Tunisian Parliament Fails to Form Coalition Government

Tunisia may be headed for new parliamentary elections. (Flickr)

Tunisia failed to form a coalition government on January 27, after the country’s largest party, the Renaissance Movement, denied a coalition proposal that did not include all parliamentary parties. 

This development comes after Tunisia’s parliament rejected a coalition proposal by the previous prime minister-designate, Habib Jemli, following the October 2019 election. Abd Karim Harouni, a senior official of the Renaissance party, said that his party will reject any attempt to form a coalition government which is “confined to some parties.” 

The failure to form a coalition government presented President Kais Saied the chance to nominate his choice for prime minister. Saied nominated former-Minister of Finance Elyes Fakhfakh. In January, Fakhfakh said that he would not pursue the same path other unity governments have in attempting to include all parties. Rather, Fakhfakh would focus on forming a government that only includes parties whose values align with the revolution, which excludes Tunisia’s second largest party, Heart of Tunisia. 

The Heart of Tunisia party, which is a rival of the Renaissance party, declared its opposition to Fakhfakh’s proposal as well, claiming that the decision contradicted the electorate’s wishes. It also characterized the move as an attempt by Saied to move the country toward a presidential government.

Fakhfakh returned to Tunisia in 2006 after working for the French oil company Total. Following his return, Fakhfakh spent time working in the country’s automotive industry until the 2011 Arab Spring brought him an opportunity to work in government. He initially served as tourism minister, then later as finance minister, in the administration of President Hamadi Jebali, during which he secured the biggest loan in Tunisia’s history.

The Renaissance party’s announcement that it will reject any attempt to form an exclusive coalition means that Fakhfakh will likely fail to form a government, putting the North African country on a path toward new parliamentary elections. After Tunisia’s most recent parliamentary election last October, the Renaissance party only managed to win 52 of 217 seats, meaning that it required the backing of other parties in order to succeed in forming a new government. 

Saied won the presidency in a landslide victory during a separate October 2019 election, but, as an independent, he faces significant difficulty in consolidating parliamentary support. As president, Saied has the power to not only serve as head of the Tunisian Armed Forces but can also veto any legislation proposed by Parliament. This power could lead to a situation of political deadlock in Tunisia.