounce a democratic decline since the coup. forcibly by President Saïed in July 2021.
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Kaïs Saïed, who monopolized all the powers, promulgated a voting system considerably reducing the role of the political parties which will take part in the legislative elections on 17th December.
"The two Heads of State also discussed the regional situation, particularly in Libya, and the means of strengthening cooperation in the Maghreb and the Mediterranean", added the Elysée.