Tunisia Spirals Toward Autocracy

The fate of Tunisia’s legislative and democratic future rests in the hands of President Kais Saied. (Wikimedia Commons)

Tunisian President Kais Saied issued Decision 117 on September 22, an edict that eradicates the 2014 constitution and stows unprecedented power in the hands of the Tunisian president—himself. This measure comes on the heels of his July 25 decision to sack the prime minister, suspend parliament, and command executive authority—a move he justified as fighting “political paralysis, economic stagnation, and a poor response to the Coronavirus pandemic.” 

Decision 117 cements a near-monopoly of authority for the 63-year-old leader. Article 21 of the decree, in particular, essentially eliminates any opposition or judicial pushback to legislation that Saied chooses to adopt during the country’s current interim period. Panic has gripped the country since Saied’s July proclamation, and there is no sign of it abating any time soon.

Saied can now legislate, organize the judicial system, and arrange his cabinet by his own authority. Consequently, in the weeks that have passed since the instatement of Decision 117, protests and intra-governmental backlash have gripped the North African state. In the days immediately following September 22, thousands of protestors took to the streets of Tunis to express their discontent with what many are labeling a coup. Likewise, 100 members of the majority party in Parliament, the Ennahda, resigned out of indignation. This past week, Rached Ghannouchi, the Leading Speaker for Parliament, openly defied Saied’s orders to pause parliament, encouraging his fellow lawmakers to continue work. 

Neither President Biden nor Secretary Blinken has issued official statements in opposition to the power grab, likely because Saied satiated the United States’ request to fill the role of Prime Minister on September 30, with his appointment of Najlla Bouden Romdham. This step, however, means little in the larger picture; indeed, as parliament remains paused and Saied retains control, the country remains at the mercy of his wishes.

Despite widespread opposition to the President’s sweeping interventions in July and September, a large swath of Tunisians celebrates his initiative. Thousands of citizens rallied in support of Saied on October 3. Their voices represent the disillusioned who seek change amidst the fledgling economy as their state  looms on the brink of a financial crisis. For millions, Saied denotes the prospect of change for the future in a state crippled by debt, a broken healthcare system, and widespread corruption, issues which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Saied promises to pen a new constitution and new government that is “true democracy,” where the people are “truly sovereign.” However, domestic and international critics alike dismiss this claim. Indeed, head of the Republican Party Issam Chebbi declared that Saied now holds the right to practically execute “whatever he wants.” 

For the state which has teetered since the 2011 Arab Spring, the president’s recent measures signal a potential backslide to the authoritarian rule of the decade prior.