Brussels can help ease migration from Tunisia without knocking on Saied's door<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//06//21//by-striking-a-deal-with-tunisias-saied-is-europe-signalling-its-open-to-extortion/">By striking a deal with Tunisia's Saied, is Europe signalling it's open to extortion?<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The commitment to implement crucial reforms for the finalisation of the IMF deal has therefore been long delayed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This resistance escalated further with Sa\u00efed\u2019s recent sacking of the minister of economy and planning, who had spearheaded the IMF negotiations and remained committed to the implementation of the agreed reforms.<\/p>\n<h2>A quick fix won't do<\/h2><p>In the interim, faced with limited access to foreign financing, the authorities have heavily leaned on local funding, particularly from the banking system.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>They accumulated arrears with both foreign and local suppliers. Tunisia thus experienced a significant decline in imports and distribution of subsidized commodities, leading to frequent shortages.<\/p>\n<p>Local banks face a capacity limit to finance the state budget, prompting calls to push the Central Bank to do so. This is a red alert \u2014 Tunisia must break free from reliance on short-term fixes at this perilous juncture.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//12//47//98//808x539_cmsv2_d7807a99-f179-5118-b0bc-8f9191d0fd1c-8124798.jpg/" alt=\"People walk in the old Medina of Tunis, January 2021\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/12\/47\/98\/384x256_cmsv2_d7807a99-f179-5118-b0bc-8f9191d0fd1c-8124798.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/12\/47\/98\/640x427_cmsv2_d7807a99-f179-5118-b0bc-8f9191d0fd1c-8124798.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/12\/47\/98\/750x500_cmsv2_d7807a99-f179-5118-b0bc-8f9191d0fd1c-8124798.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/12\/47\/98\/828x552_cmsv2_d7807a99-f179-5118-b0bc-8f9191d0fd1c-8124798.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/12\/47\/98\/1080x720_cmsv2_d7807a99-f179-5118-b0bc-8f9191d0fd1c-8124798.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/12\/47\/98\/1200x800_cmsv2_d7807a99-f179-5118-b0bc-8f9191d0fd1c-8124798.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/12\/47\/98\/1920x1281_cmsv2_d7807a99-f179-5118-b0bc-8f9191d0fd1c-8124798.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">People walk in the old Medina of Tunis, January 2021<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Mosa'ab Elshamy<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Bilateral donors must vigorously support systemic economic reforms and Central Bank sovereignty within an IMF deal. There's no alternative path for Tunisia's economic future.<\/p>\n<p>Advocates proposing amendments to the Central Bank's statute argue that reintroducing direct budget financing if within legal limits, would be sustainable and minimally impact inflation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>They contend that such financing would eliminate intermediation costs imposed by the banking system.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>However, this perspective overlooks the risk of potential abuses and misuse of the law, offering a convenient yet temporary solution for the government.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The political decision to mobilise resources for escalating expenditures without addressing the need to curb spending, downsize the government, and reduce the state's economic footprint is a looming disaster.<\/p>\n<h2>History does repeat itself<\/h2><p>Tunisia\u2019s own economic history should serve as a cautionary tale against compromising the Central Bank\u2019s independence.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In the early 1980s, populist economic mismanagement led to a surge in the budget deficit from 2.8% of GDP in 1980 to 8.1% in 1983.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Much as what we are witnessing today again in the country, the state favoured convenient shortcuts over the necessary but challenging structural reforms.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">For Tunisia to move backwards and invoke policies that proved to be clear failures in the 80s, is to send the country\u2019s fragile economy reeling into freefall.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6650390625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//12//47//98//808x539_cmsv2_8ca7394d-2633-5bc0-a8a9-548e3c552d1a-8124798.jpg/" alt=\"A Tunisian shop-keeper replaces the portrait of former president Habib Bourguiba with one of the new president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in Tunis, November 1987\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/12\/47\/98\/384x255_cmsv2_8ca7394d-2633-5bc0-a8a9-548e3c552d1a-8124798.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/12\/47\/98\/640x426_cmsv2_8ca7394d-2633-5bc0-a8a9-548e3c552d1a-8124798.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/12\/47\/98\/750x499_cmsv2_8ca7394d-2633-5bc0-a8a9-548e3c552d1a-8124798.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/12\/47\/98\/828x551_cmsv2_8ca7394d-2633-5bc0-a8a9-548e3c552d1a-8124798.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/12\/47\/98\/1080x718_cmsv2_8ca7394d-2633-5bc0-a8a9-548e3c552d1a-8124798.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/12\/47\/98\/1200x798_cmsv2_8ca7394d-2633-5bc0-a8a9-548e3c552d1a-8124798.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/12\/47\/98\/1920x1277_cmsv2_8ca7394d-2633-5bc0-a8a9-548e3c552d1a-8124798.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A Tunisian shop-keeper replaces the portrait of former president Habib Bourguiba with one of the new president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in Tunis, November 1987<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">JOEL ROBINE\/AFP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Starting in 1982, Tunisia\u2019s then-minister of finance and planning asked the Central Bank Governor to execute a series of accounting transactions that would provide direct financing to the Treasury beyond the confines of the budget. These transactions amounted to 5.8% of the GDP at the end of 1983.<\/p>\n<p>By the late 1980s, this approach proved short-sighted and a failure, and Tunisia in the end had to resort to the IMF for assistance in addressing its financial imbalances.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7962224,7858530\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//30//how-to-fix-tunisias-economic-misery-with-a-fair-and-bold-imf-program/">How to fix Tunisia\u2019s economic misery with a fair and bold IMF program<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2023//10//12//in-stunning-move-tunisia-snubs-brussels-and-refunds-60-million-in-eu-aid/">In stunning move, Tunisia snubs Brussels and refunds \u20ac60 million in EU aid<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Despite initial efforts to safeguard the Central Bank's independence, there has been ongoing interference, marked by a high turnover of governors prematurely relieved of their duties. Initially stable with three governors serving for 22 years from its establishment in 1958 until the 1980s, subsequent appointments \u2014 excluding the current one\u00a0\u2014 have seen seven out of ten governors removed prematurely due to political considerations.<\/p>\n<h2>Tunisia's government has to see the light<\/h2><p>Bilateral donors must underscore the imperative of preserving the independence of the Tunisian Central Bank and advancing its modernisation, alongside crucial negotiations for an IMF deal.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The prohibition on direct Central Bank financing to the budget has been in place since 2006. For Tunisia to move backwards and invoke policies that proved to be clear failures in the 80s, is to send the country\u2019s fragile economy reeling into freefall.<\/p>\n<p>Tunisia\u2019s Central Bank has made notable progress in transparency, but further improvements are needed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>These include preventing government representatives from joining its Board and establishing clear criteria for the appointment and dismissal of its governor and directors, adhering to legal deadlines for annual report publication, engaging external experts for policy evaluations (as seen in successful initiatives in England, Australia, Ireland, Chile, Spain, and elsewhere), making archives accessible to researchers, and announcing significant decisions through press conferences.<\/p>\n<p>The inevitability of structural economic reforms in Tunisia today is crystal clear.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As the country's parliament just recently adopted the 2024 budget, the timing of this discourse is opportune. Bilateral donors and multilateral institutions must persist in encouraging Tunisia to engage in meaningful negotiations with the IMF and to safeguard the independence of its institutions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Tunisia\u2019s economic future hangs on it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em>Sadok Rouai is a former Senior Advisor to the Executive Director of the IMF and former\u00a0Head of the Banking Supervision Department at Tunisia\u2019s Central Bank.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>At Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at <a href=https://www.euronews.com/news/africa/\"mailto:view@euronews.com\">view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation.<\/em><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1703089935,"updatedAt":1703092708,"publishedAt":1703092705,"firstPublishedAt":1703092708,"lastPublishedAt":1703092708,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Euronews","altText":"A Tunisian holds a bird cage countaining his national flag during a demonstration to mark the eighth anniversary of the democratic uprising in Tunis, January 2019","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"A Tunisian holds a bird cage countaining his national flag during a demonstration to mark the eighth anniversary of the democratic uprising in Tunis, January 2019","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/12\/47\/98\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_324d2e1b-cce4-5fab-b622-c038deadfa0b-8124798.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"JOEL ROBINE\/AFP","altText":"A Tunisian shop-keeper replaces the portrait of former president Habib Bourguiba with one of the new president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in Tunis, November 1987","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"A Tunisian shop-keeper replaces the portrait of former president Habib Bourguiba with one of the new president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in Tunis, November 1987","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/12\/47\/98\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_8ca7394d-2633-5bc0-a8a9-548e3c552d1a-8124798.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":681},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Mosa'ab Elshamy","altText":"People walk in the old Medina of Tunis, January 2021","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"People walk in the old Medina of Tunis, January 2021","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/12\/47\/98\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d7807a99-f179-5118-b0bc-8f9191d0fd1c-8124798.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","titleRaw":"Tunisia","id":8191,"title":"Tunisia","slug":"tunisia"},{"urlSafeValue":"economy","titleRaw":"Economy","id":572,"title":"Economy","slug":"economy"},{"urlSafeValue":"economic-crisis","titleRaw":"Economic crisis","id":9415,"title":"Economic crisis","slug":"economic-crisis"},{"urlSafeValue":"kais-saied","titleRaw":"Ka\u00efs Sa\u00efed","id":21270,"title":"Ka\u00efs Sa\u00efed","slug":"kais-saied"},{"urlSafeValue":"imf","titleRaw":"IMF","id":146,"title":"IMF","slug":"imf"},{"urlSafeValue":"euroviews","titleRaw":"Euroviews","id":22480,"title":"Euroviews","slug":"euroviews"}],"widgets":[{"count":3,"slug":"image"},{"count":2,"slug":"quotation"},{"count":2,"slug":"related"}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Sadok Rouai","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world 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TUNISIA IMF CRISIS DONORS","path":"\/2023\/12\/20\/tunisia-must-break-free-from-reliance-on-short-term-economic-fixes","lastModified":1703092708},{"id":2406568,"cid":8011150,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"231102_WBWB_53691380","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Brussels can help ease migration from Tunisia without knocking on Saied's door","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"The EU can help ease migration flows without knocking on Saied's door","titleListing2":"VIEW | It is becoming evident that the cash-for-migration-curbs model would neither be easy nor a long-term solution, Ghazi Ben Ahmed writes.","leadin":"It is becoming evident that the cash-for-migration-curbs model would neither be easy nor a long-term solution, Ghazi Ben Ahmed writes.","summary":"It is becoming evident that the cash-for-migration-curbs model would neither be easy nor a long-term solution, Ghazi Ben Ahmed writes.","keySentence":"","url":"brussels-can-help-ease-migration-from-tunisia-without-knocking-on-saieds-door","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/11\/02\/brussels-can-help-ease-migration-from-tunisia-without-knocking-on-saieds-door","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"For years, the European Union has tried and failed to stem the flow of migrants coming to its shores.\u00a0 \n\nIrregular arrivals of migrants in Italy via the Mediterranean from North Africa amounted to almost 114,300 between January and August this year, almost twice as many as in the same period in 2022. \n\nTo check the flow of migrants and refugees, this July, the EU reached a \u201cstrategic partnership\u201d deal with Tunisia for over \u20ac100 million.\u00a0 \n\nEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the time of the signature that the deal could serve as a model for agreements with other countries.\u00a0 \n\nHowever, within three months of reaching the historic partnership, Tunisian President Kais Saied rejected the financial support saying that \u201cthe amount is small and goes against a deal signed three months ago.\u201d \n\nSo, while the European Commission president continues to explore working out EU deals with other North African countries like the one that the EU did with Tunisia, it is becoming evident that the cash-for-migration-curbs model would neither be easy nor a long-term solution.\u00a0 \n\nWhat the policymakers in Brussels are failing to recognise and acknowledge is the strong link between Tunisia\u2019s economic decline and the increase in migration. \n\nTunisia's economic collapse can be averted by other means \n\nTo help the country\u2019s ailing economy, the EU needs to look at innovative economic solutions instead of signing deals that prop up Saied's illiberal regime.\u00a0 \n\nThis can be done by means of investing in Tunisia's private sector and strengthening the local economy. Instead, the EU has continued to trust Saied with resources that only serve to enrich a few to the detriment of millions across Tunisia. \n\nThe strategic and global partnership hastily negotiated in July has led to the hampering of financial aid and political misunderstandings.\u00a0 \n\nWhile Saied seems intent on reneging on his agreement with the EU, such political manoeuvres do not change the context of Tunisia\u2019s continued economic decline. \n\nThe Tunisian government and its administrative machinery have struggled to implement economic reforms and it continues to rely on a skyrocketing tax burden and domestic financing, thereby depleting market liquidity, stifling investment, and hindering project financing.\u00a0 \n\nTo avert a total economic collapse and brain drain in Tunisia, it is crucial to strengthen the local economy and support local companies to actively pursue international diversification in the near future. \n\nFacilitated mobility and access to development funds are crucial \n\nThere is a pressing need to broaden the range of financing and support mechanisms for innovative entrepreneurship as on one hand, this sector contributes to local prosperity through the development of technology and intellectual property.\u00a0 \n\nOn the other hand, it attracts both local and international talent, effectively mitigating the brain drain phenomenon that has reached alarming levels in Tunisia. \n\nThere also needs to be a call for the European Commission to reallocate the \u20ac60m returned by Tunisia to DG NEAR to a technological co-development fund.\u00a0 \n\nThis fund could serve as a lever for financing and developing innovative and technology-oriented Tunisian companies. The idea is not without its merits and holds promise but it needs to be validated and backed by strong political will. \n\nTunisia\u2019s economic woes are also exacerbated by challenges brought on by a lack of mobility among the country\u2019s service providers. Access to EU countries is often plagued by outdated bureaucratic procedures.\u00a0 \n\nThe situation makes it difficult for businesses to conduct themselves further abroad and hampers the ability for accessible trading. Creating a special visa for entrepreneurs to facilitate Tunisians' mobility within the EU would help address this challenge.\u00a0 \n\nA similar visa waiver, for instance, exists for Mexican entrepreneurs wishing to travel to the United States in the framework of NAFTA.\u00a0 \n\nCharting a new course can help safeguard Tunisian freedoms \n\nIn addition, the cash economy in Tunisia wields substantial influence in the country's major sectors and, through its association with those in power, obstructs any transformative efforts that challenge the existing status quo that favours it.\u00a0 \n\nFinally, the shadow economy takes advantage of state-enforced import restrictions to hoard foreign currency, perpetuating a network of corruption that encompasses the population, businesses, and local administrations.\u00a0 \n\nTherefore, EU policies toward Tunisia must chart a new course, closely collaborating with the private sector to craft innovative strategies for democracy and economic development. \n\nSuch a collaborative effort can help safeguard freedoms in Tunisia and ensure their long-term sustainability.\u00a0 \n\nHelping Tunisian cross-border innovative firms will not exacerbate competition for their European kin but will add efficiency and competitiveness to the continent's industry as a whole and create synergies and new opportunities for both. \n\nGhazi Ben Ahmed is Founder of the Mediterranean Development Initiative Brussels (MDI Brussels). \n\nAt Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>For years, the European Union has tried and failed to stem the flow of migrants coming to its shores.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Irregular arrivals of migrants in Italy via the Mediterranean from North Africa amounted to almost 114,300 between January and August this year, almost twice as many as in the same period in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>To check the flow of migrants and refugees, this July, the EU reached a \u201cstrategic partnership\u201d deal with Tunisia for over \u20ac100 million.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the time of the signature that the deal could serve as a model for agreements with other countries.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>However, within three months of reaching the historic partnership, Tunisian President Kais Saied rejected the financial support saying that \u201cthe amount is small and goes against a deal signed three months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So, while the European Commission president continues to explore working out EU deals with other North African countries like the one that the EU did with Tunisia, it is becoming evident that the cash-for-migration-curbs model would neither be easy nor a long-term solution.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>What the policymakers in Brussels are failing to recognise and acknowledge is the strong link between Tunisia\u2019s economic decline and the increase in migration.<\/p>\n<h2>Tunisia's economic collapse can be averted by other means<\/h2><p>To help the country\u2019s ailing economy, the EU needs to look at innovative economic solutions instead of signing deals that prop up Saied's illiberal regime.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This can be done by means of investing in Tunisia's private sector and strengthening the local economy. Instead, the EU has continued to trust Saied with resources that only serve to enrich a few to the detriment of millions across Tunisia.<\/p>\n<p>The strategic and global partnership hastily negotiated in July has led to the hampering of financial aid and political misunderstandings.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">EU policies toward Tunisia must chart a new course, closely collaborating with the private sector to craft innovative strategies for democracy and economic development.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//01//11//50//808x539_cmsv2_ae97c546-45b5-59f9-b2bc-56c8cb42c041-8011150.jpg/" alt=\"Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Dutch PM Mark Rutte meet with Tunisian President Kais Saied in Tunis, June 2023\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/01\/11\/50\/384x256_cmsv2_ae97c546-45b5-59f9-b2bc-56c8cb42c041-8011150.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/01\/11\/50\/640x427_cmsv2_ae97c546-45b5-59f9-b2bc-56c8cb42c041-8011150.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/01\/11\/50\/750x500_cmsv2_ae97c546-45b5-59f9-b2bc-56c8cb42c041-8011150.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/01\/11\/50\/828x552_cmsv2_ae97c546-45b5-59f9-b2bc-56c8cb42c041-8011150.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/01\/11\/50\/1080x720_cmsv2_ae97c546-45b5-59f9-b2bc-56c8cb42c041-8011150.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/01\/11\/50\/1200x800_cmsv2_ae97c546-45b5-59f9-b2bc-56c8cb42c041-8011150.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/01\/11\/50\/1920x1281_cmsv2_ae97c546-45b5-59f9-b2bc-56c8cb42c041-8011150.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Dutch PM Mark Rutte meet with Tunisian President Kais Saied in Tunis, June 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Italian Premier Office\/Copyright 2023 via AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>While Saied seems intent on reneging on his agreement with the EU, such political manoeuvres do not change the context of Tunisia\u2019s continued economic decline.<\/p>\n<p>The Tunisian government and its administrative machinery have struggled to implement economic reforms and it continues to rely on a skyrocketing tax burden and domestic financing, thereby depleting market liquidity, stifling investment, and hindering project financing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7945704,7943084\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2023//10//05//tunisia-is-free-to-wire-back-eu-money-if-it-doesnt-want-it-says-european-commissioner/">Tunisia is free to 'wire back' EU money if it doesn't want it, says European Commissioner<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2023//10//04//eu-has-sent-60-million-to-tunisia-despite-president-kais-saied-saying-he-rejects-charity-m/">EU has sent \u20ac60 million to Tunisia despite President Kais Saied saying he rejects 'charity' money<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>To avert a total economic collapse and brain drain in Tunisia, it is crucial to strengthen the local economy and support local companies to actively pursue international diversification in the near future.<\/p>\n<h2>Facilitated mobility and access to development funds are crucial<\/h2><p>There is a pressing need to broaden the range of financing and support mechanisms for innovative entrepreneurship as on one hand, this sector contributes to local prosperity through the development of technology and intellectual property.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, it attracts both local and international talent, effectively mitigating the brain drain phenomenon that has reached alarming levels in Tunisia.<\/p>\n<p>There also needs to be a call for the European Commission to reallocate the \u20ac60m returned by Tunisia to DG NEAR to a technological co-development fund.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">Tunisia\u2019s economic woes are also exacerbated by challenges brought on by a lack of mobility [and] access to EU countries is often plagued by outdated bureaucratic procedures.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//01//11//50//808x557_cmsv2_7d4bed4a-fafb-5b76-8cf8-947d351df3c2-8011150.jpg/" alt=\"A man walks past a stall of lemons in the central market,in Tunis, January 2021\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/01\/11\/50\/384x264_cmsv2_7d4bed4a-fafb-5b76-8cf8-947d351df3c2-8011150.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/01\/11\/50\/640x440_cmsv2_7d4bed4a-fafb-5b76-8cf8-947d351df3c2-8011150.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/01\/11\/50\/750x516_cmsv2_7d4bed4a-fafb-5b76-8cf8-947d351df3c2-8011150.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/01\/11\/50\/828x569_cmsv2_7d4bed4a-fafb-5b76-8cf8-947d351df3c2-8011150.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/01\/11\/50\/1080x743_cmsv2_7d4bed4a-fafb-5b76-8cf8-947d351df3c2-8011150.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/01\/11\/50\/1200x825_cmsv2_7d4bed4a-fafb-5b76-8cf8-947d351df3c2-8011150.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/01\/11\/50\/1920x1320_cmsv2_7d4bed4a-fafb-5b76-8cf8-947d351df3c2-8011150.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A man walks past a stall of lemons in the central market,in Tunis, January 2021<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Mosa'ab Elshamy<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>This fund could serve as a lever for financing and developing innovative and technology-oriented Tunisian companies. The idea is not without its merits and holds promise but it needs to be validated and backed by strong political will.<\/p>\n<p>Tunisia\u2019s economic woes are also exacerbated by challenges brought on by a lack of mobility among the country\u2019s service providers. Access to EU countries is often plagued by outdated bureaucratic procedures.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7858530,7697458\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//30//how-to-fix-tunisias-economic-misery-with-a-fair-and-bold-imf-program/">How to fix Tunisia\u2019s economic misery with a fair and bold IMF program<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//06//21//by-striking-a-deal-with-tunisias-saied-is-europe-signalling-its-open-to-extortion/">By striking a deal with Tunisia's Saied, is Europe signalling it's open to extortion?<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The situation makes it difficult for businesses to conduct themselves further abroad and hampers the ability for accessible trading. Creating a special visa for entrepreneurs to facilitate Tunisians' mobility within the EU would help address this challenge.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A similar visa waiver, for instance, exists for Mexican entrepreneurs wishing to travel to the United States in the framework of NAFTA.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Charting a new course can help safeguard Tunisian freedoms<\/h2><p>In addition, the cash economy in Tunisia wields substantial influence in the country's major sectors and, through its association with those in power, obstructs any transformative efforts that challenge the existing status quo that favours it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Finally, the shadow economy takes advantage of state-enforced import restrictions to hoard foreign currency, perpetuating a network of corruption that encompasses the population, businesses, and local administrations.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, EU policies toward Tunisia must chart a new course, closely collaborating with the private sector to craft innovative strategies for democracy and economic development.<\/p>\n<p>Such a collaborative effort can help safeguard freedoms in Tunisia and ensure their long-term sustainability.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Helping Tunisian cross-border innovative firms will not exacerbate competition for their European kin but will add efficiency and competitiveness to the continent's industry as a whole and create synergies and new opportunities for both.<\/p>\n<p><em>Ghazi Ben Ahmed is Founder of the Mediterranean Development Initiative Brussels (MDI Brussels).<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>At Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at <a href=https://www.euronews.com/news/africa/\"mailto:view@euronews.com\">view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation.<\/em><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1698926204,"updatedAt":1698934143,"publishedAt":1698934139,"firstPublishedAt":1698934143,"lastPublishedAt":1698934143,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Euronews","altText":"Tunisia's President Kais Saied speaks during a media conference at an EU Africa summit in Brussels, February 2022","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"Tunisia's President Kais Saied speaks during a media conference at an EU Africa summit in Brussels, February 2022","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/01\/11\/50\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_0ab0fb97-9b66-5678-b89c-5963735cf69f-8011150.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Mosa'ab Elshamy","altText":"A man walks past a stall of lemons in the central market,in Tunis, January 2021","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"A man walks past a stall of lemons in the central market,in Tunis, January 2021","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/01\/11\/50\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_7d4bed4a-fafb-5b76-8cf8-947d351df3c2-8011150.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":704},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Italian Premier Office\/Copyright 2023 via AP","altText":"Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Dutch PM Mark Rutte meet with Tunisian President Kais Saied in Tunis, June 2023","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Dutch PM Mark Rutte meet with Tunisian President Kais Saied in Tunis, June 2023","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/01\/11\/50\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ae97c546-45b5-59f9-b2bc-56c8cb42c041-8011150.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","titleRaw":"Tunisia","id":8191,"title":"Tunisia","slug":"tunisia"},{"urlSafeValue":"kais-saied","titleRaw":"Ka\u00efs Sa\u00efed","id":21270,"title":"Ka\u00efs Sa\u00efed","slug":"kais-saied"},{"urlSafeValue":"european-union","titleRaw":"European Union","id":105,"title":"European Union","slug":"european-union"},{"urlSafeValue":"ursula-von-der-leyen","titleRaw":"Ursula von der Leyen","id":18906,"title":"Ursula von der Leyen","slug":"ursula-von-der-leyen"},{"urlSafeValue":"migration-policy","titleRaw":"Migration Policy","id":29210,"title":"Migration Policy","slug":"migration-policy"},{"urlSafeValue":"euroviews","titleRaw":"Euroviews","id":22480,"title":"Euroviews","slug":"euroviews"}],"widgets":[{"count":2,"slug":"image"},{"count":2,"slug":"quotation"},{"count":2,"slug":"related"}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Ghazi Ben Ahmed","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"},{"urlSafeValue":"my-europe","id":2,"title":"My 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News","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":283,"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","title":"Tunisia","url":"\/news\/africa\/tunisia"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','gs_politics','gs_politics_misc','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_science','gs_science_geography','gs_busfin','gt_negative','gs_busfin_economy','custom_politics_brussels','gs_economy_misc','eap_cx_innovation','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis','gt_negative_dislike'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet-web","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":1,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"VIEW EU TUNISIA MIGRANTS","path":"\/2023\/11\/02\/brussels-can-help-ease-migration-from-tunisia-without-knocking-on-saieds-door","lastModified":1698934143},{"id":2403480,"cid":8000834,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"231030_S4WB_53640263","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":1,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Meet the guardians of Tunisia\u2019s Sejnane pottery heritage","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":null,"titleListing2":"Meet the Guardians of Tunisia\u2019s Sejnane Pottery Heritage","leadin":"\"We want to present it to the world. I did not like it at first, but I became fond of it and worked with clay even though it is labour-intensive.\"","summary":"\"We want to present it to the world. I did not like it at first, but I became fond of it and worked with clay even though it is labour-intensive.\"","keySentence":"","url":"meet-the-guardians-of-tunisias-sejnane-pottery-heritage","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/2023\/10\/30\/meet-the-guardians-of-tunisias-sejnane-pottery-heritage","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"SCENES shines a spotlight on youth around the world who are breaking down barriers and creating change. The character-driven short films will inspire and amaze, as these young change-makers tell their remarkable stories. \n\nIn the picturesque town of Sejnane, Tunisia, the art of pottery is more than just a skilful craft. It is a cherished tradition that binds generations together. Passed down through time, this ancient practice, primarily led by women, serves as a testament to the community's rich history and cultural identity. \n\nTo ensure that future generations remember this art form, Sejnane's locals have dedicated themselves to preserving its unique heritage. \n\n\"I learnt this craft from my grandmother. It's part of our heritage that we must protect, promote, and share with our children,\" explains Hajer, a 24-year-old local who profoundly understands the significance of this tradition. \n\nThe pottery industry was smashed to pieces \n\nSejnane's pottery industry faced multiple obstacles following the 2011 Tunisian Revolution. The town fell under the control of armed groups during this time who targeted pottery items, particularly Sejnane's unique dolls, claiming they were forbidden statues. \n\nThe potters found themselves in an economic and financial crisis as tourists stopped coming to Sejnane, fearing the threat of violence. \"This craft is the only source of income here for us women,\" says Warda Michrigui, a 47-year-old potter. \n\nAccording to the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), the Tunisian government has adopted a security-heavy strategy in the peripheries of the country since the revolution in an attempt to contain threats from extremist groups. This approach has largely been successful. \n\nEstablishing 'Sejnenia\u2019 \n\nAfter the revolution, order was restored, and the need for a structured organisation for the female Sejnani potters became evident. An idea emerged to gather these women together under a single entity so that they could organise their work and promote their products. The Sejnania Group was born. \n\n\"We helped transform Sejnane into a tourist attraction,\" says Project Manager Zaineb Frahat. \"The Sejnenia Group started with 35 potters in 2012 and now boasts a group of 100 women,\" the 37-year-old proudly adds. \n\nBeing a project manager is a busy role. Zaineb\u00a0coordinates customer orders, participates in exhibitions, and sells and promotes the pottery products that have made Sejnane famous. \n\n\"We've formed a family, and I consider myself a member of this family,\" Zaineb says. \"I was really afraid that they would not accept me. It was a huge challenge for me, but I was happy to be accepted by the women. I loved them, and they loved me back,\" she says. \n\nUNESCO recognition \n\nInternational demand for The Sejnenia Group's ceramic products increased significantly in 2018 after UNESCO recognised Sejnane's pottery as an intangible heritage. \n\nToday, young girls learn the craft the same way their mothers did, from their mothers. Their resolve to preserve and champion this cultural legacy has intensified, especially as they witness their pottery being purchased and sent overseas. \n\n\"The quality of Sejnane pottery has improved significantly, and prices have risen accordingly,\" Zaineb tells SCENES. \n\nA handcrafted plate, naturally painted, once sold by the roadside in Sejnane for 200 Tunisian millimes. Due to Zaineb's promotion, its price has risen to 30 Tunisian dinars. The substantial increase has effectively debunked the inaccurate stereotype that pottery-making in Sejnane is a profession devoid of any practical use or importance. \n\nCrafting a promising future \n\nThe pottery industry in Sejnane has significantly influenced the economic and social lives of its women, ensuring a steady income for their families. The inspirational group is determined to inspire local young girls to pursue education, embark on their own projects, and safeguard their invaluable pottery heritage. \n\n\"We want to present it to the world,\" says Hajer. \"It's hard work. I did not like it at first because it was an exhausting process, but I became fond of it and worked with clay even though it is labour-intensive,\" Warda adds. \n\nThe women of Sejnane are determined and committed to preserving their national treasures. They ensure their heritage continues by teaching the next generation the traditional craft of pottery-making. \n\n","htmlText":"<p><strong>SCENES shines a spotlight on youth around the world who are breaking down barriers and creating change. The character-driven short films will inspire and amaze, as these young change-makers tell their remarkable stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In the picturesque town of Sejnane, Tunisia, the art of pottery is more than just a skilful craft. It is a cherished tradition that binds generations together. Passed down through time, this ancient practice, primarily led by women, serves as a testament to the community's rich history and cultural identity.<\/p>\n<p>To ensure that future generations remember this art form, Sejnane's locals have dedicated themselves to preserving its unique heritage.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5626666666666666\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//00//08//34//808x454_cmsv2_a882c417-93b9-5a62-87a9-a788653bc63f-8000834.jpg/" alt=\"The scenic town of Sejnane, Tunisia is known for its art of pottery\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/384x216_cmsv2_a882c417-93b9-5a62-87a9-a788653bc63f-8000834.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/640x360_cmsv2_a882c417-93b9-5a62-87a9-a788653bc63f-8000834.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/750x422_cmsv2_a882c417-93b9-5a62-87a9-a788653bc63f-8000834.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/828x466_cmsv2_a882c417-93b9-5a62-87a9-a788653bc63f-8000834.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/1080x608_cmsv2_a882c417-93b9-5a62-87a9-a788653bc63f-8000834.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/1200x675_cmsv2_a882c417-93b9-5a62-87a9-a788653bc63f-8000834.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/1920x1080_cmsv2_a882c417-93b9-5a62-87a9-a788653bc63f-8000834.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">The scenic town of Sejnane, Tunisia is known for its art of pottery<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Nasreddine Sakouhi<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\"I learnt this craft from my grandmother. It's part of our heritage that we must protect, promote, and share with our children,\" explains Hajer, a 24-year-old local who profoundly understands the significance of this tradition.<\/p>\n<h2>The pottery industry was smashed to pieces<\/h2><p>Sejnane's pottery industry faced multiple obstacles following the 2011 Tunisian Revolution. The town fell under the control of armed groups during this time who targeted pottery items, particularly Sejnane's unique dolls, claiming they were forbidden statues.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5608540925266904\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//00//08//34//808x454_cmsv2_9db118ca-6328-5965-a99c-49af959e31f6-8000834.jpg/" alt=\"This craft is the only source of income for the potters of Sejnane\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/384x215_cmsv2_9db118ca-6328-5965-a99c-49af959e31f6-8000834.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/640x359_cmsv2_9db118ca-6328-5965-a99c-49af959e31f6-8000834.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/750x421_cmsv2_9db118ca-6328-5965-a99c-49af959e31f6-8000834.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/828x464_cmsv2_9db118ca-6328-5965-a99c-49af959e31f6-8000834.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/1080x606_cmsv2_9db118ca-6328-5965-a99c-49af959e31f6-8000834.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/1200x673_cmsv2_9db118ca-6328-5965-a99c-49af959e31f6-8000834.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/1920x1077_cmsv2_9db118ca-6328-5965-a99c-49af959e31f6-8000834.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">This craft is the only source of income for the potters of Sejnane<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Nasreddine Sakouhi<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The potters found themselves in an economic and financial crisis as tourists stopped coming to Sejnane, fearing the threat of violence. \"This craft is the only source of income here for us women,\" says Warda Michrigui, a 47-year-old potter.<\/p>\n<p>According to the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////ecfr.eu//publication//peripheral_vision_how_europe_can_preserve_tunisias_democracy_7215///">European Council on Foreign Relations<\/a> (ECFR), the Tunisian government has adopted a security-heavy strategy in the peripheries of the country since the revolution in an attempt to contain threats from extremist groups. This approach has largely been successful.<\/p>\n<h2>Establishing 'Sejnenia\u2019<\/h2><p>After the revolution, order was restored, and the need for a structured organisation for the female Sejnani potters became evident. An idea emerged to gather these women together under a single entity so that they could organise their work and promote their products. The Sejnania Group was born.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5626666666666666\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//00//08//34//808x454_cmsv2_7314c809-c548-58d5-9291-9ab4d22b7787-8000834.jpg/" alt=\"Post-revolution, Zaineb (middle) helped turn Sejnane into a tourist destination\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/384x216_cmsv2_7314c809-c548-58d5-9291-9ab4d22b7787-8000834.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/640x360_cmsv2_7314c809-c548-58d5-9291-9ab4d22b7787-8000834.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/750x422_cmsv2_7314c809-c548-58d5-9291-9ab4d22b7787-8000834.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/828x466_cmsv2_7314c809-c548-58d5-9291-9ab4d22b7787-8000834.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/1080x608_cmsv2_7314c809-c548-58d5-9291-9ab4d22b7787-8000834.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/1200x675_cmsv2_7314c809-c548-58d5-9291-9ab4d22b7787-8000834.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/1920x1080_cmsv2_7314c809-c548-58d5-9291-9ab4d22b7787-8000834.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Post-revolution, Zaineb (middle) helped turn Sejnane into a tourist destination<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Nasreddine Sakouhi<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\"We helped transform Sejnane into a tourist attraction,\" says Project Manager Zaineb Frahat. \"The Sejnenia Group started with 35 potters in 2012 and now boasts a group of 100 women,\" the 37-year-old proudly adds.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7707378,7412818,7635376\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//news//2023//02//20//meet-the-greek-team-studying-and-preserving-traditional-stonemasonry/">Meet the Greek team studying and preserving traditional stonemasonry<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//news//2023//06//05//meet-the-sisters-championing-clean-construction-techniques-by-getting-their-hands-dirty/">Meet the sisters championing clean construction techniques by getting their hands dirty <\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//news//2023//07//03//meet-the-artists-setting-art-scene-ablaze-in-qatar/">Meet the artists setting the art scene ablaze in Qatar<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Being a project manager is a busy role. Zaineb\u00a0coordinates customer orders, participates in exhibitions, and sells and promotes the pottery products that have made Sejnane famous.<\/p>\n<p>\"We've formed a family, and I consider myself a member of this family,\" Zaineb says. \"I was really afraid that they would not accept me. It was a huge challenge for me, but I was happy to be accepted by the women. I loved them, and they loved me back,\" she says.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.7041015625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//00//08//34//808x569_cmsv2_fb82027f-3739-56f7-be3a-380eaad8365d-8000834.jpg/" alt=\"After worrying the potters wouldn't accept her, Zaineb says they've established a family in Sejnane\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/384x270_cmsv2_fb82027f-3739-56f7-be3a-380eaad8365d-8000834.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/640x451_cmsv2_fb82027f-3739-56f7-be3a-380eaad8365d-8000834.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/750x528_cmsv2_fb82027f-3739-56f7-be3a-380eaad8365d-8000834.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/828x583_cmsv2_fb82027f-3739-56f7-be3a-380eaad8365d-8000834.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/1080x760_cmsv2_fb82027f-3739-56f7-be3a-380eaad8365d-8000834.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/1200x845_cmsv2_fb82027f-3739-56f7-be3a-380eaad8365d-8000834.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/1920x1352_cmsv2_fb82027f-3739-56f7-be3a-380eaad8365d-8000834.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">After worrying the potters wouldn't accept her, Zaineb says they've established a family in Sejnane<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Sejnenia<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>UNESCO recognition<\/h2><p>International demand for The Sejnenia Group's ceramic products increased significantly in 2018 after UNESCO recognised Sejnane's pottery as an intangible heritage.<\/p>\n<p>Today, young girls learn the craft the same way their mothers did, from their mothers. Their resolve to preserve and champion this cultural legacy has intensified, especially as they witness their pottery being purchased and sent overseas.<\/p>\n<p>\"The quality of Sejnane pottery has improved significantly, and prices have risen accordingly,\" Zaineb tells SCENES.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5616338439095551\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//00//08//34//808x454_cmsv2_0783c086-f7fe-50d8-a72a-a0249aadf45b-8000834.jpg/" alt=\"According to Zaineb, Sejnane pottery has become better and more expensive\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/384x216_cmsv2_0783c086-f7fe-50d8-a72a-a0249aadf45b-8000834.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/640x359_cmsv2_0783c086-f7fe-50d8-a72a-a0249aadf45b-8000834.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/750x421_cmsv2_0783c086-f7fe-50d8-a72a-a0249aadf45b-8000834.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/828x465_cmsv2_0783c086-f7fe-50d8-a72a-a0249aadf45b-8000834.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/1080x607_cmsv2_0783c086-f7fe-50d8-a72a-a0249aadf45b-8000834.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/1200x674_cmsv2_0783c086-f7fe-50d8-a72a-a0249aadf45b-8000834.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/1920x1078_cmsv2_0783c086-f7fe-50d8-a72a-a0249aadf45b-8000834.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">According to Zaineb, Sejnane pottery has become better and more expensive<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Nasreddine Sakouhi<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>A handcrafted plate, naturally painted, once sold by the roadside in Sejnane for 200 Tunisian millimes. Due to Zaineb's promotion, its price has risen to 30 Tunisian dinars. The substantial increase has effectively debunked the inaccurate stereotype that pottery-making in Sejnane is a profession devoid of any practical use or importance.<\/p>\n<h2>Crafting a promising future<\/h2><p>The pottery industry in Sejnane has significantly influenced the economic and social lives of its women, ensuring a steady income for their families. The inspirational group is determined to inspire local young girls to pursue education, embark on their own projects, and safeguard their invaluable pottery heritage.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5626666666666666\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//00//08//34//808x454_cmsv2_100554a0-7715-5a22-ad4f-c5e793670615-8000834.jpg/" alt=\"Hajer, 24, learnt pottery making from her grandmother at 10\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/384x216_cmsv2_100554a0-7715-5a22-ad4f-c5e793670615-8000834.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/640x360_cmsv2_100554a0-7715-5a22-ad4f-c5e793670615-8000834.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/750x422_cmsv2_100554a0-7715-5a22-ad4f-c5e793670615-8000834.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/828x466_cmsv2_100554a0-7715-5a22-ad4f-c5e793670615-8000834.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/1080x608_cmsv2_100554a0-7715-5a22-ad4f-c5e793670615-8000834.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/1200x675_cmsv2_100554a0-7715-5a22-ad4f-c5e793670615-8000834.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/1920x1080_cmsv2_100554a0-7715-5a22-ad4f-c5e793670615-8000834.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Hajer, 24, learnt pottery making from her grandmother at 10<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Nasreddine Sakouhi<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\"We want to present it to the world,\" says Hajer. \"It's hard work. I did not like it at first because it was an exhausting process, but I became fond of it and worked with clay even though it is labour-intensive,\" Warda adds.<\/p>\n<p>The women of Sejnane are determined and committed to preserving their national treasures. They ensure their heritage continues by teaching the next generation the traditional craft of pottery-making.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1698563226,"updatedAt":1698684669,"publishedAt":1698683411,"firstPublishedAt":1698654872,"lastPublishedAt":1698683460,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Wassim Ben Rhouma\/Gladiators Media Agency","altText":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":4507,"caption":null,"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ef25a85a-fa5c-5481-9e7c-bdc9719ec99f-8000834.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":2535},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Nasreddine Sakouhi","altText":"According to Zeinab, Sejnane pottery has become better and more expensive","callToActionText":null,"width":1371,"caption":"According to Zeinab, Sejnane pottery has become better and more expensive","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_0783c086-f7fe-50d8-a72a-a0249aadf45b-8000834.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":770},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Wassim Ben Rhouma\/Gladiators Media Agency","altText":"The scenic town of Sejnane, Tunisia is known for its art of pottery","callToActionText":null,"width":6000,"caption":"The scenic town of Sejnane, Tunisia is known for its art of pottery","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_a882c417-93b9-5a62-87a9-a788653bc63f-8000834.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":3376},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Wassim Ben Rhouma\/Gladiators Media Agency","altText":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":6000,"caption":null,"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_1ae15da8-6aee-5934-8e1b-e9c2064b1bfa-8000834.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":3376},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Sejnania","altText":"Zainab manages client orders, exhibits, and promotes Sejnane's famed ceramics","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Zainab manages client orders, exhibits, and promotes Sejnane's famed ceramics","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_fb82027f-3739-56f7-be3a-380eaad8365d-8000834.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":721},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Nasreddine Sakouhi","altText":"dd","callToActionText":null,"width":6000,"caption":"dd","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_100554a0-7715-5a22-ad4f-c5e793670615-8000834.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":3376},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Nasreddine Sakouhi","altText":"This craft is the only source of income for the potters of Sejnane","callToActionText":null,"width":1405,"caption":"This craft is the only source of income for the potters of Sejnane","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_9db118ca-6328-5965-a99c-49af959e31f6-8000834.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":788},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Nasreddine Sakouhi","altText":"According to Zeinab, Sejnane pottery has become better and more expensive","callToActionText":null,"width":6000,"caption":"According to Zeinab, Sejnane pottery has become better and more expensive","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_318bb5d7-17ff-5a50-aada-d98687f891f0-8000834.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":3376},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Nasreddine Sakouhi","altText":"Post-revolution, Zeinab helped turn Sejnane into a tourist destination","callToActionText":null,"width":6000,"caption":"Post-revolution, Zeinab helped turn Sejnane into a tourist destination","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_7314c809-c548-58d5-9291-9ab4d22b7787-8000834.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":3376},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Nasreddine Sakouhi","altText":"dd","callToActionText":null,"width":6000,"caption":"dd","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_913cd6d8-65a9-5203-b187-12e58ec4c053-8000834.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":3376},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Nasreddine Sakouhi","altText":"dd","callToActionText":null,"width":3968,"caption":"dd","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_cb37a9d9-2977-550d-8820-3329a38bfc9c-8000834.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":2828},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Nasreddine Sakouhi","altText":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":6000,"caption":null,"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/08\/34\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_7f5ba7df-95bf-5451-a01c-dfadfb824d09-8000834.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":3376}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"elashi","twitter":null,"title":"Mohamed Elashi"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"unesco-kultur-miras-listesi","titleRaw":"UNESCO Cultural Heritage List","id":15948,"title":"UNESCO Cultural Heritage List","slug":"unesco-kultur-miras-listesi"},{"urlSafeValue":"cultural-heritage","titleRaw":"Cultural Heritage","id":12361,"title":"Cultural 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SEJNANE POTTERY - TUNISIA - SCENES S03 EP44 - MASTER WEB","path":"\/culture\/2023\/10\/30\/meet-the-guardians-of-tunisias-sejnane-pottery-heritage","lastModified":1698683460},{"id":2358450,"cid":7858530,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230830_WBWB_52922239","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"How to fix Tunisia\u2019s economic misery with a fair and bold IMF program","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"How to fix Tunisia\u2019s economic misery with a fair and bold IMF program","titleListing2":"VIEW | Economic reforms are inherently political, but they should be designed to address the concerns and aspirations of the population impacted by them, Timothy Kaldas and Ayoub Menzli write.","leadin":"Economic reforms are inherently political, but they should be designed to address the concerns and aspirations of the population impacted by them, Timothy Kaldas and Ayoub Menzli write.","summary":"Economic reforms are inherently political, but they should be designed to address the concerns and aspirations of the population impacted by them, Timothy Kaldas and Ayoub Menzli write.","keySentence":"","url":"how-to-fix-tunisias-economic-misery-with-a-fair-and-bold-imf-program","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/30\/how-to-fix-tunisias-economic-misery-with-a-fair-and-bold-imf-program","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"As the pressure mounts to break the deadlock over Tunisia\u2019s next IMF program, a number of international actors are rushing to find ways to get a deal signed.\u00a0 \n\nAt the behest of Italy\u2019s government, the European Commission has committed what is likely to be a no-strings-attached\u00a0\u20ac100 million to support fighting migration. The commission also announced\u00a0\u20ac900m in additional financing for Tunisia should an IMF deal be approved.\u00a0 \n\nHowever, the IMF deal in its current form appears to be a non-starter for Tunisia\u2019s President, Kais Saied. \n\nTunisia\u2019s existing Staff Level Agreement (SLA) with the IMF appears to cling to a tried, tested and failed formula of deep cuts and consumption taxes that could fuel inflation, expand poverty and hamper growth.\u00a0Rejecting a repeat of regressive anti-growth prescriptions was prudent. \n\nRecent IMF programs in Tunisia failed, in part, because they were politically unsustainable. Austerity measures that disproportionately target the general population while often insulating elites were repeatedly rejected by the public.\u00a0 \n\nTunisians pressured their leaders to derail planned reforms following the 2013 and 2016 IMF programs in Tunisia.\u00a0 \n\nRepeating this cycle a third time with a similar program is sure to be met with public rejection. So, a new approach is needed. \n\nA more progressive fiscal policy is at the core of the issue \n\nTunisian civil society has been long advocating for more progressive fiscal policy that includes directing their efforts toward increasing state capacity to collect revenue and it\u2019s time Tunisian authorities and international financial institutions start listening.\u00a0 \n\nAl Bawsala, a leading Tunisian civil society organisation, has been advocating for measures that include restoring the progressivity of the income tax system, investing in the tax collection authority\u2019s capacity, and reducing tax exemptions afforded to large corporations which according to the Tunisian Ministry of Finance reached $1 billion (\u20ac915m) or over half of the amount of the newly proposed IMF program. \n\nAn analysis conducted by the Tunisian Observatory of the Economy uncovered a sharp decline in the share of direct tax revenue from corporate taxes following cuts to the corporate rate in 2015 and 2021.\u00a0 \n\nThe share of direct tax revenue from corporate taxes dropped to 28% between 2015 and 2020, while income tax\u2019s share of direct tax revenue rose to 72%.\u00a0 \n\nThe trend continued in 2021 when the corporate tax was further reduced to 15%. Moreover, the cuts to corporate taxes didn\u2019t spur investment. The investment rate declined following the cuts. \n\nCounter-productive measures to create fiscal space simply don't work \n\nThe new reform program should avoid cuts to essential food subsidies, which would increase poverty and food insecurity according to Tunisian experts.\u00a0 \n\nTunisia\u2019s economic reforms can focus on shifting the burden upwards onto the country\u2019s upper middle and upper classes by investing in the state\u2019s capacity to collect progressive sources of tax revenue while eliminating long-abused tax loopholes.\u00a0 \n\nA more progressive program isn\u2019t just more socially just and more likely to secure public buy-in, it\u2019s better economics. \n\nWhether proposed by IMF staff or, more likely Tunisian officials, relying heavily on VAT, other taxes on consumption and aggressive subsidy cuts is bad policy for several reasons.\u00a0 \n\nThese measures are counter-productive efforts to create fiscal space. Increasing the cost of goods through both regressive taxes and removal of subsidies intensifies already elevated levels of inflation.\u00a0 \n\nIncreased levels of inflation place pressure on the central bank to increase interest rates. However, higher interest rates contribute to higher government expenditures on servicing debt which can consume much of the revenue the state was meant to take in. \n\nAdditionally, inflationary measures like VAT and subsidy cuts depress domestic demand which will weaken incentives to invest for local businesses.\u00a0 \n\nIncreasingly, it\u2019s clear that cuts to food subsidies represent an untenable assault on Tunisia\u2019s safety net.\u00a0 \n\nAnother potential source of revenue can be secured by rolling back previous tax cuts for large corporations. These cuts, which protect the monopolies and cartels controlled by Tunisian economic elites and oligarchs, have three damaging consequences. \n\nIt's time to address the illicit influence of Tunisia's oligarchs \n\nFirst, it deprives the state of revenue without encouraging investment because monopolists don\u2019t have an incentive to invest.\u00a0 \n\nSecond, reduced revenue weakens the state\u2019s ability to fund necessary services and pushes the state to depend on regressive sources of revenue such as VAT, and customs taxes.\u00a0 \n\nThese types of taxes disproportionately impact women and vulnerable communities according to a recent study by Aswaat Nisaa, a civil society organisation.\u00a0 \n\nFinally, it signals to the public that elites are beneficiaries of economic reforms while the everyday Tunisians are left to shoulder the burden of economic reforms alone. \n\nWithout structural reforms addressing the dominance of Tunisia\u2019s oligarchs, other reforms will fall prey to their outsized and illicit influence.\u00a0 \n\nTunisian academics have shown that previous privatisations mandated by the IMF were used as a mechanism to transfer public wealth to connected elites that reinforced regulatory capture.\u00a0 \n\nAdditionally, studies have shown that politically connected businesses are statistically more likely to evade taxes and tariffs.\u00a0 \n\nIncluding robust reforms to counter this will strengthen the popularity of an economic reform program and target entrenched economic elites instead of vulnerable and middle classes. \n\nA once-in-a-lifetime chance to fix things \n\nThis is a historic opportunity to enforce progressive fiscal policies to address Tunisia\u2019s economic challenges.\u00a0 \n\nEconomic reforms are inherently political, but they should be designed to address the concerns and aspirations of the population impacted by them.\u00a0 \n\nTunisia\u2019s economic difficulties are significant but Tunisian researchers and analysts have studied the problems and put forward robust, practical and effective solutions that are not only economically but also politically sustainable. \n\nTimothy Kaldas is the Deputy Director, and Ayoub Menzli is a Nonresident Fellow at The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP). \n\nAt Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>As the pressure mounts to break the deadlock over Tunisia\u2019s next IMF program, a number of international actors are rushing to find ways to get a deal signed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>At the behest of Italy\u2019s government, the European Commission has committed what is likely to be a no-strings-attached\u00a0\u20ac100 million to support fighting migration. The commission also announced\u00a0\u20ac900m in additional financing for Tunisia should an IMF deal be approved.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>However, the IMF deal in its current form appears to be a non-starter for Tunisia\u2019s President, Kais Saied.<\/p>\n<p>Tunisia\u2019s existing Staff Level Agreement (SLA) with the IMF appears to cling to a tried, tested and failed formula of deep cuts and consumption taxes that could fuel inflation, expand poverty and hamper growth.\u00a0Rejecting a repeat of regressive anti-growth prescriptions was prudent.<\/p>\n<p>Recent IMF programs in Tunisia failed, in part, because they were politically unsustainable. Austerity measures that disproportionately target the general population while often insulating elites were repeatedly rejected by the public.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7756994,7759804\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2023//07//17//the-contentious-eu-tunisia-deal-is-finally-here-but-what-exactly-is-in-it/">The contentious EU-Tunisia deal is finally here. But what exactly is in it?<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2023//07//18//meps-blast-european-commission-for-signing-deal-with-tunisias-cruel-dictator/">MEPs blast European Commission for signing deal with Tunisia's 'cruel dictator'<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Tunisians pressured their leaders to derail planned reforms following the 2013 and 2016 IMF programs in Tunisia.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Repeating this cycle a third time with a similar program is sure to be met with public rejection. So, a new approach is needed.<\/p>\n<h2>A more progressive fiscal policy is at the core of the issue<\/h2><p>Tunisian civil society has been long advocating for more progressive fiscal policy that includes directing their efforts toward increasing state capacity to collect revenue and it\u2019s time Tunisian authorities and international financial institutions start listening.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Al Bawsala, a leading Tunisian civil society organisation, has been advocating for measures that include restoring the progressivity of the income tax system, investing in the tax collection authority\u2019s capacity, and reducing tax exemptions afforded to large corporations which according to the Tunisian Ministry of Finance reached $1 billion (\u20ac915m) or over half of the amount of the newly proposed IMF program.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">The share of direct tax revenue from corporate taxes dropped to 28% between 2015 and 2020, while income tax\u2019s share of direct tax revenue rose to 72%.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//85//85//30//808x539_cmsv2_6217444a-b7a0-5235-8ac7-d262ed3c88a0-7858530.jpg/" alt=\"Mosa'ab Elshamy/AP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/384x256_cmsv2_6217444a-b7a0-5235-8ac7-d262ed3c88a0-7858530.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/640x427_cmsv2_6217444a-b7a0-5235-8ac7-d262ed3c88a0-7858530.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/750x500_cmsv2_6217444a-b7a0-5235-8ac7-d262ed3c88a0-7858530.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/828x552_cmsv2_6217444a-b7a0-5235-8ac7-d262ed3c88a0-7858530.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/1080x720_cmsv2_6217444a-b7a0-5235-8ac7-d262ed3c88a0-7858530.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/1200x800_cmsv2_6217444a-b7a0-5235-8ac7-d262ed3c88a0-7858530.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/1920x1281_cmsv2_6217444a-b7a0-5235-8ac7-d262ed3c88a0-7858530.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A girl looks out of a glass door as a man washes before prayers in the courtyard of Ezzitouna Mosque in Tunis, October 2015<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Mosa'ab Elshamy/AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>An analysis conducted by the Tunisian Observatory of the Economy uncovered a sharp decline in the share of direct tax revenue from corporate taxes following cuts to the corporate rate in 2015 and 2021.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7697458,7637452\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//05//29//with-tunisia-the-eu-and-the-west-are-experiencing-a-crisis-of-value-based-solidarity/">With Tunisia, the EU and the West are experiencing a crisis of value-based solidarity<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//06//21//by-striking-a-deal-with-tunisias-saied-is-europe-signalling-its-open-to-extortion/">By striking a deal with Tunisia's Saied, is Europe signalling it's open to extortion?<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The share of direct tax revenue from corporate taxes dropped to 28% between 2015 and 2020, while income tax\u2019s share of direct tax revenue rose to 72%.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The trend continued in 2021 when the corporate tax was further reduced to 15%. Moreover, the cuts to corporate taxes didn\u2019t spur investment. The investment rate declined following the cuts.<\/p>\n<h2>Counter-productive measures to create fiscal space simply don't work<\/h2><p>The new reform program should avoid cuts to essential food subsidies, which would increase poverty and food insecurity according to Tunisian experts.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Tunisia\u2019s economic reforms can focus on shifting the burden upwards onto the country\u2019s upper middle and upper classes by investing in the state\u2019s capacity to collect progressive sources of tax revenue while eliminating long-abused tax loopholes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A more progressive program isn\u2019t just more socially just and more likely to secure public buy-in, it\u2019s better economics.<\/p>\n<p>Whether proposed by IMF staff or, more likely Tunisian officials, relying heavily on VAT, other taxes on consumption and aggressive subsidy cuts is bad policy for several reasons.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">Increasing the cost of goods through both regressive taxes and removal of subsidies intensifies already elevated levels of inflation.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//85//85//30//808x539_cmsv2_e805aeb2-9bd1-5d5a-8101-bdc6ad2d96cb-7858530.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/384x256_cmsv2_e805aeb2-9bd1-5d5a-8101-bdc6ad2d96cb-7858530.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/640x427_cmsv2_e805aeb2-9bd1-5d5a-8101-bdc6ad2d96cb-7858530.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/750x500_cmsv2_e805aeb2-9bd1-5d5a-8101-bdc6ad2d96cb-7858530.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/828x552_cmsv2_e805aeb2-9bd1-5d5a-8101-bdc6ad2d96cb-7858530.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/1080x720_cmsv2_e805aeb2-9bd1-5d5a-8101-bdc6ad2d96cb-7858530.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/1200x800_cmsv2_e805aeb2-9bd1-5d5a-8101-bdc6ad2d96cb-7858530.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/1920x1281_cmsv2_e805aeb2-9bd1-5d5a-8101-bdc6ad2d96cb-7858530.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">People shop for fruit and vegetables in the central market, in Tunis, January 2021<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>These measures are counter-productive efforts to create fiscal space. Increasing the cost of goods through both regressive taxes and removal of subsidies intensifies already elevated levels of inflation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Increased levels of inflation place pressure on the central bank to increase interest rates. However, higher interest rates contribute to higher government expenditures on servicing debt which can consume much of the revenue the state was meant to take in.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7502388,6125388\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2021//10//04//the-us-and-eu-must-put-pressure-on-tunisia-before-it-s-too-late-view/">The US and EU must put pressure on Tunisia before it\u2019s too late | View<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//03//31//the-eu-should-know-the-rise-of-autocracy-in-tunisia-wont-be-fixed-with-short-term-band-aid/">The EU should know the rise of autocracy in Tunisia won't be fixed with short-term band-aids<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Additionally, inflationary measures like VAT and subsidy cuts depress domestic demand which will weaken incentives to invest for local businesses.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Increasingly, it\u2019s clear that cuts to food subsidies represent an untenable assault on Tunisia\u2019s safety net.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Another potential source of revenue can be secured by rolling back previous tax cuts for large corporations. These cuts, which protect the monopolies and cartels controlled by Tunisian economic elites and oligarchs, have three damaging consequences.<\/p>\n<h2>It's time to address the illicit influence of Tunisia's oligarchs<\/h2><p>First, it deprives the state of revenue without encouraging investment because monopolists don\u2019t have an incentive to invest.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Second, reduced revenue weakens the state\u2019s ability to fund necessary services and pushes the state to depend on regressive sources of revenue such as VAT, and customs taxes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>These types of taxes disproportionately impact women and vulnerable communities according to a recent study by Aswaat Nisaa, a civil society organisation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Finally, it signals to the public that elites are beneficiaries of economic reforms while the everyday Tunisians are left to shoulder the burden of economic reforms alone.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">Without structural reforms addressing the dominance of Tunisia\u2019s oligarchs, other reforms will fall prey to their outsized and illicit influence.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.72265625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//85//85//30//808x586_cmsv2_78a004ba-3d06-570c-b858-985b353bd33e-7858530.jpg/" alt=\"Mosa'ab Elshamy/AP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/384x278_cmsv2_78a004ba-3d06-570c-b858-985b353bd33e-7858530.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/640x463_cmsv2_78a004ba-3d06-570c-b858-985b353bd33e-7858530.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/750x542_cmsv2_78a004ba-3d06-570c-b858-985b353bd33e-7858530.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/828x598_cmsv2_78a004ba-3d06-570c-b858-985b353bd33e-7858530.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/1080x780_cmsv2_78a004ba-3d06-570c-b858-985b353bd33e-7858530.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/1200x867_cmsv2_78a004ba-3d06-570c-b858-985b353bd33e-7858530.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/1920x1388_cmsv2_78a004ba-3d06-570c-b858-985b353bd33e-7858530.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A woman and a child look out of a balcony in Avenue Bourguiba, Tunis, October 2015<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Mosa'ab Elshamy/AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Without structural reforms addressing the dominance of Tunisia\u2019s oligarchs, other reforms will fall prey to their outsized and illicit influence.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Tunisian academics have shown that previous privatisations mandated by the IMF were used as a mechanism to transfer public wealth to connected elites that reinforced regulatory capture.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7675762,7613398\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//05//19//why-tunisias-political-and-economical-crisis-is-europes-problem-too/">Why Tunisia\u2019s political and economical crisis is Europe\u2019s problem too<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2023//06//14//eu-will-continue-to-criticise-tunisia-despite-100-million-migration-deal-commissioner-says/">EU will 'continue to criticise' Tunisia despite \u20ac100 million migration deal, Commissioner says<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Additionally, studies have shown that politically connected businesses are statistically more likely to evade taxes and tariffs.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Including robust reforms to counter this will strengthen the popularity of an economic reform program and target entrenched economic elites instead of vulnerable and middle classes.<\/p>\n<h2>A once-in-a-lifetime chance to fix things<\/h2><p>This is a historic opportunity to enforce progressive fiscal policies to address Tunisia\u2019s economic challenges.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Economic reforms are inherently political, but they should be designed to address the concerns and aspirations of the population impacted by them.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Tunisia\u2019s economic difficulties are significant but Tunisian researchers and analysts have studied the problems and put forward robust, practical and effective solutions that are not only economically but also politically sustainable.<\/p>\n<p><em>Timothy Kaldas is the Deputy Director, and Ayoub Menzli is a Nonresident Fellow at The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP).<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>At Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at <a href=https://www.euronews.com/news/africa/\"mailto:view@euronews.com\">view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation.<\/em><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1693407657,"updatedAt":1693473395,"publishedAt":1693409787,"firstPublishedAt":1693409790,"lastPublishedAt":1693473395,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Euronews","altText":"Tunisian President Kais Saied arrives for the closing session of the New Global Financial Pact Summit in Paris, June 2023","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"Tunisian President Kais Saied arrives for the closing session of the New Global Financial Pact Summit in Paris, June 2023","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_77f19b33-09d1-5c40-b0a6-9ecd6868bedc-7858530.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Mosa'ab Elshamy\/AP","altText":"A woman and a child look out of a balcony in Avenue Bourguiba, Tunis, October 2015","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"A woman and a child look out of a balcony in Avenue Bourguiba, Tunis, October 2015","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_78a004ba-3d06-570c-b858-985b353bd33e-7858530.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":740},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Mosa'ab Elshamy","altText":"People shop for fruit and vegetables in the central market, in Tunis, January 2021","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"People shop for fruit and vegetables in the central market, in Tunis, January 2021","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_e805aeb2-9bd1-5d5a-8101-bdc6ad2d96cb-7858530.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Mosa'ab Elshamy\/AP","altText":"A girl looks out of a glass door as a man washes before prayers in the courtyard of Ezzitouna Mosque in Tunis, October 2015","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"A girl looks out of a glass door as a man washes before prayers in the courtyard of Ezzitouna Mosque in Tunis, October 2015","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/85\/30\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_6217444a-b7a0-5235-8ac7-d262ed3c88a0-7858530.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","titleRaw":"Tunisia","id":8191,"title":"Tunisia","slug":"tunisia"},{"urlSafeValue":"kais-saied","titleRaw":"Ka\u00efs Sa\u00efed","id":21270,"title":"Ka\u00efs Sa\u00efed","slug":"kais-saied"},{"urlSafeValue":"loan","titleRaw":"Loan","id":11097,"title":"Loan","slug":"loan"},{"urlSafeValue":"imf","titleRaw":"IMF","id":146,"title":"IMF","slug":"imf"},{"urlSafeValue":"european-union","titleRaw":"European Union","id":105,"title":"European Union","slug":"european-union"},{"urlSafeValue":"ursula-von-der-leyen","titleRaw":"Ursula von der Leyen","id":18906,"title":"Ursula von der Leyen","slug":"ursula-von-der-leyen"},{"urlSafeValue":"euroviews","titleRaw":"Euroviews","id":22480,"title":"Euroviews","slug":"euroviews"}],"widgets":[{"count":3,"slug":"image"},{"count":3,"slug":"quotation"},{"count":4,"slug":"related"}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Timothy Kaldas, Deputy Director, and Ayoub Menzli, Nonresident Fellow, TIMEP","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world 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TUNISIA IMF LOAN CRISIS","path":"\/2023\/08\/30\/how-to-fix-tunisias-economic-misery-with-a-fair-and-bold-imf-program","lastModified":1693473395},{"id":2343670,"cid":7815724,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230811_NWSU_52725941","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Tunisia and Libya agree to share responsibility for migrants stranded on border","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Tunisia and Libya agree to share responsibility for stranded migrants","titleListing2":"A spokesperson for Tunisia's interior ministry said migrants were transferred to reception centres and provided with health and psychological care, with the help of the Tunisian Red Crescent.","leadin":"A spokesperson for Tunisia's interior ministry said migrants were transferred to reception centres and provided with health and psychological care, with the help of the Tunisian Red Crescent.","summary":"A spokesperson for Tunisia's interior ministry said migrants were transferred to reception centres and provided with health and psychological care, with the help of the Tunisian Red Crescent.","keySentence":"","url":"tunisia-and-libya-agree-to-share-responsibility-for-migrants-stranded-on-border","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/11\/tunisia-and-libya-agree-to-share-responsibility-for-migrants-stranded-on-border","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Tunisia and Libya announced on Thursday an agreement to share responsibility for providing shelter for hundreds of migrants stranded at their border. \n\nThe migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan African countries, had been driven to the desert area of Ras Jedir by Tunisian authorities and left there to fend for themselves, according to witnesses, rights groups and UN agencies. \n\nAid groups said hundreds of migrants from sub-Saharan African countries remain stranded there in life-threatening conditions. \n\nA spokesman for Tunisia's interior ministry, Faker Bouzghaya, said during a joint meeting with Libyan authorities in Tunis that \"we have agreed to share the groups of migrants who are at the border.\" \n\nHe said the groups were transferred on Wednesday to reception centres in the cities of Tatouine and Medenine and provided with health and psychological care, with the help of the Tunisian Red Crescent. \n\nUnder the agreement, Libya will take in the remaining 150-200 migrants, humanitarian sources said. \n\nThe Libyan interior ministry earlier on Thursday announced the bilateral agreement to \"put an end to the crisis of irregular migrants stranded in the border area\". \n\nIn a later statement, it said there were no more migrants stranded at the border following the agreement, adding that joint patrols were being organised to \"secure the border\". \n\nRacial tensions had flared in Tunisia's second city of Sfax after the 3 July killing of a Tunisian man following an altercation with migrants. \n\nUp to 1,200 Africans were \"expelled, or forcibly transferred by Tunisian security forces\" to desert border regions with Libya and Algeria, Human Rights Watch said. \n\nUntil Wednesday, around 50 migrants per day had continued to arrive in Libya at Al-Assah before being rescued by Libyan guards, according to reports from a humanitarian worker. \n\nLibyan authorities have come under sharp criticism by the UN over reported violence against migrants, about 600,000 of whom reside in the war-scarred North African country. \n\nThe two North African countries are major gateways for migrants and asylum seekers attempting perilous voyages in often rickety boats in the hopes of a better life in Europe. \n\nThe United Nations has described the central Mediterranean migration route as the world's deadliest, claiming hundreds of lives each year. \n\nMore than 1,800 people have died attempting the route so far this year, according to figures released by the International Organization for Migration. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Tunisia and Libya announced on Thursday an agreement to share responsibility for providing shelter for hundreds of migrants stranded at their border.<\/p>\n<p>The migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan African countries, had been driven to the desert area of Ras Jedir by Tunisian authorities and left there to fend for themselves, according to witnesses, rights groups and UN agencies.<\/p>\n<p>Aid groups said hundreds of migrants from sub-Saharan African countries remain stranded there in life-threatening conditions.<\/p>\n<p>A spokesman for Tunisia's interior ministry, Faker Bouzghaya, said during a joint meeting with Libyan authorities in Tunis that \"we have agreed to share the groups of migrants who are at the border.\"<\/p>\n<p>He said the groups were transferred on Wednesday to reception centres in the cities of Tatouine and Medenine and provided with health and psychological care, with the help of the Tunisian Red Crescent.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//81//57//24//808x539_cmsv2_e5fa833c-e1b8-56c8-af4c-57f891cdc5c5-7815724.jpg/" alt=\"Yousef Murad\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/81\/57\/24\/384x256_cmsv2_e5fa833c-e1b8-56c8-af4c-57f891cdc5c5-7815724.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/81\/57\/24\/640x427_cmsv2_e5fa833c-e1b8-56c8-af4c-57f891cdc5c5-7815724.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/81\/57\/24\/750x500_cmsv2_e5fa833c-e1b8-56c8-af4c-57f891cdc5c5-7815724.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/81\/57\/24\/828x552_cmsv2_e5fa833c-e1b8-56c8-af4c-57f891cdc5c5-7815724.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/81\/57\/24\/1080x720_cmsv2_e5fa833c-e1b8-56c8-af4c-57f891cdc5c5-7815724.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/81\/57\/24\/1200x800_cmsv2_e5fa833c-e1b8-56c8-af4c-57f891cdc5c5-7815724.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/81\/57\/24\/1920x1281_cmsv2_e5fa833c-e1b8-56c8-af4c-57f891cdc5c5-7815724.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">African migrants protest on the Libyan border with Tunisia on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2023.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Yousef Murad\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Under the agreement, Libya will take in the remaining 150-200 migrants, humanitarian sources said.<\/p>\n<p>The Libyan interior ministry earlier on Thursday announced the bilateral agreement to \"put an end to the crisis of irregular migrants stranded in the border area\".<\/p>\n<p>In a later statement, it said there were no more migrants stranded at the border following the agreement, adding that joint patrols were being organised to \"secure the border\".<\/p>\n<p>Racial tensions had flared in Tunisia's second city of Sfax after the 3 July killing of a Tunisian man following an altercation with migrants.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-euronews\nwidget--size-fullwidth\nwidget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"auto widget__ratio widget__ratio--16x9\">\n <iframe type=\"text\/html\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//embed//2279814/" width=\"100%\" loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen seamless>\n <\/iframe>\n <\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Up to 1,200 Africans were \"expelled, or forcibly transferred by Tunisian security forces\" to desert border regions with Libya and Algeria, Human Rights Watch said.<\/p>\n<p>Until Wednesday, around 50 migrants per day had continued to arrive in Libya at Al-Assah before being rescued by Libyan guards, according to reports from a humanitarian worker.<\/p>\n<p>Libyan authorities have come under sharp criticism by the UN over reported violence against migrants, about 600,000 of whom reside in the war-scarred North African country.<\/p>\n<p>The two North African countries are major gateways for migrants and asylum seekers attempting perilous voyages in often rickety boats in the hopes of a better life in Europe.<\/p>\n<p>The United Nations has described the central Mediterranean migration route as the world's deadliest, claiming hundreds of lives each year.<\/p>\n<p>More than 1,800 people have died attempting the route so far this year, according to figures released by the International Organization for Migration.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1691710908,"updatedAt":1691744406,"publishedAt":1691742987,"firstPublishedAt":1691742991,"lastPublishedAt":1691742991,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"MAHMUD TURKIA\/AFP","altText":"A migrant from Africa, stranded on the seashore at the Libyan-Tunisian border in Ras Jedir, seeks help from the International organisation for Migration, 26 July 2023","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"A migrant from Africa, stranded on the seashore at the Libyan-Tunisian border in Ras Jedir, seeks help from the International organisation for Migration, 26 July 2023","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/81\/57\/28\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d2e8f3fa-59f5-5465-94b6-9847c07ea8e3-7815728.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":682},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Yousef Murad\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":"African migrants protest on the Libyan border with Tunisia on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2023. ","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"African migrants protest on the Libyan border with Tunisia on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2023. ","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/81\/57\/24\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_e5fa833c-e1b8-56c8-af4c-57f891cdc5c5-7815724.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","titleRaw":"Tunisia","id":8191,"title":"Tunisia","slug":"tunisia"},{"urlSafeValue":"libya","titleRaw":"Libya","id":172,"title":"Libya","slug":"libya"},{"urlSafeValue":"migrant-crisis","titleRaw":"Migrant Crisis","id":12102,"title":"Migrant 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MIGRANTS","path":"\/2023\/08\/11\/tunisia-and-libya-agree-to-share-responsibility-for-migrants-stranded-on-border","lastModified":1691742991},{"id":2323612,"cid":7755978,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230716_NWSU_52440731","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Tunisia and EU sign a 'strategic partnership' on economy and migration","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Tunisia and EU sign a 'partnership' on economy and migration","titleListing2":"Tunisia and EU sign a 'strategic partnership' on economy and migration","leadin":"The European Union and Tunisia signed a memorandum of understanding for a \"comprehensive strategic partnership\" on renewable energies, economic development, and irregular migration.","summary":"The European Union and Tunisia signed a memorandum of understanding for a \"comprehensive strategic partnership\" on renewable energies, economic development, and irregular migration.","keySentence":"","url":"tunisia-and-eu-sign-a-strategic-partnership-on-economy-and-migration","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/07\/16\/tunisia-and-eu-sign-a-strategic-partnership-on-economy-and-migration","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Tunisia is a departure point for thousands of migrants crossing the Mediterranean to Europe.\u00a0President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the agreement designed to \"invest in shared prosperity.\" \n\n\nItalian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte accompanied von der Leyen to Tunisia after the trio's first visit a month ago, during which they proposed this partnership. \n\nThis is \"an important new step in dealing with the migration crisis in an integrated way\", said Meloni, who invited Tunisian President Kais Saied to attend a summit on migration in Rome next Sunday. \n\nAccording to Meloni, the partnership between Tunisia and the European Union \"can be considered a model for the establishment of new relations with North Africa.\" \n\n\u00a0Rutte, for his part, felt that \"the agreement will benefit both the European Union and the Tunisian people,\" as the EU is Tunisia's leading trading partner and investor. \n\nThe agreement includes \u20ac105 million in aid to combat irregular immigration and \u20ac150 million in budgetary aid, at a time when Tunisia is strangled by debt and is short of cash. \n\nAnother \u20ac900 million could be provided to Tunisia in the form of loans over the coming years. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Tunisia is a departure point for thousands of migrants crossing the Mediterranean to Europe.\u00a0President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the agreement designed to \"invest in shared prosperity.\" <\/p>\n<p>Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte accompanied von der Leyen to Tunisia after the trio's first visit a month ago, during which they proposed this partnership.<\/p>\n<p>This is \"an important new step in dealing with the migration crisis in an integrated way\", said Meloni, who invited Tunisian President Kais Saied to attend a summit on migration in Rome next Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>According to Meloni, the partnership between Tunisia and the European Union \"can be considered a model for the establishment of new relations with North Africa.\"<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0Rutte, for his part, felt that \"the agreement will benefit both the European Union and the Tunisian people,\" as the EU is Tunisia's leading trading partner and investor.<\/p>\n<p>The agreement includes \u20ac105 million in aid to combat irregular immigration and \u20ac150 million in budgetary aid, at a time when Tunisia is strangled by debt and is short of cash.<\/p>\n<p>Another \u20ac900 million could be provided to Tunisia in the form of loans over the coming years.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1689522531,"updatedAt":1689540126,"publishedAt":1689538769,"firstPublishedAt":1689538772,"lastPublishedAt":1689538772,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"EBU ","altText":"Representees from the EU and Tunisa sign a \"strategic partnership\" agreement ","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"Representees from the EU and Tunisa sign a \"strategic partnership\" agreement ","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/75\/59\/82\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_48dd2341-2032-5850-8884-5afaab70cfaa-7755982.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","titleRaw":"Tunisia","id":8191,"title":"Tunisia","slug":"tunisia"},{"urlSafeValue":"european-union","titleRaw":"European Union","id":105,"title":"European Union","slug":"european-union"},{"urlSafeValue":"ursula-von-der-leyen","titleRaw":"Ursula von der Leyen","id":18906,"title":"Ursula von der Leyen","slug":"ursula-von-der-leyen"},{"urlSafeValue":"eu-commission","titleRaw":"European Commission","id":90,"title":"European Commission","slug":"eu-commission"},{"urlSafeValue":"illegal-immigration","titleRaw":"Illegal immigration","id":9369,"title":"Illegal immigration","slug":"illegal-immigration"},{"urlSafeValue":"migrants","titleRaw":"Migrants","id":13190,"title":"Migrants","slug":"migrants"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2292572},{"id":2329544},{"id":2359748}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"f0fHI6-t2Zw","dailymotionId":"x8mkcrz"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":7988467,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/07\/16\/en\/230716_NWSU_52440731_52441891_60000_215209_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":11753203,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/07\/16\/en\/230716_NWSU_52440731_52441891_60000_215209_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AFP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":283,"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","title":"Tunisia","url":"\/news\/africa\/tunisia"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gs_politics_issues_policy','gb_sensitive_high_med','gb_sensitive_high_med_low','gb_sensitive_news-ent','gs_politics_misc','gb_sensitive_edu','gs_science','gs_politics','gv_crime'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"TUNISIA MIGRATION: EU VISIT","path":"\/2023\/07\/16\/tunisia-and-eu-sign-a-strategic-partnership-on-economy-and-migration","lastModified":1689538772},{"id":2322492,"cid":7753608,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230715_NWSU_52432193","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"At least 15 migrants found dead off Tunisia's coast","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"15 more migrants found dead off Tunisia's coast","titleListing2":"The International Organization for Migration says 1,895 people have died or gone missing en route from northern Africa across the central Mediterranean so far this year.","leadin":"The International Organization for Migration says 1,895 people have died or gone missing en route from northern Africa across the central Mediterranean this year.","summary":"The International Organization for Migration says 1,895 people have died or gone missing en route from northern Africa across the central Mediterranean this year.","keySentence":"","url":"at-least-15-migrants-found-dead-off-tunisias-coast","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/07\/15\/at-least-15-migrants-found-dead-off-tunisias-coast","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"At least 15 migrants have been found dead off Tunisia's coast and on its border with Algeria this week, authorities said on Friday. The deaths come as sub-Saharan Africans face increasing tensions in Tunisia and more and more people seek to leave or transit through the country en route to Europe. \n\nThe Tunisian coast guard retrieved the bodies of 13 migrants on Wednesday night and rescued 25 others off the port city of Sfax, according to a statement from the Interior Ministry. \n\nSfax has been the main departure point in Tunisia for people seeking to reach Europe on risky boat journeys across the Mediterranean Sea, often toward the Italian island of Lampedusa. \n\nThe city has also seen clashes between local residents and groups of migrants. After the death of a Tunisian man led to reprisals against the migrants, hundreds were deported to desert areas on the Libyan and Algerian borders. \n\nTwo migrants were found dead on theTunisian-Algerian border in the Hazoua region, according to a regional court spokesperson. \n\nThe International Organization for Migration says 1,895 people have died or gone missing en route from northern Africa across the central Mediterranean this year, compared with 2,406 in all of 2022. \n\nTunisia's struggling economy, with soaring debt and high inflation and unemployment, is pushing more Tunisians and other Africans in Tunisia to make the journey. \n\nEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte are expected in Tunis on Sunday for a second meeting with the increasingly authoritarian Tunisian President Kais Saied to discuss aid. \n\nThe European Union last month offered Tunisia more than $1 billion to help its slumping economy, and to beef up border services to stop migrant boats from crossing to Europe. \n\nSaied stoked racist incidents earlier this year by railing at Black Africans who transit through Tunisia toward Europe. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>At least 15 migrants have been found dead off Tunisia's coast and on its border with Algeria this week, authorities said on Friday. The deaths come as sub-Saharan Africans face increasing tensions in Tunisia and more and more people seek to leave or transit through the country en route to Europe.<\/p>\n<p>The Tunisian coast guard retrieved the bodies of 13 migrants on Wednesday night and rescued 25 others off the port city of Sfax, according to a statement from the Interior Ministry.<\/p>\n<p>Sfax has been the main departure point in Tunisia for people seeking to reach Europe on risky boat journeys across the Mediterranean Sea, often toward the Italian island of Lampedusa.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7675762\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2023//06//14//eu-will-continue-to-criticise-tunisia-despite-100-million-migration-deal-commissioner-says/">EU will 'continue to criticise' Tunisia despite \u20ac100 million migration deal, Commissioner says<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The city has also seen clashes between local residents and groups of migrants. After the death of a Tunisian man led to reprisals against the migrants, hundreds were deported to desert areas on the Libyan and Algerian borders.<\/p>\n<p>Two migrants were found dead on theTunisian-Algerian border in the Hazoua region, according to a regional court spokesperson.<\/p>\n<p>The International Organization for Migration says 1,895 people have died or gone missing en route from northern Africa across the central Mediterranean this year, compared with 2,406 in all of 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Tunisia's struggling economy, with soaring debt and high inflation and unemployment, is pushing more Tunisians and other Africans in Tunisia to make the journey.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7716640\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//07//07//hundreds-of-migrants-fight-for-survival-on-the-polish-belarusian-border-waiting-to-cross-i/">Hundreds of migrants fight for survival on the Polish-Belarusian border waiting to cross into the EU<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte are expected in Tunis on Sunday for a second meeting with the increasingly authoritarian Tunisian President Kais Saied to discuss aid.<\/p>\n<p>The European Union last month offered Tunisia more than $1 billion to help its slumping economy, and to beef up border services to stop migrant boats from crossing to Europe.<\/p>\n<p>Saied stoked racist incidents earlier this year by railing at Black Africans who transit through Tunisia toward Europe.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1689411615,"updatedAt":1689429423,"publishedAt":1689422897,"firstPublishedAt":1689422901,"lastPublishedAt":1689422901,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"UGC via AP\/Arquivo","altText":"A group of sub-Saharan Africans is seen stranded on a beach allegedly at the Tunisian-Libyan border on Thursday 6 July 2023. ","callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"caption":"A group of sub-Saharan Africans is seen stranded on a beach allegedly at the Tunisian-Libyan border on Thursday 6 July 2023. ","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/75\/36\/14\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_6e43dc23-c0e5-5213-bb2f-1cf8e667f2f6-7753614.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1125}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"migrant-crisis","titleRaw":"Migrant Crisis","id":12102,"title":"Migrant Crisis","slug":"migrant-crisis"},{"urlSafeValue":"migrants","titleRaw":"Migrants","id":13190,"title":"Migrants","slug":"migrants"},{"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","titleRaw":"Tunisia","id":8191,"title":"Tunisia","slug":"tunisia"}],"widgets":[{"count":2,"slug":"related"}],"related":[{"id":2333172},{"id":2343670}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"5qfkU0m84vc","dailymotionId":"x8mjgn4"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":7497989,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/07\/15\/en\/230715_NWSU_52432193_52433833_60000_145639_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":11463941,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/07\/15\/en\/230715_NWSU_52432193_52433833_60000_145639_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":283,"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","title":"Tunisia","url":"\/news\/africa\/tunisia"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gs_busfin','gs_society','gs_politics','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_politics_misc','gt_negative','gs_busfin_indus'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"TUNISIA MIGRATION","path":"\/2023\/07\/15\/at-least-15-migrants-found-dead-off-tunisias-coast","lastModified":1689422901},{"id":2303586,"cid":7697458,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"By striking a deal with Tunisia's Saied, is Europe signalling it's open to extortion?","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Does making a deal with Tunisia's Saied mean Europe can be extorted?","titleListing2":"VIEW | The continent's leaders just threw away Europe\u2019s best chance of living up to its much-professed values and tackling the forces that actually drive Tunisian migration, Tarek Megerisi writes.","leadin":"During their most recent visit to Tunis, European leaders just threw away the continent's best chance of living up to its much-professed values and tackling the forces that actually drive Tunisian migration, Tarek Megerisi writes.","summary":"During their most recent visit to Tunis, European leaders just threw away the continent's best chance of living up to its much-professed values and tackling the forces that actually drive Tunisian migration, Tarek Megerisi writes.","keySentence":"","url":"by-striking-a-deal-with-tunisias-saied-is-europe-signalling-its-open-to-extortion","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/06\/21\/by-striking-a-deal-with-tunisias-saied-is-europe-signalling-its-open-to-extortion","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Tunisia is suffering. A collapsing economy has caused shortages of basic foods and medicines for over a year now, while inflation has rendered any protein a rare delicacy.\u00a0 \n\nCities are left without water during the evenings as local agriculture is devastated. And it\u2019s not just the quality of life which is oppressive. \n\nPoliticians, judges, journalists, and activists are all being arrested in droves for the crime of standing up to their authoritarian President Kais Saied, who keeps fiddling as his country burns. \n\n\nAfter two years of nonchalance, Europe, at last, has been roused into action.\u00a0 \n\nLast week, a coalition led by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and including Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and Dutch PM Mark Rutte travelled to Tunis. \n\nTheir timing was almost cinematic, coming shortly after the Tunisian central bank announced it could only afford 91 more days of imports and the country's credit rating was downgraded yet again.\u00a0 \n\nBut the European leaders weren\u2019t coming to help Tunisia: they were desperately trying to stop Tunisian migrants.\u00a0 \n\nAnd in their panic, they\u2019ve thrown away Europe\u2019s and Tunisia\u2019s best chance to reform its political economy and bring migration under control. \n\nFears of supercharged migration made European leaders make the wrong call \n\nEmigration out of the North African country has been rising exponentially over the past two years, as young Tunisians progressively lost hope in their country and their capacity to amend the two issues they feel the most passionately about: the lack of economic opportunity and a security service that brutalises rather than protects them. \n\nEurope\u2019s fear is that migration will be supercharged if Tunisia defaults on its crushing loan repayments or runs out of the foreign currency needed for food, fuel and medicinal imports.\u00a0 \n\nWhat\u2019s even worse is that this crisis is completely unnecessary and could have been avoided altogether. \n\nAn IMF cash injection was agreed with Saied\u2019s government last December. But, the populist and paranoid president keeps refusing to sign off on it, repackaging the unpopularity of cutting subsidies to the public sector as a violation of Tunisian sovereignty. \n\nHowever, he has failed to articulate any plan of his own beyond whispers of an Argentina-style voluntary default. \n\nA golden opportunity wasted \n\nThen, Meloni's \"Team Europe\" landed in Tunis under the pretence of trying to get this IMF deal over the line. \n\nBehind that fa\u00e7ade, they hashed out a deal to essentially keep Saied afloat so long as his navy dealt with any migrant boats found on their way to Europe.\u00a0 \n\nIt\u2019s a story that the region and Russian President Vladimir Putin\u2019s allies will recite the next time Europeans invoke their values to marshal support for Ukraine. \n\nThe non-European Mediterranean has witnessed a reaffirmation of European weakness.\u00a0 \n\nThis openness to extortion is something other strongmen like Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have and will continue to routinely exploit whenever they need a cash injection.\u00a0 \n\nThe pressure on all to avoid Tunisia's economic apocalypse could have been used to amend the IMF deal and include reforms long-demanded by the Tunisians focused on turning the private sector into an engine of wealth creation. \n\nThis would've given the populist president the optics needed to sign off on the deal and given Tunisians a reason to stay. \n\nBut Europe hasn\u2019t just squandered a golden opportunity to reform Tunisia\u2019s economy.\u00a0 \n\nThey\u2019ve casually discarded their one tool to protect the country's democracy and reverse President Saied\u2019s destabilising tyranny: their leverage over Tunisia\u2019s security services. \n\nA small act of accountability would have gone a long way \n\nSaied has always been a typical strongman who, despite first being a constitutional law professor and then writing the new country\u2019s constitution himself, consistently operated outside Tunisian law to achieve authoritarian goals, from freezing out the parliament in 2021 to his current violent arrest campaign. \n\nHe has always been wholly reliant on Tunisian security services to support his diktats, from parking their tanks outside parliament to putting political prisoners on trial in front of military courts. \n\nThese same security services receive considerable funding from Europe and the USA and privileges including equipment, training programmes, easy travel for their families to Europe, and the prestige of being a major non-NATO ally. \n\nThese privileges, which Tunisia\u2019s senior military class are extremely fond of, could\u2019ve been used as leverage to simply demand that they follow Tunisian law if they are to remain part of the liberal world order\u2019s security establishment.\u00a0 \n\nIt's a small act of accountability that could have had a monumental effect in restoring the political opposition, media scrutiny, and rule of law\u00a0\u2014 all parts of a democratic society that Saied has shown to be against \u2014 and that could have been the vehicle for change.\u00a0 \n\nNot only has Europe discarded this tool. Even worse: its leaders gave all their power in this relationship to Tunisia's security structures instead by begging them to become Europe\u2019s border force. \n\nThe forces that drive Tunisian migration could have been tackled differently \n\nAt the end of Team Europe\u2019s trip, von der Leyen\u2019s unedited message is that Saied and his forces are poised to receive just over \u20ac1 billion of European taxpayer money\u00a0 \u2014 \u00a0meaning that Europe will continue to work in Saied's favour to weaken IMF conditionality by simply covering Tunisia's debts. \n\nThere will be no economic reforms to enable promised trade, no media to report that promised green investments will never come, and no political opposition to scrutinise the cooperation on curbing migration. \n\nSaied\u2019s security services\u2019 salaries and privileges will be ring-fenced. They will receive state-of-the-art European equipment to help them oppress their population.\u00a0 \n\nAs a result, young Tunisians will be even more desperate to migrate. \n\nThe continent's leaders just threw away Europe\u2019s best chance of living up to its much-professed values and tackling the forces that actually drive Tunisian migration.\u00a0 \n\nInstead, they committed to paying a billion euros solely to advertise to the wider region that they\u2019re open for extortion. \n\nAs Meloni, Rutte, and von der Leyen patted each other on the back on the flight home, the irony that they\u2019ve committed Europe to further years of migration anxiety will be lost on them\u00a0\u2014 \u00a0just as the rights of Tunisians and the value of democracy was lost on them during their day trip to Tunis. \n\nTarek Megerisi is a Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). \n\nAt Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Tunisia is suffering. A collapsing economy has caused shortages of basic foods and medicines for over a year now, while inflation has rendered any protein a rare delicacy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Cities are left without water during the evenings as local agriculture is devastated. And it\u2019s not just the quality of life which is oppressive.<\/p>\n<p>Politicians, judges, journalists, and activists are all being arrested in droves for the crime of standing up to their authoritarian President Kais Saied, who keeps fiddling as his country burns. <\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7637452,7502388\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//05//29//with-tunisia-the-eu-and-the-west-are-experiencing-a-crisis-of-value-based-solidarity/">With Tunisia, the EU and the West are experiencing a crisis of value-based solidarity<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//03//31//the-eu-should-know-the-rise-of-autocracy-in-tunisia-wont-be-fixed-with-short-term-band-aid/">The EU should know the rise of autocracy in Tunisia won't be fixed with short-term band-aids<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>After two years of nonchalance, Europe, at last, has been roused into action.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Last week, a coalition led by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and including Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and Dutch PM Mark Rutte travelled to Tunis.<\/p>\n<p>Their timing was almost cinematic, coming shortly after the Tunisian central bank announced it could only afford 91 more days of imports and the country's credit rating was downgraded yet again.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But the European leaders weren\u2019t coming to help Tunisia: they were desperately trying to stop Tunisian migrants.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And in their panic, they\u2019ve thrown away Europe\u2019s and Tunisia\u2019s best chance to reform its political economy and bring migration under control.<\/p>\n<h2>Fears of supercharged migration made European leaders make the wrong call<\/h2><p>Emigration out of the North African country has been rising exponentially over the past two years, as young Tunisians progressively lost hope in their country and their capacity to amend the two issues they feel the most passionately about: the lack of economic opportunity and a security service that brutalises rather than protects them.<\/p>\n<p>Europe\u2019s fear is that migration will be supercharged if Tunisia defaults on its crushing loan repayments or runs out of the foreign currency needed for food, fuel and medicinal imports.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//69//53//74//808x539_cmsv2_4a190146-01d1-577f-a8b9-9c0b536bb2a9-7695374.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo\/Joan Mateu Parra\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/53\/74\/384x256_cmsv2_4a190146-01d1-577f-a8b9-9c0b536bb2a9-7695374.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/53\/74\/640x427_cmsv2_4a190146-01d1-577f-a8b9-9c0b536bb2a9-7695374.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/53\/74\/750x500_cmsv2_4a190146-01d1-577f-a8b9-9c0b536bb2a9-7695374.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/53\/74\/828x552_cmsv2_4a190146-01d1-577f-a8b9-9c0b536bb2a9-7695374.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/53\/74\/1080x720_cmsv2_4a190146-01d1-577f-a8b9-9c0b536bb2a9-7695374.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/53\/74\/1200x800_cmsv2_4a190146-01d1-577f-a8b9-9c0b536bb2a9-7695374.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/53\/74\/1920x1281_cmsv2_4a190146-01d1-577f-a8b9-9c0b536bb2a9-7695374.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Migrants from Eritrea, Libya and Sudan sail a wooden boat near the coast of Libya, June 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Joan Mateu Parra<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s even worse is that this crisis is completely unnecessary and could have been avoided altogether.<\/p>\n<p>An IMF cash injection was agreed with Saied\u2019s government last December. But, the populist and paranoid president keeps refusing to sign off on it, repackaging the unpopularity of cutting subsidies to the public sector as a violation of Tunisian sovereignty.<\/p>\n<p>However, he has failed to articulate any plan of his own beyond whispers of an Argentina-style voluntary default.<\/p>\n<h2>A golden opportunity wasted<\/h2><p>Then, Meloni's \"Team Europe\" landed in Tunis under the pretence of trying to get this IMF deal over the line.<\/p>\n<p>Behind that fa\u00e7ade, they hashed out a deal to essentially keep Saied afloat so long as his navy dealt with any migrant boats found on their way to Europe.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a story that the region and Russian President Vladimir Putin\u2019s allies will recite the next time Europeans invoke their values to marshal support for Ukraine.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7667756,7675762\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//06//11//european-leaders-offer-more-aid-to-tunisia-amid-efforts-to-curb-migration/">European leaders offer more aid to Tunisia amid efforts to curb migration<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2023//06//14//eu-will-continue-to-criticise-tunisia-despite-100-million-migration-deal-commissioner-says/">EU will 'continue to criticise' Tunisia despite \u20ac100 million migration deal, Commissioner says<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The non-European Mediterranean has witnessed a reaffirmation of European weakness.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This openness to extortion is something other strongmen like Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have and will continue to routinely exploit whenever they need a cash injection.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.689453125\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//66//77//62//808x557_cmsv2_81032ca4-5492-5d60-a2d2-102f6e0ec689-7667762.jpg/" alt=\"Slim Abid\/AP Photo\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/66\/77\/62\/384x265_cmsv2_81032ca4-5492-5d60-a2d2-102f6e0ec689-7667762.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/66\/77\/62\/640x441_cmsv2_81032ca4-5492-5d60-a2d2-102f6e0ec689-7667762.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/66\/77\/62\/750x517_cmsv2_81032ca4-5492-5d60-a2d2-102f6e0ec689-7667762.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/66\/77\/62\/828x571_cmsv2_81032ca4-5492-5d60-a2d2-102f6e0ec689-7667762.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/66\/77\/62\/1080x745_cmsv2_81032ca4-5492-5d60-a2d2-102f6e0ec689-7667762.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/66\/77\/62\/1200x827_cmsv2_81032ca4-5492-5d60-a2d2-102f6e0ec689-7667762.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/66\/77\/62\/1920x1324_cmsv2_81032ca4-5492-5d60-a2d2-102f6e0ec689-7667762.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Dutch PM Mark Rutte, Tunisian President Kais Saied, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni in Tunis, 11 June 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Slim Abid\/AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The pressure on all to avoid Tunisia's economic apocalypse could have been used to amend the IMF deal and include reforms long-demanded by the Tunisians focused on turning the private sector into an engine of wealth creation.<\/p>\n<p>This would've given the populist president the optics needed to sign off on the deal and given Tunisians a reason to stay.<\/p>\n<p>But Europe hasn\u2019t just squandered a golden opportunity to reform Tunisia\u2019s economy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019ve casually discarded their one tool to protect the country's democracy and reverse President Saied\u2019s destabilising tyranny: their leverage over Tunisia\u2019s security services.<\/p>\n<h2>A small act of accountability would have gone a long way<\/h2><p>Saied has always been a typical strongman who, despite first being a constitutional law professor and then writing the new country\u2019s constitution himself, consistently operated outside Tunisian law to achieve authoritarian goals, from freezing out the parliament in 2021 to his current violent arrest campaign.<\/p>\n<p>He has always been wholly reliant on Tunisian security services to support his diktats, from parking their tanks outside parliament to putting political prisoners on trial in front of military courts.<\/p>\n<p>These same security services receive considerable funding from Europe and the USA and privileges including equipment, training programmes, easy travel for their families to Europe, and the prestige of being a major non-NATO ally.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">[European] leaders gave all their power in this relationship to Tunisia's security structures instead by begging them to become Europe\u2019s border force.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.69140625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//69//74//58//808x557_cmsv2_b9f5656e-0f39-5be1-896e-3cdd71a6a103-7697458.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo\/Hassene Dridi\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/74\/58\/384x266_cmsv2_b9f5656e-0f39-5be1-896e-3cdd71a6a103-7697458.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/74\/58\/640x443_cmsv2_b9f5656e-0f39-5be1-896e-3cdd71a6a103-7697458.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/74\/58\/750x519_cmsv2_b9f5656e-0f39-5be1-896e-3cdd71a6a103-7697458.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/74\/58\/828x572_cmsv2_b9f5656e-0f39-5be1-896e-3cdd71a6a103-7697458.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/74\/58\/1080x747_cmsv2_b9f5656e-0f39-5be1-896e-3cdd71a6a103-7697458.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/74\/58\/1200x830_cmsv2_b9f5656e-0f39-5be1-896e-3cdd71a6a103-7697458.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/74\/58\/1920x1328_cmsv2_b9f5656e-0f39-5be1-896e-3cdd71a6a103-7697458.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Police cars and a military armored personnel carrier block the entrance of the Tunisian parliament in Tunis, July 2021<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Hassene Dridi<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>These privileges, which Tunisia\u2019s senior military class are extremely fond of, could\u2019ve been used as leverage to simply demand that they follow Tunisian law if they are to remain part of the liberal world order\u2019s security establishment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It's a small act of accountability that could have had a monumental effect in restoring the political opposition, media scrutiny, and rule of law\u00a0\u2014 all parts of a democratic society that Saied has shown to be against \u2014 and that could have been the vehicle for change.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Not only has Europe discarded this tool. Even worse: its leaders gave all their power in this relationship to Tunisia's security structures instead by begging them to become Europe\u2019s border force.<\/p>\n<h2>The forces that drive Tunisian migration could have been tackled differently<\/h2><p>At the end of Team Europe\u2019s trip, von der Leyen\u2019s unedited message is that Saied and his forces are poised to receive just over \u20ac1 billion of European taxpayer money\u00a0\u2014\u00a0meaning that Europe will continue to work in Saied's favour to weaken IMF conditionality by simply covering Tunisia's debts.<\/p>\n<p>There will be no economic reforms to enable promised trade, no media to report that promised green investments will never come, and no political opposition to scrutinise the cooperation on curbing migration.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">The continent's leaders just threw away Europe\u2019s best chance of living up to its much-professed values and tackling the forces that actually drive Tunisian migration.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6689453125\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//69//74//58//808x542_cmsv2_102a7efc-157a-5805-b776-e3f0a3c5a1fe-7697458.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo\/Hassene Dridi\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/74\/58\/384x257_cmsv2_102a7efc-157a-5805-b776-e3f0a3c5a1fe-7697458.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/74\/58\/640x428_cmsv2_102a7efc-157a-5805-b776-e3f0a3c5a1fe-7697458.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/74\/58\/750x502_cmsv2_102a7efc-157a-5805-b776-e3f0a3c5a1fe-7697458.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/74\/58\/828x554_cmsv2_102a7efc-157a-5805-b776-e3f0a3c5a1fe-7697458.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/74\/58\/1080x722_cmsv2_102a7efc-157a-5805-b776-e3f0a3c5a1fe-7697458.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/74\/58\/1200x803_cmsv2_102a7efc-157a-5805-b776-e3f0a3c5a1fe-7697458.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/74\/58\/1920x1284_cmsv2_102a7efc-157a-5805-b776-e3f0a3c5a1fe-7697458.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Tunisians demonstrate against Tunisian President Kais Saied in Tunis, October 2021<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Hassene Dridi<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Saied\u2019s security services\u2019 salaries and privileges will be ring-fenced. They will receive state-of-the-art European equipment to help them oppress their population.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As a result, young Tunisians will be even more desperate to migrate.<\/p>\n<p>The continent's leaders just threw away Europe\u2019s best chance of living up to its much-professed values and tackling the forces that actually drive Tunisian migration.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Instead, they committed to paying a billion euros solely to advertise to the wider region that they\u2019re open for extortion.<\/p>\n<p>As Meloni, Rutte, and von der Leyen patted each other on the back on the flight home, the irony that they\u2019ve committed Europe to further years of migration anxiety will be lost on them\u00a0\u2014 \u00a0just as the rights of Tunisians and the value of democracy was lost on them during their day trip to Tunis.<\/p>\n<p><em>Tarek Megerisi is a Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>At Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation.<\/em><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1687361433,"updatedAt":1687365540,"publishedAt":1687365537,"firstPublishedAt":1687365540,"lastPublishedAt":1687365540,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Euronews","altText":"Tunisian President Kais Saied shakes hands with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, 6 June 2023","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"Tunisian President Kais Saied shakes hands with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, 6 June 2023","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/74\/58\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_57cbd5d6-804b-5f7d-829b-71fb7b126c67-7697458.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Hassene Dridi","altText":"Tunisians demonstrate against Tunisian President Kais Saied in Tunis, October 2021","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Tunisians demonstrate against Tunisian President Kais Saied in Tunis, October 2021","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/74\/58\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_102a7efc-157a-5805-b776-e3f0a3c5a1fe-7697458.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":685},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Hassene Dridi","altText":"Police cars and a military armored personnel carrier block the entrance of the Tunisian parliament in Tunis, July 2021","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Police cars and a military armored personnel carrier block the entrance of the Tunisian parliament in Tunis, July 2021","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/69\/74\/58\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_b9f5656e-0f39-5be1-896e-3cdd71a6a103-7697458.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":708}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","titleRaw":"Tunisia","id":8191,"title":"Tunisia","slug":"tunisia"},{"urlSafeValue":"kais-saied","titleRaw":"Ka\u00efs Sa\u00efed","id":21270,"title":"Ka\u00efs Sa\u00efed","slug":"kais-saied"},{"urlSafeValue":"european-union","titleRaw":"European Union","id":105,"title":"European Union","slug":"european-union"},{"urlSafeValue":"migrant-crisis","titleRaw":"Migrant Crisis","id":12102,"title":"Migrant Crisis","slug":"migrant-crisis"},{"urlSafeValue":"mediterranean-sea","titleRaw":"Mediterranean Sea","id":13414,"title":"Mediterranean Sea","slug":"mediterranean-sea"},{"urlSafeValue":"giorgia-meloni","titleRaw":"Giorgia Meloni","id":27076,"title":"Giorgia Meloni","slug":"giorgia-meloni"},{"urlSafeValue":"euroviews","titleRaw":"Euroviews","id":22480,"title":"Euroviews","slug":"euroviews"}],"widgets":[{"count":4,"slug":"image"},{"count":2,"slug":"quotation"},{"count":2,"slug":"related"}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Tarek Megerisi, Senior Policy Fellow, ECFR","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world 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EU TUNISIA MIGRANTS FUNDING","path":"\/2023\/06\/21\/by-striking-a-deal-with-tunisias-saied-is-europe-signalling-its-open-to-extortion","lastModified":1687365540},{"id":2279814,"cid":7625058,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230601_WTSU_51761318","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":1,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Migrant crisis in the Mediterranean: From Tunisia to Italy, who are those fleeing to Europe?","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"From Tunisia to Italy, who are those fleeing to Europe?","titleListing2":"In this episode of Witness, we travel to Tunisia to hear the harrowing stories of migrants from the sub-Sahara and Tunisians themselves willing to risk their lives to escape war, political instability, and unemployment.","leadin":"In this episode of Witness, we travel to Tunisia to hear the harrowing stories of migrants from the sub-Sahara and Tunisians themselves willing to risk their lives to escape war, political instability, and unemployment.","summary":"In this episode of Witness, we travel to Tunisia to hear the harrowing stories of migrants from the sub-Sahara and Tunisians themselves willing to risk their lives to escape war, political instability, and unemployment.","keySentence":"","url":"migrant-crisis-in-the-mediterranean-from-tunisia-to-italy-who-are-those-fleeing-to-europe","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/06\/01\/migrant-crisis-in-the-mediterranean-from-tunisia-to-italy-who-are-those-fleeing-to-europe","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Migrant arrivals by sea continue to soar in Italy, with almost 49,000 from January to May 2023.\u00a0Most of those travelling across the central Mediterranean route come from sub-Saharan countries and are leaving from Tunisia. \n\nOur reporter Monica Pinna travels there to tell you the stories of those who are fleeing. \n\nRising hostilities \n\nTunisia has traditionally been used as a transit route by migrants. But recent flares in conflicts and growing insecurity in Libya have boosted the numbers of sub-Saharan migrants arriving in the country.\u00a0 \n\nThe Tunisian government responded with a crackdown on illegal migrants. Then in February, President Kais Saied delivered a speech in which he claimed that sub-Saharan migrants threaten the country\u2019s identity.\u00a0 \n\nThis triggered a wave of xenophobia against foreigners that made life almost impossible for most migrants. \n\n\u201cI lost my job. I lost my house. All citizens in Tunisia, started to kick us out,\u201d revealed a South Sudanese migrant who has lived in Tunisia since 2016. \n\n\u201cWe are dying here. We need a safe place. We don't care if that place is in Africa or anywhere else. We want to go,\u201d said another South Sudanese refugee. \n\nThese refugees are part of a group of about 150 who have been camping for months in front of the UN's migration agency, the International Organization for Migration, (IOM).\u00a0They want an urgent evacuation to a third country.\u00a0 \n\nMigrants hasten to Europe \n\nThere are thought to be around 21,000 Sub-Saharans in Tunisia, including migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.\u00a0 \n\nSome have already gone back to their countries through voluntary repatriations. But experts say what is happening in Tunisia is causing a spike in the kinds of tragedies that continue to occur in the Mediterranean Sea, and which are shocking the whole of Europe. \n\n\u201cFollowing the President's speech, many decided to speed up their departure,\"\u00a0explained Romdhane Ben Amor, spokesperson for the Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Justice. \"They have fled without caring too much about the consequences.\"\u00a0 \n\nSince the end of last year, Tunisia has become the main country of embarkation for migrants travelling to Europe.\u00a0 \n\nBut it is not only sub-Saharan migrants embarking on the Central Mediterranean crossing. Tunisians are also leaving but for different reasons.\u00a0 \n\nPolitical instability following the dissolution of the parliament in 2020, youth unemployment, rising inflation and food prices are driving increasing numbers of Tunisians to migrate to Europe. \n\n\"There's a big difference if you compare living today to two, or three years ago,\" says Bechir, a father of two who is saving up his money in hopes of being able to leave the country. \n\n\"I was paid less but was able to save up more. Nowadays you can't save up anything you just work to eat and live.\" \n\nThe EU and Italy have reacted by giving Tunisia more financial and technical help for border control.\u00a0 \n\nHuman rights groups say Tunisia as it is not a safe country for migrants, and accuse Brussels and Rome of trying to contain illegal migration to Europe at any cost. \n\nWatch Monica Pinna's full report from Tunisia in the video player above \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Migrant arrivals by sea continue to soar in Italy, with almost <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////data.unhcr.org//en//situations//mediterranean//location//5205/">49,000 from January to May 2023.\u00a0Most of those travelling across the central Mediterranean route come from sub-Saharan countries and are leaving from Tunisia.<\/p>\n<p>Our reporter Monica Pinna travels there to tell you the stories of those who are fleeing.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Rising hostilities<\/strong><\/h2><p>Tunisia has traditionally been used as a transit route by migrants. But recent flares in conflicts and growing insecurity in Libya have boosted the numbers of sub-Saharan migrants arriving in the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Tunisian government responded with a crackdown on illegal migrants. Then in February, President Kais Saied delivered a speech in which he claimed that sub-Saharan migrants threaten the country\u2019s identity.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">We are dying here. We need a safe place. We don't care if that place is in Africa or anywhere else. We want to go<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <div class=\"widget__authorText\">\n South Sudanese migrant\n <\/div>\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>This triggered a wave of xenophobia against foreigners that made life almost impossible for most migrants.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7613398\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//05//19//why-tunisias-political-and-economical-crisis-is-europes-problem-too/">Why Tunisia\u2019s political and economical crisis is Europe\u2019s problem too<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cI lost my job. I lost my house. All citizens in Tunisia, started to kick us out,\u201d revealed a South Sudanese migrant who has lived in Tunisia since 2016.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.7534722222222222\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//62//50//66//808x608_cmsv2_ef307026-658b-56e4-8f33-e3d50883b244-7625066.jpg/" alt=\"Euronews\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/66\/384x289_cmsv2_ef307026-658b-56e4-8f33-e3d50883b244-7625066.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/66\/640x482_cmsv2_ef307026-658b-56e4-8f33-e3d50883b244-7625066.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/66\/750x565_cmsv2_ef307026-658b-56e4-8f33-e3d50883b244-7625066.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/66\/828x624_cmsv2_ef307026-658b-56e4-8f33-e3d50883b244-7625066.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/66\/1080x814_cmsv2_ef307026-658b-56e4-8f33-e3d50883b244-7625066.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/66\/1200x904_cmsv2_ef307026-658b-56e4-8f33-e3d50883b244-7625066.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/66\/1920x1447_cmsv2_ef307026-658b-56e4-8f33-e3d50883b244-7625066.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Migrant camp in front of the UN's migration agency, the International Organization for Migration, (IOM), Tunis, Tunisia<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Euronews<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe are dying here. We need a safe place. We don't care if that place is in Africa or anywhere else. We want to go,\u201d said another South Sudanese refugee.<\/p>\n<p>These refugees are part of a group of about 150 who have been camping for months in front of the UN's migration agency, the International Organization for Migration, (IOM).\u00a0They want an urgent evacuation to a third country.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.7527675276752768\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//62//50//66//808x608_cmsv2_65e48222-ae4b-5f4b-8ba3-d3cf3b8fe879-7625066.jpg/" alt=\"Euronews\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/66\/384x289_cmsv2_65e48222-ae4b-5f4b-8ba3-d3cf3b8fe879-7625066.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/66\/640x482_cmsv2_65e48222-ae4b-5f4b-8ba3-d3cf3b8fe879-7625066.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/66\/750x565_cmsv2_65e48222-ae4b-5f4b-8ba3-d3cf3b8fe879-7625066.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/66\/828x623_cmsv2_65e48222-ae4b-5f4b-8ba3-d3cf3b8fe879-7625066.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/66\/1080x813_cmsv2_65e48222-ae4b-5f4b-8ba3-d3cf3b8fe879-7625066.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/66\/1200x903_cmsv2_65e48222-ae4b-5f4b-8ba3-d3cf3b8fe879-7625066.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/66\/1920x1445_cmsv2_65e48222-ae4b-5f4b-8ba3-d3cf3b8fe879-7625066.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Migrants show their refugee cards in Tunis, Tunisia<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Euronews<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2><strong>Migrants hasten to Europe<\/strong><\/h2><p>There are thought to be around 21,000 Sub-Saharans in Tunisia, including migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Some have already gone back to their countries through voluntary repatriations. But experts say what is happening in Tunisia is causing a spike in the kinds of tragedies that continue to occur in the Mediterranean Sea, and which are shocking the whole of Europe.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFollowing the President's speech, many decided to speed up their departure,\"\u00a0explained Romdhane Ben Amor, spokesperson for the Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Justice. \"They have fled without caring too much about the consequences.\"\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//62//50//58//808x454_cmsv2_833b35e2-9075-577b-8c6c-dab7153bee4f-7625058.jpg/" alt=\"Euronews\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/58\/384x216_cmsv2_833b35e2-9075-577b-8c6c-dab7153bee4f-7625058.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/58\/640x360_cmsv2_833b35e2-9075-577b-8c6c-dab7153bee4f-7625058.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/58\/750x422_cmsv2_833b35e2-9075-577b-8c6c-dab7153bee4f-7625058.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/58\/828x466_cmsv2_833b35e2-9075-577b-8c6c-dab7153bee4f-7625058.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/58\/1080x608_cmsv2_833b35e2-9075-577b-8c6c-dab7153bee4f-7625058.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/58\/1200x675_cmsv2_833b35e2-9075-577b-8c6c-dab7153bee4f-7625058.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/58\/1920x1080_cmsv2_833b35e2-9075-577b-8c6c-dab7153bee4f-7625058.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Romdhane Ben Amor, Spokesperson for the Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Justice<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Euronews<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Since the end of last year, Tunisia has become the main country of embarkation for migrants travelling to Europe.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But it is not only sub-Saharan migrants embarking on the Central Mediterranean crossing. Tunisians are also leaving but for different reasons.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Political instability following the dissolution of the parliament in 2020, youth unemployment, rising inflation and food prices are driving increasing numbers of Tunisians to migrate to Europe.<\/p>\n<p>\"There's a big difference if you compare living today to two, or three years ago,\" says Bechir, a father of two who is saving up his money in hopes of being able to leave the country.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//62//50//58//808x454_cmsv2_f1342350-0c99-5a97-af60-989a4454670c-7625058.jpg/" alt=\"Euronews\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/58\/384x216_cmsv2_f1342350-0c99-5a97-af60-989a4454670c-7625058.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/58\/640x360_cmsv2_f1342350-0c99-5a97-af60-989a4454670c-7625058.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/58\/750x422_cmsv2_f1342350-0c99-5a97-af60-989a4454670c-7625058.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/58\/828x466_cmsv2_f1342350-0c99-5a97-af60-989a4454670c-7625058.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/58\/1080x608_cmsv2_f1342350-0c99-5a97-af60-989a4454670c-7625058.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/58\/1200x675_cmsv2_f1342350-0c99-5a97-af60-989a4454670c-7625058.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/58\/1920x1080_cmsv2_f1342350-0c99-5a97-af60-989a4454670c-7625058.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Bechir Haj Mohamed, Tunisian father of two hoping to flee his country<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Euronews<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\"I was paid less but was able to save up more. Nowadays you can't save up anything you just work to eat and live.\"<\/p>\n<p>The EU and Italy have reacted by giving Tunisia more financial and technical help for border control.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Human rights groups say Tunisia as it is not a safe country for migrants, and accuse Brussels and Rome of trying to contain illegal migration to Europe at any cost.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Watch Monica Pinna's full report from Tunisia in the video player above<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1684851462,"updatedAt":1685637210,"publishedAt":1685635231,"firstPublishedAt":1685548347,"lastPublishedAt":1685636213,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"euronews","altText":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":null,"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/60\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_70cf1b19-22fe-5863-b52b-5be2d39db814-7625060.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Euronews","altText":"Bechir Haj Mohamed, Tunisian father of two hoping to flee his country","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"Bechir Haj Mohamed, Tunisian father of two hoping to flee his country","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/58\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_f1342350-0c99-5a97-af60-989a4454670c-7625058.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Euronews","altText":"Romdhane Ben Amor, Spokesperson for the Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Justice","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"Romdhane Ben Amor, Spokesperson for the Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Justice","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/58\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_833b35e2-9075-577b-8c6c-dab7153bee4f-7625058.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Euronews","altText":"South Sudanese migrant in Tunis, Tunisia","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"South Sudanese migrant in Tunis, Tunisia","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/50\/58\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_07b299ce-d12e-560f-a167-56cff607f260-7625058.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[{"urlSafeValue":"pinna","twitter":"@_MonicaPinna","title":"Monica Pinna"}],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"migrants","titleRaw":"Migrants","id":13190,"title":"Migrants","slug":"migrants"},{"urlSafeValue":"refugees","titleRaw":"Refugees","id":8151,"title":"Refugees","slug":"refugees"},{"urlSafeValue":"illegal-immigration","titleRaw":"Illegal immigration","id":9369,"title":"Illegal 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WITNESS","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/euronews-witness"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":283,"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","title":"Tunisia","url":"\/news\/africa\/tunisia"},"town":[],"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"WT-33-EU - EP33 Migrant crisis Tunisia - MASTER","path":"\/2023\/06\/01\/migrant-crisis-in-the-mediterranean-from-tunisia-to-italy-who-are-those-fleeing-to-europe","lastModified":1685636213},{"id":2284112,"cid":7637452,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230529_WBWB_51836794","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"With Tunisia, the EU and the West are experiencing a crisis of value-based solidarity","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"The EU is facing a crisis of value-based solidarity with Tunisia","titleListing2":"VIEW | Brussels and its partners should urgently stand with democracy activists and support democratic institutions that, together, hold Tunisia\u2019s leaders accountable, Ikram Ben Said and Nicole Rowsell write.","leadin":"Brussels and its partners should urgently stand with democracy activists and support democratic institutions that, together, hold Tunisia\u2019s leaders accountable, Ikram Ben Said and Nicole Rowsell write.","summary":"Brussels and its partners should urgently stand with democracy activists and support democratic institutions that, together, hold Tunisia\u2019s leaders accountable, Ikram Ben Said and Nicole Rowsell write.","keySentence":"","url":"with-tunisia-the-eu-and-the-west-are-experiencing-a-crisis-of-value-based-solidarity","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/05\/29\/with-tunisia-the-eu-and-the-west-are-experiencing-a-crisis-of-value-based-solidarity","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"In 2009, while\u00a0 Zine El Abidine\u00a0 Ben Ali\u2019s dictatorial regime ruled from Tunis, \u00a0dozens of human rights and feminist defenders gathered in a neighbouring country for a dialogue which couldn\u2019t take place inside Tunisia at the time.\u00a0 \n\nW e got together to imagine what a democratic future for Tunisia could entail. \n\nThe 2011 revolution gave us, and millions of others, hope for new beginnings.\u00a0 \n\nBut today, as we witness the dream of Tunisian democracy collapse, we are calling for value-based international solidarity with Tunisians to keep the flame of progress alive \u2014 for Tunisia and the entire Arab region. \n\nLearning from the past \n\nThe argument of a bygone era of autocrats, including Ben Ali, has proven false time and time again.\u00a0 \n\nA relationship based on security and centralized power did not address the economic and political aspirations of Tunisians.\u00a0 \n\nSupporting an oppressive regime won\u2019t solve the flow of irregular migration to Europe. Only inclusive and equitable socio-economic development will.\u00a0 \n\nToday, EU member states are falling into the old tropes, seeing Tunisians as the border police and Tunisia as an open-sky prison for migrants. \n\nInvesting in Saied\u2019s regime is not an investment in regional stability.\u00a0 \n\nWhile tapping into real and legitimate frustrations with previous coalition governments\u2019 inability or unwillingness to address economic woes, Saied now faces a choice \u2014 manage expectations while accepting painful reforms or risk further economic decline and instability.\u00a0 \n\nTo date, his crude consolidation of power has not produced any meaningful policy to address longstanding economic grievances.\u00a0 \n\nHis disorderly decisions, hate speech, and racist discourse, sow instability in Tunisia and undermine its relations in Africa and beyond.\u00a0 \n\nIt's time for the West to reassert itself \n\nThe EU and US should reassert themselves with the Saied regime, balancing confidence with humility \u2014 leading with values, acknowledging their colonial past, and conditioning economic aid on the respect of democratic and human rights values. \n\nThe $1.9 billion (\u20ac1.77bn) IMF loan that Tunisia has been eyeing is presented as a rescue package.\u00a0 \n\nHowever, the austerity measures and reforms have the potential to harm people, especially the working class and poor communities, and strip the state of its responsibilities to provide a social safety net.\u00a0 \n\nThe EU and US have the leverage to direct the IMF to put social and economic rights front and centre in its policy and practice, with assistance conditioned and supporting a path to good governance and democratic institutions.\u00a0 \n\nReforms are indispensable and urgent.\u00a0 \n\nTheir success depends entirely on local ownership and sharing the temporary social cost across the population \u2014 a genuine national dialogue, including all political and social actors, is essential. \n\nRecalibrating foreign policy to underwrite democracy \n\nThe US has a particular role to play in helping turn the tide. The Biden administration has said that its foreign policy is \u201ccentred on the defence of democracy and the protection of human rights.\u201d\u00a0 \n\nAt the second Summit for Democracy, President Biden reiterated the need \u201cto continually renew our commitment, continually strengthen our institutions, root out corruption where we find it, seek to build consensus, and reject political violence, give hate and extremism no safe harbour.\u201d \n\nHowever, the administration\u2019s foreign assistance 2024 budget request sends a concerning message.\u00a0 \n\nAssistance to the Tunisian military, which helped Saied consolidate power, is maintained at past levels, while economic and civil society support is being slashed by 65%.\u00a0 \n\nThe US should be transparent about why and how those decisions were made and to whom the assistance is destined so civil society can monitor the funding. \n\nDelayed actions only embolden the Saied regime \n\nAs it conditions aid, the US should use routine diplomatic meetings and consultations with civil society actors to laud advances or push Tunisian leaders to do more. This requires renewed political will on the part of Washington, DC. \n\nThe US should also accelerate calls for the release of political detainees and respect for human rights protocols to which Tunisia is a signatory while calling out all attacks on freedom of the press and expression.\u00a0 \n\nMuddled or delayed statements deflate Tunisian democracy advocates and embolden the Saied regime to continue with their campaign with impunity. \n\nNext year, Tunisia should hold presidential and local elections.\u00a0 \n\nTunisian civil society and public independent institutions need support to ensure the polls are transparent and voters have viable political alternatives to consider while feel safe to vote for their choice.\u00a0 \n\nThis will require revisions to the current election law, establishment of the constitutional court and re-establishment of genuine independence of the election commission, at a minimum. \n\nThe fierce urgency of now \n\nWhen we first met in 2009, we understood that democracy is not just an aspirational set of values \u2014 it is a necessary condition for prosperity and stability.\u00a0 \n\nThe policy solution to the long-standing economic grievances and democratic backsliding in Tunisia is not to recycle failed partnerships reminiscent of the Ben Ali era.\u00a0 \n\nIt is to urgently stand with democracy activists and support democratic institutions that, together, hold Tunisia\u2019s leaders accountable and help make sure that good governance and democracy deliver for citizens.\u00a0 \n\nThis must be done with the fierce urgency of now. \n\nIkram Ben Said is an award-winning feminist activist, and Nicole Rowsell is an international democracy, governance, and peacebuilding expert and scholar. \n\nAt Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation. \n\n\n","htmlText":"<p>In 2009, while\u00a0Zine El Abidine\u00a0Ben Ali\u2019s dictatorial regime ruled from Tunis,\u00a0dozens of human rights and feminist defenders gathered in a neighbouring country for a dialogue which couldn\u2019t take place inside Tunisia at the time.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>We got together to imagine what a democratic future for Tunisia could entail.<\/p>\n<p>The 2011 revolution gave us, and millions of others, hope for new beginnings.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But today, as we witness the dream of Tunisian democracy collapse, we are calling for value-based international solidarity with Tunisians to keep the flame of progress alive \u2014 for Tunisia and the entire Arab region.<\/p>\n<h2>Learning from the past<\/h2><p>The argument of a bygone era of autocrats, including Ben Ali, has proven false time and time again.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A relationship based on security and centralized power did not address the economic and political aspirations of Tunisians.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Supporting an oppressive regime won\u2019t solve the flow of irregular migration to Europe. Only inclusive and equitable socio-economic development will.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Today, EU member states are falling into the old tropes, seeing Tunisians as the border police and Tunisia as an open-sky prison for migrants.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">Investing in Saied\u2019s regime is not an investment in regional stability.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6748046875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//63//74//52//808x546_cmsv2_0953fa20-01f8-51dd-b864-1b2408660efc-7637452.jpg/" alt=\"STR via AP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/384x259_cmsv2_0953fa20-01f8-51dd-b864-1b2408660efc-7637452.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/640x432_cmsv2_0953fa20-01f8-51dd-b864-1b2408660efc-7637452.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/750x506_cmsv2_0953fa20-01f8-51dd-b864-1b2408660efc-7637452.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/828x559_cmsv2_0953fa20-01f8-51dd-b864-1b2408660efc-7637452.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/1080x729_cmsv2_0953fa20-01f8-51dd-b864-1b2408660efc-7637452.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/1200x810_cmsv2_0953fa20-01f8-51dd-b864-1b2408660efc-7637452.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/1920x1296_cmsv2_0953fa20-01f8-51dd-b864-1b2408660efc-7637452.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A migrant from sub-Saharan Africa is stopped by Tunisian Maritime National Guard at sea during an attempt to get to Italy, near the coast of Sfax, April 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">STR via AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Investing in Saied\u2019s regime is not an investment in regional stability.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While tapping into real and legitimate frustrations with previous coalition governments\u2019 inability or unwillingness to address economic woes, Saied now faces a choice \u2014 manage expectations while accepting painful reforms or risk further economic decline and instability.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>To date, his crude consolidation of power has not produced any meaningful policy to address longstanding economic grievances.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>His disorderly decisions, hate speech, and racist discourse, sow instability in Tunisia and undermine its relations in Africa and beyond.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>It's time for the West to reassert itself<\/h2><p>The EU and US should reassert themselves with the Saied regime, balancing confidence with humility \u2014 leading with values, acknowledging their colonial past, and conditioning economic aid on the respect of democratic and human rights values.<\/p>\n<p>The $1.9 billion (\u20ac1.77bn) IMF loan that Tunisia has been eyeing is presented as a rescue package.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7444226,7462062\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//03//14//tunisia-misleading-and-racist-content-goes-viral-on-social-media-leading-to-attacks-on-mig/">Tunisia: Misleading and racist content goes viral on social media leading to attacks on migrants<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//03//06//tunisians-defy-protest-ban-and-rally-against-president/">Tunisians defy protest ban and rally against president <\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>However, the austerity measures and reforms have the potential to harm people, especially the working class and poor communities, and strip the state of its responsibilities to provide a social safety net.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//63//74//52//808x539_cmsv2_3a8bfde5-3a78-5381-9a2c-a95faab2d6a1-7637452.jpg/" alt=\"Mosa'ab Elshamy/AP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/384x256_cmsv2_3a8bfde5-3a78-5381-9a2c-a95faab2d6a1-7637452.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/640x427_cmsv2_3a8bfde5-3a78-5381-9a2c-a95faab2d6a1-7637452.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/750x500_cmsv2_3a8bfde5-3a78-5381-9a2c-a95faab2d6a1-7637452.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/828x552_cmsv2_3a8bfde5-3a78-5381-9a2c-a95faab2d6a1-7637452.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/1080x720_cmsv2_3a8bfde5-3a78-5381-9a2c-a95faab2d6a1-7637452.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/1200x800_cmsv2_3a8bfde5-3a78-5381-9a2c-a95faab2d6a1-7637452.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/1920x1281_cmsv2_3a8bfde5-3a78-5381-9a2c-a95faab2d6a1-7637452.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A Tunisian boy cycles past street art in Erriadh, a village on the resort island of Djerba, south of Tunis, October 2015<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Mosa'ab Elshamy/AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The EU and US have the leverage to direct the IMF to put social and economic rights front and centre in its policy and practice, with assistance conditioned and supporting a path to good governance and democratic institutions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Reforms are indispensable and urgent.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Their success depends entirely on local ownership and sharing the temporary social cost across the population \u2014 a genuine national dialogue, including all political and social actors, is essential.<\/p>\n<h2>Recalibrating foreign policy to underwrite democracy<\/h2><p>The US has a particular role to play in helping turn the tide. The Biden administration has said that its foreign policy is \u201ccentred on the defence of democracy and the protection of human rights.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7613398,7502388\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//05//19//why-tunisias-political-and-economical-crisis-is-europes-problem-too/">Why Tunisia\u2019s political and economical crisis is Europe\u2019s problem too<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//03//31//the-eu-should-know-the-rise-of-autocracy-in-tunisia-wont-be-fixed-with-short-term-band-aid/">The EU should know the rise of autocracy in Tunisia won't be fixed with short-term band-aids<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>At the second Summit for Democracy, President Biden reiterated the need \u201cto continually renew our commitment, continually strengthen our institutions, root out corruption where we find it, seek to build consensus, and reject political violence, give hate and extremism no safe harbour.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6865234375\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//63//74//52//808x553_cmsv2_5524bfdf-e34e-5b71-8091-0658a2b757f8-7637452.jpg/" alt=\"Slim Abid\/AP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/384x264_cmsv2_5524bfdf-e34e-5b71-8091-0658a2b757f8-7637452.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/640x439_cmsv2_5524bfdf-e34e-5b71-8091-0658a2b757f8-7637452.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/750x515_cmsv2_5524bfdf-e34e-5b71-8091-0658a2b757f8-7637452.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/828x568_cmsv2_5524bfdf-e34e-5b71-8091-0658a2b757f8-7637452.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/1080x741_cmsv2_5524bfdf-e34e-5b71-8091-0658a2b757f8-7637452.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/1200x824_cmsv2_5524bfdf-e34e-5b71-8091-0658a2b757f8-7637452.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/1920x1318_cmsv2_5524bfdf-e34e-5b71-8091-0658a2b757f8-7637452.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Tunisian President Kais Saied shakes hand with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in Jeddah during the Arab Summit, May 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Slim Abid\/AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>However, the administration\u2019s foreign assistance 2024 budget request sends a concerning message.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Assistance to the Tunisian military, which helped Saied consolidate power, is maintained at past levels, while economic and civil society support is being slashed by 65%.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The US should be transparent about why and how those decisions were made and to whom the assistance is destined so civil society can monitor the funding.<\/p>\n<h2>Delayed actions only embolden the Saied regime<\/h2><p>As it conditions aid, the US should use routine diplomatic meetings and consultations with civil society actors to laud advances or push Tunisian leaders to do more. This requires renewed political will on the part of Washington, DC.<\/p>\n<p>The US should also accelerate calls for the release of political detainees and respect for human rights protocols to which Tunisia is a signatory while calling out all attacks on freedom of the press and expression.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Muddled or delayed statements deflate Tunisian democracy advocates and embolden the Saied regime to continue with their campaign with impunity.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">Tunisian civil society and public independent institutions need support to ensure the polls are transparent and voters have viable political alternatives to consider while feeling safe to vote for their choice.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.654296875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//63//74//52//808x528_cmsv2_f5330aae-d6f9-597a-a2d3-71a526b65f0c-7637452.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo\/Hassene Dridi\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/384x251_cmsv2_f5330aae-d6f9-597a-a2d3-71a526b65f0c-7637452.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/640x419_cmsv2_f5330aae-d6f9-597a-a2d3-71a526b65f0c-7637452.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/750x491_cmsv2_f5330aae-d6f9-597a-a2d3-71a526b65f0c-7637452.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/828x542_cmsv2_f5330aae-d6f9-597a-a2d3-71a526b65f0c-7637452.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/1080x707_cmsv2_f5330aae-d6f9-597a-a2d3-71a526b65f0c-7637452.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/1200x785_cmsv2_f5330aae-d6f9-597a-a2d3-71a526b65f0c-7637452.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/1920x1256_cmsv2_f5330aae-d6f9-597a-a2d3-71a526b65f0c-7637452.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">People take part in a protest against president Kais Saied policies, in Tunis, March 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Hassene Dridi<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Next year, Tunisia should hold presidential and local elections.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Tunisian civil society and public independent institutions need support to ensure the polls are transparent and voters have viable political alternatives to consider while feel safe to vote for their choice.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This will require revisions to the current election law, establishment of the constitutional court and re-establishment of genuine independence of the election commission, at a minimum.<\/p>\n<h2>The fierce urgency of now<\/h2><p>When we first met in 2009, we understood that democracy is not just an aspirational set of values \u2014 it is a necessary condition for prosperity and stability.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The policy solution to the long-standing economic grievances and democratic backsliding in Tunisia is not to recycle failed partnerships reminiscent of the Ben Ali era.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It is to urgently stand with democracy activists and support democratic institutions that, together, hold Tunisia\u2019s leaders accountable and help make sure that good governance and democracy deliver for citizens.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This must be done with the fierce urgency of now.<\/p>\n<p><em>Ikram Ben Said is an award-winning feminist activist, and Nicole Rowsell is an international democracy, governance, and peacebuilding expert and scholar.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>At Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation.<\/em><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1685351925,"updatedAt":1685364132,"publishedAt":1685364129,"firstPublishedAt":1685364132,"lastPublishedAt":1685364132,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Euronews","altText":"Tunisian President Kais Saied, right, walks with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in Tunis, September 2021","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"Tunisian President Kais Saied, right, walks with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in Tunis, September 2021","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_111c1800-ab64-5f65-9498-e0288f074177-7637452.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Mosa'ab Elshamy\/AP","altText":"A Tunisian boy cycles past street art in Erriadh, a village on the resort island of Djerba, south of Tunis, October 2015","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"A Tunisian boy cycles past street art in Erriadh, a village on the resort island of Djerba, south of Tunis, October 2015","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_3a8bfde5-3a78-5381-9a2c-a95faab2d6a1-7637452.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Euronews","altText":"Tunisian President Kais Saied, right, walks with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in Tunis, September 2021","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"Tunisian President Kais Saied, right, walks with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in Tunis, September 2021","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_7f619042-8c21-557e-a1fe-99630f92a564-7637452.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Hassene Dridi","altText":"People take part in a protest against president Kais Saied policies, in Tunis, March 2023","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"People take part in a protest against president Kais Saied policies, in Tunis, March 2023","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_f5330aae-d6f9-597a-a2d3-71a526b65f0c-7637452.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":670},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"STR via AP","altText":"A migrant from sub-Saharan Africa is stopped by Tunisian Maritime National Guard at sea during an attempt to get to Italy, near the coast of Sfax, April 2023","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"A migrant from sub-Saharan Africa is stopped by Tunisian Maritime National Guard at sea during an attempt to get to Italy, near the coast of Sfax, April 2023","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_0953fa20-01f8-51dd-b864-1b2408660efc-7637452.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":691},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Slim Abid\/AP","altText":"Tunisian President Kais Saied shakes hand with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in Jeddah during the Arab Summit, May 2023","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Tunisian President Kais Saied shakes hand with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in Jeddah during the Arab Summit, May 2023","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/63\/74\/52\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_5524bfdf-e34e-5b71-8091-0658a2b757f8-7637452.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":703}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","titleRaw":"Tunisia","id":8191,"title":"Tunisia","slug":"tunisia"},{"urlSafeValue":"protests-in-tunisia","titleRaw":"Protests in Tunisia","id":9329,"title":"Protests in Tunisia","slug":"protests-in-tunisia"},{"urlSafeValue":"european-union","titleRaw":"European Union","id":105,"title":"European Union","slug":"european-union"},{"urlSafeValue":"tunisian-election","titleRaw":"Tunisian election","id":10147,"title":"Tunisian election","slug":"tunisian-election"},{"urlSafeValue":"kais-saied","titleRaw":"Ka\u00efs Sa\u00efed","id":21270,"title":"Ka\u00efs Sa\u00efed","slug":"kais-saied"},{"urlSafeValue":"euroviews","titleRaw":"Euroviews","id":22480,"title":"Euroviews","slug":"euroviews"}],"widgets":[{"count":4,"slug":"image"},{"count":2,"slug":"quotation"},{"count":2,"slug":"related"}],"related":[{"id":2339412}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Ikram Ben Said, Feminist activist, and Nicole Rowsell, Peacebuilding expert and scholar","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world 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TUNISIA EU SOLIDARITY","path":"\/2023\/05\/29\/with-tunisia-the-eu-and-the-west-are-experiencing-a-crisis-of-value-based-solidarity","lastModified":1685364132},{"id":2275912,"cid":7613398,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230518_NWSU_51694018","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Why Tunisia\u2019s political and economical crisis is Europe\u2019s problem too","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Why Tunisia\u2019s political and economical crisis is Europe\u2019s problem too","titleListing2":"Following President Kais Saied\u2019s political crackdown on dissent in Tunisia, Europe has been cautious about condemning his authoritarian descent, fearful of risking instability in a country which plays a key role in stopping illegal migration. ","leadin":"Following President Kais Saied\u2019s political crackdown on dissent in Tunisia, Europe has been cautious about condemning his authoritarian descent, fearful of risking instability in a country which plays a key role in stopping illegal migration.","summary":"Following President Kais Saied\u2019s political crackdown on dissent in Tunisia, Europe has been cautious about condemning his authoritarian descent, fearful of risking instability in a country which plays a key role in stopping illegal migration.","keySentence":"","url":"why-tunisias-political-and-economical-crisis-is-europes-problem-too","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/05\/19\/why-tunisias-political-and-economical-crisis-is-europes-problem-too","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"More than 2,000 kilometres away from the political heart of the European Union in Brussels, Tunisia\u2019s fragile democracy is being eroded and the country\u2019s stability is starting to shake. \n\nThe democracy which the country has taken more than a decade to build after the Arab Spring is being dismantled by Tunisia\u2019s current president Kais Saied, who\u2019s shrunk the power of parliament and the judiciary since taking office in 2019, and has recently crackdown on the opposition. \n\nMeanwhile, Tunisia\u2019s economy is on the verge of collapse as the country scrambles to find enough foreign funding to sustain its massive external debt. \n\nBut what happens in Tunisia doesn\u2019t happen in a vacuum, and the physical distance between Europe and Tunisia is unlikely to shield the continent from the consequences of the North African country\u2019s authoritarian descent and the unravelling of its democracy. Political and economic turmoil in the North African country is likely to have a significant impact on Europe - and especially Italy. \n\nThat is not only because parts of Italy, like the island of Sardinia, are actually closer to the Tunisian coast than they are to the country\u2019s mainland. But also because Italy has recently become Tunisia\u2019s number one trading partner, and the country increasingly relies on Tunisian authorities to discourage the growing migratory pressure on the Italian coasts. \n\nWhat is happening in Tunisia? \n\nOn 10 April, in the Tunisian town of Haffouz, history almost repeated itself when 35-year-old footballer Nizar Issaoui set himself on fire to protest against what he called \u201cthe police state.\u201d \n\nIssaoui, a former player for US Monastir and a father of four, was accused of terrorism after complaining about the rising price of bananas - 10 dinars, the equivalent of \u20ac3.05 - with a fruit seller. \n\nHis desperate gesture was almost identical to that of fruit seller Mohamed Bouazizi, whose self-immolation on 17 December 2010 started off a series of uprisings throughout the Arab world which became known as the \"Arab Spring.\"\u00a0 \n\nTunisia was the country where the Arab Spring started, and the only success story of the uprising. While in other countries the protests didn\u2019t achieve much real change, Tunisia emerged from the revolutionary times with an apparently stable multi-party democracy led by a new government which took the place of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.\u00a0 \n\nBen Ali had been Tunisia\u2019s president since 1987, but resigned in 2011 and fled to Saudi Arabia after weeks of protests. \n\nIn the years that followed, Tunisia introduced a constitution that enshrined civil rights and made sure that no other strongman could take the lead of the country. It was a huge success for Tunisians - but the initial excitement soon turned into disillusionment as a series of governments failed to bring to life the dream of economic growth and improved living conditions that came with the uprisings. \n\nTunisia is now much poorer than it was in 2010, partly because of the devastating impact the pandemic had on its economy and rising inflation. The disappointment with the new democratic system led to the landslide victory of Kais Saied in 2019, which turned the previously unknown constitutional law expert into Tunisia\u2019s sixth president in the last 12 years. \n\nDuring his campaign, Saied said that the democratic system wasn\u2019t working, claiming that political parties in parliament had too much power. \n\nWhen during the pandemic Saied was given emergency powers to try and rescue the country\u2019s severely hit economy and struggling health services, he used these powers to fire the prime minister, close the National Assembly and suspend the constitution - reversing a decade of democratic reforms. \n\nThose who criticised and opposed him, from politicians to journalists, were detained or jailed. In July last year, Saied won a referendum which allowed him to introduce a new constitution, increasing his power at the detriment of the parliament and the judiciary. \n\nOn April 17, the arrest of the leader of the opposition Ennahda party Rached Ghannouchi sparked an outcry from critics of Saied accusing his government of taking an increasingly authoritarian turn. \n\nA similarly outraged reaction has been triggered by Saied\u2019s hateful comments on migrants coming from sub-Saharan Africa . Saied said they\u2019re part of a \u201cconspiracy\u201d aimed at changing the demographic composition of Tunisia and has blamed them for the problems of the country. \n\nBut Tunisia\u2019s political turmoil isn\u2019t the only crisis the country is facing. \n\n\u201cParallel to that there\u2019s an economic crisis linked to Tunisia\u2019s significant external debt, which is reliant on foreign funding to continue to effectively meet these external liabilities,\u201d Riccardo Fabiani , North Africa Project Director at the think tank the International Crisis Group , told Euronews. \n\nTunisia right now doesn\u2019t have enough money to pay its significant debt, and it needs to find a source of financing to avoid a default. \u201cThe big risk right now is that at some point Tunisia might have to default on its debt with a series of consequences - politically, socially and economically - that we can\u2019t fully anticipate,\u201d Fabiani said. \n\nThe EU is the biggest foreign investor in Tunisia, accounting for 85% of the foreign direct investment (FDI) stock in the country. \n\nWhy does this matter for Europe - and Italy? \n\n\u201cThe Europeans feel that they are on the front line of instability in North Africa and in the Mediterranean,\u201d Fabiani said. \u201cAnd they feel that what happens in Tunisia has direct consequences for them.\u201d \n\nFrom a migration perspective, particularly in Italy, \u201cthere is a strong fear that not only that economic or political instability in Tunisia may trigger a new wave of migration, including irregular departures from Tunisia to Europe,\u201d Fabiani said. \n\n\u201cAnd we have already seen over the past months an increase in the number of departures and regular departures from Tunisia because of the economic crisis.\u201d \n\nSome 18,893 migrants have reached the Italian coasts from the North African country since the beginning of the year and as of 18 April, 2,764 of whom held a Tunisian passport. \n\nSaied\u2019s attacks against sub-Saharan Africans in the country are likely to have caused a surge in the number of people willing to leave Tunisia, and Tunisian nationals are just as eager to leave. According to a recent survey by the Observatoire National de la Migration , 65% of Tunisians say they\u2019re willing to leave the country at whatever cost. Among those under 30, the percentage goes up to 90%. \n\nThe number of arrivals from Tunisia has significantly increased compared to the same timeframe last year, when less than 2,000 migrants reached Italy\u2019s coasts. \n\n\u201cItaly has never criticised Kais Saied, because for Italy the most important thing is that Saied can keep things under control, in terms of migration, in his country. This is the most important thing, even if it means that Italy has to interact with and foster a long-term friendship with a leader as problematic as Saied,\u201d Alissa Pavia , associate director for the North Africa Program within the Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East Programs at the Atlantic Council , told Euronews. \n\n\u201cIt\u2019s understandable that Italy and the European governments might be concerned that instability could trigger migration, but they\u2019re also concerned that instability in Tunisia could make the situation worse. For example, in some of the neighbouring countries, like Libya, where there is already a crisis that has been going on for many years. So, you know, there are concerns about regional stability and migration that are very high, I would say, in the list of priorities of the Europeans.\u201d \n\nThere are also purely economic reasons why the unfolding political situation in Tunisia is important for Europe, and especially Italy - the same reasons why Giorgia Meloni\u2019s government is more interested in maintaining stability in the North African country than protecting its democracy. \n\nLast year, Italy became Tunisia\u2019s number one trading partner, overtaking France - though France remains the North African country\u2019s leading export market. Germany follows the two Mediterranean countries in third place. \n\nThe Algerian gas supplies - which Italy started relying on in 2022 to replace Russian imports - go across Tunisia before reaching Italy, through the Enrico Mattei pipeline, also known as the Trans-Med pipeline. \n\nIs stability in the region worth turning a blind eye to Saied\u2019s authoritarian turn? \n\nThe European Parliament has already made two statements about Tunisian in 2023: one condemning President Saied and the way he has used the worsening socio-economic situation to reverse the country\u2019s historic democratic transition; and the other urging Tunisian authorities to immediately release Noureddine Boutar, director of Tunisia\u2019s largest independent radio station, who was arrested by counter-terrorist units on politically motivated grounds and unfounded allegations. \n\nIn February, Wolfgang B\u00fcchner , a German government spokesperson,\u00a0said that Berlin was looking at the arrests of the Tunisian opposition, journalists, and activists with \u201cgreat concern.\"\u00a0 \n\nIn April, Germany\u2019s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that \u201cTunisia\u2019s democracy must not be lost\u201d after Rached Ghannouchi, head of the opposition, was arrested. \n\n\u201cYet, we have yet to see a strong and cohesive European condemnation of President Saied\u2019s ongoing power grab,\u201d said the Atlantic Council's Alissa Pavia.\u00a0 \n\n\u201cWe have yet to see any concrete actions taken by either the EU or other EU Countries. Europe must decide whether it intends to support Tunisia\u2019s democracy, or whether it will allow it to descend back into authoritarianism.\u201d \n\nEurope, and especially Italy, have an interest in maintaining stability in the country - which in this case means not exerting pressure on Saied to rein in its political crackdown on dissent. But Saied's political crackdown risks having the same effect which Europe and Italy wish to avoid. \n\n\u201cWe can see a positive correlation between dictators taking power and an increase of persecution against political opposition and other people, for example, people of minorities and so on, increasingly migrating and trying to reach Europe and Italy,\u201d Pavia said. \n\n\u201cGenerally it\u2019s better to have open communication with democratic rulers rather than be at the behest of tyrants and dictators who we can\u2019t trust.\"\u00a0 \n\n","htmlText":"<p>More than 2,000 kilometres away from the political heart of the European Union in Brussels, Tunisia\u2019s fragile democracy is being eroded and the country\u2019s stability is starting to shake.<\/p>\n<p>The democracy which the country has taken more than a decade to build after the Arab Spring is being dismantled by Tunisia\u2019s current president Kais Saied, who\u2019s shrunk the power of parliament and the judiciary since taking office in 2019, and has recently crackdown on the opposition.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Tunisia\u2019s economy is on the verge of collapse as the country scrambles to find enough foreign funding to sustain its massive external debt.<\/p>\n<p>But what happens in Tunisia doesn\u2019t happen in a vacuum, and the physical distance between Europe and Tunisia is unlikely to shield the continent from the consequences of the North African country\u2019s authoritarian descent and the unravelling of its democracy. Political and economic turmoil in the North African country is likely to have a significant impact on Europe - and especially Italy.<\/p>\n<p>That is not only because parts of Italy, like the island of Sardinia, are actually closer to the Tunisian coast than they are to the country\u2019s mainland. But also because Italy has recently become Tunisia\u2019s number one trading partner, and the country increasingly relies on Tunisian authorities to discourage the growing migratory pressure on the Italian coasts.<\/p>\n<h2>What is happening in Tunisia?<\/h2><p>On 10 April, in the Tunisian town of Haffouz, history almost repeated itself when 35-year-old footballer Nizar Issaoui set himself on fire to protest against what he called \u201cthe police state.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Issaoui, a former player for US Monastir and a father of four, was accused of terrorism after complaining about the rising price of bananas - 10 dinars, the equivalent of \u20ac3.05 - with a fruit seller.<\/p>\n<p>His desperate gesture was almost identical to that of fruit seller Mohamed Bouazizi, whose self-immolation on 17 December 2010 started off a series of uprisings throughout the Arab world which became known as the \"Arab Spring.\"\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Tunisia was the country where the Arab Spring started, and the only success story of the uprising. While in other countries the protests didn\u2019t achieve much real change, Tunisia emerged from the revolutionary times with an apparently stable multi-party democracy led by a new government which took the place of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Ben Ali had been Tunisia\u2019s president since 1987, but resigned in 2011 and fled to Saudi Arabia after weeks of protests.<\/p>\n<p>In the years that followed, Tunisia introduced a constitution that enshrined civil rights and made sure that no other strongman could take the lead of the country. It was a huge success for Tunisians - but the initial excitement soon turned into disillusionment as a series of governments failed to bring to life the dream of economic growth and improved living conditions that came with the uprisings.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//61//33//98//808x454_cmsv2_be871e95-b89b-523c-bec3-f1af48bdfee7-7613398.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo\/Hassene Dridi, File\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/384x216_cmsv2_be871e95-b89b-523c-bec3-f1af48bdfee7-7613398.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/640x360_cmsv2_be871e95-b89b-523c-bec3-f1af48bdfee7-7613398.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/750x422_cmsv2_be871e95-b89b-523c-bec3-f1af48bdfee7-7613398.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/828x466_cmsv2_be871e95-b89b-523c-bec3-f1af48bdfee7-7613398.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/1080x608_cmsv2_be871e95-b89b-523c-bec3-f1af48bdfee7-7613398.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/1200x675_cmsv2_be871e95-b89b-523c-bec3-f1af48bdfee7-7613398.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/1920x1080_cmsv2_be871e95-b89b-523c-bec3-f1af48bdfee7-7613398.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">People shop at a supermarket, in Tunis, Tunisia, Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Hassene Dridi, File<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Tunisia is now much poorer than it was in 2010, partly because of the devastating impact the pandemic had on its economy and rising inflation. The disappointment with the new democratic system led to the landslide victory of Kais Saied in 2019, which turned the previously unknown constitutional law expert into Tunisia\u2019s sixth president in the last 12 years.<\/p>\n<p>During his campaign, Saied said that the democratic system wasn\u2019t working, claiming that political parties in parliament had too much power.<\/p>\n<p>When during the pandemic Saied was given emergency powers to try and rescue the country\u2019s severely hit economy and struggling health services, he used these powers to fire the prime minister, close the National Assembly and suspend the constitution - reversing a decade of democratic reforms.<\/p>\n<p>Those who criticised and opposed him, from politicians to journalists, were detained or jailed. In July last year, Saied won a referendum which allowed him to introduce a new constitution, increasing his power at the detriment of the parliament and the judiciary.<\/p>\n<p>On April 17, the arrest of the leader of the opposition Ennahda party Rached Ghannouchi sparked an outcry from critics of Saied accusing his government of taking an increasingly authoritarian turn.<\/p>\n<p>A similarly outraged reaction has been triggered by <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//03//14//tunisia-misleading-and-racist-content-goes-viral-on-social-media-leading-to-attacks-on-mig/">Saied/u2019s hateful comments on migrants coming from sub-Saharan Africa<\/strong><\/a>. Saied said they\u2019re part of a \u201cconspiracy\u201d aimed at changing the demographic composition of Tunisia and has blamed them for the problems of the country.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7502388\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//03//31//the-eu-should-know-the-rise-of-autocracy-in-tunisia-wont-be-fixed-with-short-term-band-aid/">The EU should know the rise of autocracy in Tunisia won't be fixed with short-term band-aids<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>But Tunisia\u2019s political turmoil isn\u2019t the only crisis the country is facing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cParallel to that there\u2019s an economic crisis linked to Tunisia\u2019s significant external debt, which is reliant on foreign funding to continue to effectively meet these external liabilities,\u201d <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////twitter.com//ricfabiani/">Riccardo Fabiani<\/strong><\/a>, North Africa Project Director at the think tank the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.crisisgroup.org///">International Crisis Group<\/strong><\/a>, told Euronews.<\/p>\n<p>Tunisia right now doesn\u2019t have enough money to pay its significant debt, and it needs to find a source of financing to avoid a default. \u201cThe big risk right now is that at some point Tunisia might have to default on its debt with a series of consequences - politically, socially and economically - that we can\u2019t fully anticipate,\u201d Fabiani said.<\/p>\n<p>The EU is the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////policy.trade.ec.europa.eu//eu-trade-relationships-country-and-region//countries-and-regions//tunisia_en/">biggest foreign investor<\/strong><\/a> in Tunisia, accounting for 85% of the foreign direct investment (FDI) stock in the country.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1635596934034477056\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Why does this matter for Europe - and Italy?<\/h2><p>\u201cThe Europeans feel that they are on the front line of instability in North Africa and in the Mediterranean,\u201d Fabiani said. \u201cAnd they feel that what happens in Tunisia has direct consequences for them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>From a migration perspective, particularly in Italy, \u201cthere is a strong fear that not only that economic or political instability in Tunisia may trigger a new wave of migration, including irregular departures from Tunisia to Europe,\u201d Fabiani said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd we have already seen over the past months an increase in the number of departures and regular departures from Tunisia because of the economic crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some 18,893 migrants have reached the Italian coasts from the North African country since the beginning of the year and as of 18 April, <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"http:////www.libertaciviliimmigrazione.dlci.interno.gov.it//sites//default//files//allegati//cruscotto_statistico_giornaliero_15-04-2023.pdf/">2,764 of whom held a Tunisian passport.<\/p>\n<p>Saied\u2019s attacks against sub-Saharan Africans in the country are likely to have caused a surge in the number of people willing to leave Tunisia, and Tunisian nationals are just as eager to leave. According to a recent survey by the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"http:////www.migration.nat.tn//fr///">Observatoire National de la Migration<\/strong><\/a>, 65% of Tunisians say they\u2019re willing to leave the country at whatever cost. Among those under 30, the percentage goes up to 90%.<\/p>\n<p>The number of arrivals from Tunisia has significantly increased compared to the same timeframe last year, when less than 2,000 migrants reached Italy\u2019s coasts.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6617386162034299\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//61//33//98//808x535_cmsv2_804ee68a-79f4-5c36-9eed-d199f6def0fe-7613398.jpg/" alt=\"STR\/AP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/384x254_cmsv2_804ee68a-79f4-5c36-9eed-d199f6def0fe-7613398.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/640x424_cmsv2_804ee68a-79f4-5c36-9eed-d199f6def0fe-7613398.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/750x496_cmsv2_804ee68a-79f4-5c36-9eed-d199f6def0fe-7613398.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/828x548_cmsv2_804ee68a-79f4-5c36-9eed-d199f6def0fe-7613398.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/1080x715_cmsv2_804ee68a-79f4-5c36-9eed-d199f6def0fe-7613398.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/1200x794_cmsv2_804ee68a-79f4-5c36-9eed-d199f6def0fe-7613398.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/1920x1271_cmsv2_804ee68a-79f4-5c36-9eed-d199f6def0fe-7613398.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Migrants board a boat after getting stopped by Tunisian Maritime National Guard at sea during an attempt to get to Italy, near the coast of Sfax, Tunisia, on April 18.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">STR\/AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cItaly has never criticised Kais Saied, because for Italy the most important thing is that Saied can keep things under control, in terms of migration, in his country. This is the most important thing, even if it means that Italy has to interact with and foster a long-term friendship with a leader as problematic as Saied,\u201d <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////twitter.com//AlissaPavia/">Alissa Pavia<\/strong><\/a>, associate director for the North Africa Program within the Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East Programs at the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.atlanticcouncil.org//programs//middle-east-programs///">Atlantic Council<\/strong><\/a>, told Euronews.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s understandable that Italy and the European governments might be concerned that instability could trigger migration, but they\u2019re also concerned that instability in Tunisia could make the situation worse. For example, in some of the neighbouring countries, like Libya, where there is already a crisis that has been going on for many years. So, you know, there are concerns about regional stability and migration that are very high, I would say, in the list of priorities of the Europeans.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1645456988082503681\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>There are also purely economic reasons why the unfolding political situation in Tunisia is important for Europe, and especially Italy - the same reasons why Giorgia Meloni\u2019s government is more interested in maintaining stability in the North African country than protecting its democracy.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, Italy became Tunisia\u2019s number one trading partner, overtaking France - though France remains the North African country\u2019s leading export market. Germany follows the two Mediterranean countries in third place.<\/p>\n<p>The Algerian gas supplies - which Italy started relying on in 2022 to replace Russian imports - go across Tunisia before reaching Italy, through the Enrico Mattei pipeline, also known as the Trans-Med pipeline.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6670432081332957\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//61//33//98//808x539_cmsv2_a2180637-3fbd-525b-bde4-32f77bf45523-7613398.jpg/" alt=\"Johanna Geron\/AP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/384x256_cmsv2_a2180637-3fbd-525b-bde4-32f77bf45523-7613398.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/640x427_cmsv2_a2180637-3fbd-525b-bde4-32f77bf45523-7613398.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/750x500_cmsv2_a2180637-3fbd-525b-bde4-32f77bf45523-7613398.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/828x552_cmsv2_a2180637-3fbd-525b-bde4-32f77bf45523-7613398.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/1080x720_cmsv2_a2180637-3fbd-525b-bde4-32f77bf45523-7613398.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/1200x800_cmsv2_a2180637-3fbd-525b-bde4-32f77bf45523-7613398.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/1920x1281_cmsv2_a2180637-3fbd-525b-bde4-32f77bf45523-7613398.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Tunisia's increasingly authoritarian president appears determined to upend the country's political system, threatening to unravel its fragile democracy.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Johanna Geron\/AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Is stability in the region worth turning a blind eye to Saied\u2019s authoritarian turn?<\/h2><p>The European Parliament has already made two statements about Tunisian in 2023: one condemning President Saied and the way he has used the worsening socio-economic situation to reverse the country\u2019s historic democratic transition; and the other urging Tunisian authorities to immediately release Noureddine Boutar, director of Tunisia\u2019s largest independent radio station, who was arrested by counter-terrorist units on politically motivated grounds and unfounded allegations.<\/p>\n<p>In February, <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////twitter.com//wbuechner/">Wolfgang B\u00fcchner<\/strong><\/a>, a German government spokesperson,\u00a0said that Berlin was looking at the arrests of the Tunisian opposition, journalists, and activists with \u201cgreat concern.\"\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In April, Germany\u2019s Foreign Minister <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////twitter.com//ABaerbock/">Annalena Baerbock<\/strong><\/a> said that \u201cTunisia\u2019s democracy must not be lost\u201d after Rached Ghannouchi, head of the opposition, was arrested.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYet, we have yet to see a strong and cohesive European condemnation of President Saied\u2019s ongoing power grab,\u201d said the Atlantic Council's Alissa Pavia.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have yet to see any concrete actions taken by either the EU or other EU Countries. Europe must decide whether it intends to support Tunisia\u2019s democracy, or whether it will allow it to descend back into authoritarianism.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Europe, and especially Italy, have an interest in maintaining stability in the country - which in this case means not exerting pressure on Saied to rein in its political crackdown on dissent. But Saied's political crackdown risks having the same effect which Europe and Italy wish to avoid.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe can see a positive correlation between dictators taking power and an increase of persecution against political opposition and other people, for example, people of minorities and so on, increasingly migrating and trying to reach Europe and Italy,\u201d Pavia said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGenerally it\u2019s better to have open communication with democratic rulers rather than be at the behest of tyrants and dictators who we can\u2019t trust.\"<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1684408536,"updatedAt":1684472504,"publishedAt":1684472455,"firstPublishedAt":1684443316,"lastPublishedAt":1684472504,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Hassene Dridi\/AP","altText":"A woman holds up a banner during a protest against Tunisian President Kais Saied, in Tunis, Tunisia, Sunday, April 10, 2022. ","callToActionText":null,"width":3960,"caption":"A woman holds up a banner during a protest against Tunisian President Kais Saied, in Tunis, Tunisia, Sunday, April 10, 2022. ","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_39ddeaef-f651-553e-a80d-8989a84707d0-7613398.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":2640},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Johanna Geron\/AP","altText":"Tunisia's increasingly authoritarian president appears determined to upend the country's political system, threatening to unravel its fragile democracy.","callToActionText":null,"width":3541,"caption":"Tunisia's increasingly authoritarian president appears determined to upend the country's political system, threatening to unravel its fragile democracy.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_a2180637-3fbd-525b-bde4-32f77bf45523-7613398.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":2362},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"STR\/AP","altText":"Migrants board a boat after getting stopped by Tunisian Maritime National Guard at sea during an attempt to get to Italy, near the coast of Sfax, Tunisia, on April 18.","callToActionText":null,"width":5073,"caption":"Migrants board a boat after getting stopped by Tunisian Maritime National Guard at sea during an attempt to get to Italy, near the coast of Sfax, Tunisia, on April 18.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_804ee68a-79f4-5c36-9eed-d199f6def0fe-7613398.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":3357},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Hassene Dridi, File","altText":"People shop at a supermarket, in Tunis, Tunisia, Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. ","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"People shop at a supermarket, in Tunis, Tunisia, Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. ","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/33\/98\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_be871e95-b89b-523c-bec3-f1af48bdfee7-7613398.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"carbonaro","twitter":"@carbonaro_giu","title":"Giulia Carbonaro"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"european-union","titleRaw":"European Union","id":105,"title":"European Union","slug":"european-union"},{"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","titleRaw":"Tunisia","id":8191,"title":"Tunisia","slug":"tunisia"},{"urlSafeValue":"italy","titleRaw":"Italy","id":158,"title":"Italy","slug":"italy"},{"urlSafeValue":"kais-saied","titleRaw":"Ka\u00efs Sa\u00efed","id":21270,"title":"Ka\u00efs Sa\u00efed","slug":"kais-saied"},{"urlSafeValue":"authoritarianism","titleRaw":"Authoritarianism","id":14296,"title":"Authoritarianism","slug":"authoritarianism"}],"widgets":[{"count":3,"slug":"image"},{"count":2,"slug":"twitter"},{"count":1,"slug":"related"}],"related":[{"id":2298950}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":283,"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","title":"Tunisia","url":"\/news\/africa\/tunisia"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','gs_politics','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_politics_misc','sm_politics','gt_negative','gs_busfin','neg_mobkoi_castrol','neg_facebook_2021','castrol_negative_uk','neg_nespresso','gs_busfin_economy','gs_economy','neg_intel_en','gs_science_geography','gs_economy_misc','gt_negative_sadness','gb_sensitive_news-ent','gt_negative_fear'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"WEB: Italy Tunisia","path":"\/2023\/05\/19\/why-tunisias-political-and-economical-crisis-is-europes-problem-too","lastModified":1684472504},{"id":2276168,"cid":7614252,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230518_NCSU_51699325","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Watch: Tunisian journalists protest anti-terror laws","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Watch: Tunisian journalists protest anti-terror laws","titleListing2":"Dozens of Tunisian journalists protest in Tunis against anti-terror laws they say are being used to intimidate the media after a broadcaster was jailed for five years earlier this week. ","leadin":"Dozens of Tunisian journalists protest in Tunis against anti-terror laws they say are being used to intimidate the media after a broadcaster was jailed for five years earlier this week.","summary":"Dozens of Tunisian journalists protest in Tunis against anti-terror laws they say are being used to intimidate the media after a broadcaster was jailed for five years earlier this week.","keySentence":"","url":"watch-tunisian-journalists-protest-anti-terror-laws","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/05\/18\/watch-tunisian-journalists-protest-anti-terror-laws","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Tunisian journalists on Thursday protested against \"repressive\" anti-terror laws they say are being used to intimidate the media after a broadcaster was jailed for five years earlier this week. \n\nThe rally follows a court's use of anti-terrorism laws on Tuesday to increase to five years a jail term handed to Khalima Guesmi, a journalist at Mosaique FM radio station, after he appealed a one-year sentence delivered in November. \n\nGuesmi was found guilty of having intentionally disclosed \"information relating to operations of interception, infiltration, audiovisual surveillance or data collection\", his lawyer said after the latest ruling. \n\nSeveral local and international rights groups and trade unions on Tuesday warned \"against the seriousness of the repressive direction of the current authorities\" and called on activists and civil society \"to mobilise to defend freedoms and human rights\". \n\nThese groups have criticised the decline in civic freedoms in Tunisia since President Kais Saied launched a sweeping power grab on 25 July, 2021. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Tunisian journalists on Thursday protested against \"repressive\" anti-terror laws they say are being used to intimidate the media after a broadcaster was jailed for five years earlier this week.<\/p>\n<p>The rally follows a court's use of anti-terrorism laws on Tuesday to increase to five years a jail term handed to Khalima Guesmi, a journalist at Mosaique FM radio station, after he appealed a one-year sentence delivered in November.<\/p>\n<p>Guesmi was found guilty of having intentionally disclosed \"information relating to operations of interception, infiltration, audiovisual surveillance or data collection\", his lawyer said after the latest ruling.<\/p>\n<p>Several local and international rights groups and trade unions on Tuesday warned \"against the seriousness of the repressive direction of the current authorities\" and called on activists and civil society \"to mobilise to defend freedoms and human rights\".<\/p>\n<p>These groups have criticised the decline in civic freedoms in Tunisia since President Kais Saied launched a sweeping power grab on 25 July, 2021.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1684429835,"updatedAt":1684435145,"publishedAt":1684435141,"firstPublishedAt":1684435145,"lastPublishedAt":1684435145,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AFP","altText":"Tunisian journalist protests.","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"Tunisian journalist protests.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/61\/42\/74\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_db1808e4-57ee-5969-b227-6d689ed5b8ad-7614274.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","titleRaw":"Tunisia","id":8191,"title":"Tunisia","slug":"tunisia"},{"urlSafeValue":"protests-in-tunisia","titleRaw":"Protests in Tunisia","id":9329,"title":"Protests in Tunisia","slug":"protests-in-tunisia"},{"urlSafeValue":"press-freedom","titleRaw":"Press freedom","id":8089,"title":"Press freedom","slug":"press-freedom"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2287270}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"Gewbqyk-JEc","dailymotionId":"x8l1u71"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":7617890,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NC\/SU\/23\/05\/18\/en\/230518_NCSU_51699325_51699405_60000_191603_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":11538274,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NC\/SU\/23\/05\/18\/en\/230518_NCSU_51699325_51699405_60000_191603_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AFP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"nocomment","urlSafeValue":"nocomment","title":"no comment","online":1,"url":"\/nocomment"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":283,"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","title":"Tunisia","url":"\/news\/africa\/tunisia"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gb_sensitive_serious','gt_negative_anger','gt_negative','gb_terrorism_edu','gb_terrorism_news-ent','gv_terrorism','gs_news','gs_news_and_weather','gs_politics'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"NC8-TUNISIA journalists protest anti-terror laws","path":"\/video\/2023\/05\/18\/watch-tunisian-journalists-protest-anti-terror-laws","lastModified":1684435145},{"id":2268980,"cid":7592824,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230510_NWSU_51573672","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Tunisian police officer kills at least four in shooting near synagogue ","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Tunisian police officer kills at least four in shooting near synagogue","titleListing2":"Tunisian police officer kills at least four in shooting near a synagogue ","leadin":"Officials in Tunisia say a police officer killed at least four people near a synagogue after stealing ammunition from a colleague.","summary":"Officials in Tunisia say a police officer killed at least four people near a synagogue after stealing ammunition from a colleague.","keySentence":"","url":"tunisian-police-officer-kills-at-least-four-in-shooting-near-synagogue","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/05\/10\/tunisian-police-officer-kills-at-least-four-in-shooting-near-synagogue","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Two worshippers attending a Jewish pilgrimage to the Ghriba synagogue on the eastern Tunisian island of Djerba were killed on Tuesday night, according to the country's Interior Ministry.\u00a0 \n\nThe attack took place in two stages, the ministry said in a statement. The police officer first shot and killed one of his colleagues and took his ammunition.\u00a0He then went to the area around the synagogue where he opened fire on the security forces before he was shot dead. \n\nHundreds of people were taking part in the pilgrimage at the time of the shooting.\u00a0And the sound of gunshots had sparked panic among\u00a0pilgrims, local media reported. \n\nInvestigators have identified the two civilian victims as a 30-year-old Tunisian and a 42-year-old French national.\u00a0 \n\nThe synagogue, which is the oldest in Africa, was previously targeted in a suicide truck bombing that killed 21 in 2002. \n\n\"Investigations are continuing in order to shed light on the motives for this cowardly aggression,\" the interior ministry said.\u00a0 \n\nThe French embassy in Tunisia announced it had set up a \"crisis unit\" and an emergency hotline after the attack. \n\nAccording to organisers, more than 5,000 worshipers, mostly from overseas, participated in this year's pilgrimage to Ghriba, which resumed in 2022 after a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Two worshippers attending a Jewish pilgrimage to the Ghriba synagogue on the eastern Tunisian island of Djerba were killed on Tuesday night, according to the country's Interior Ministry.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The attack took place in two stages, the ministry said in a statement. The police officer first shot and killed one of his colleagues and took his ammunition.\u00a0He then went to the area around the synagogue where he opened fire on the security forces before he was shot dead.<\/p>\n<p>Hundreds of people were taking part in the pilgrimage at the time of the shooting.\u00a0And the sound of gunshots had sparked panic among\u00a0pilgrims, local media reported.<\/p>\n<p>Investigators have identified the two civilian victims as a 30-year-old Tunisian and a 42-year-old French national.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7462062,7117526\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//03//14//tunisia-misleading-and-racist-content-goes-viral-on-social-media-leading-to-attacks-on-mig/">Tunisia: Misleading and racist content goes viral on social media leading to attacks on migrants<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//10//15//tunisia-mourners-clash-with-police-after-young-mans-death/">Tunisia mourners clash with police after young man's death<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The synagogue, which is the oldest in Africa, was previously targeted in a suicide truck bombing that killed 21 in 2002.<\/p>\n<p>\"Investigations are continuing in order to shed light on the motives for this cowardly aggression,\" the interior ministry said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The French embassy in Tunisia announced it had set up a \"crisis unit\" and an emergency hotline after the attack.<\/p>\n<p>According to organisers, more than 5,000 worshipers, mostly from overseas, participated in this year's pilgrimage to Ghriba, which resumed in 2022 after a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1683693686,"updatedAt":1684158008,"publishedAt":1683718033,"firstPublishedAt":1683718035,"lastPublishedAt":1684158008,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Hassene Dridi\/AP2002","altText":"The Ghriba synagogue is one of the oldest in Africa","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"The Ghriba synagogue is one of the oldest in Africa","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/59\/28\/40\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_fbb9e0a6-ec6c-59a0-a63f-ab8ff23933b3-7592840.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":706}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","titleRaw":"Tunisia","id":8191,"title":"Tunisia","slug":"tunisia"},{"urlSafeValue":"attack","titleRaw":"Attack","id":7815,"title":"Attack","slug":"attack"},{"urlSafeValue":"synagogue","titleRaw":"Synagogue","id":10917,"title":"Synagogue","slug":"synagogue"},{"urlSafeValue":"shooting","titleRaw":"shooting","id":13878,"title":"shooting","slug":"shooting"}],"widgets":[{"count":1,"slug":"related"}],"related":[{"id":2275534}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"S7nNov2WJIs","dailymotionId":"x8ktf7j"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":42000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":5268834,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/05\/10\/en\/230510_NWSU_51573672_51573701_42000_132640_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":42000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":7863650,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/05\/10\/en\/230510_NWSU_51573672_51573701_42000_132640_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AFP ","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":283,"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","title":"Tunisia","url":"\/news\/africa\/tunisia"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_death_injury','gb_death_injury_news-ent','gt_negative_anger','gt_negative','gb_death_injury_edu'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"TUNISIA KILLING","path":"\/2023\/05\/10\/tunisian-police-officer-kills-at-least-four-in-shooting-near-synagogue","lastModified":1684158008},{"id":2239806,"cid":7506848,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Worst drought on record forces Tunisia to cut off drinking water for seven hours every night","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"This Mediterranean country is cutting off overnight water supplies","titleListing2":"Worst drought on record forces Tunisia to cut off drinking water for seven hours every night","leadin":"Water is being cut for seven hours every night in response to the worst drought on record.","summary":"Water is being cut for seven hours every night in response to the worst drought on record.","keySentence":"","url":"worst-drought-on-record-forces-tunisia-to-cut-off-drinking-water-for-seven-hours-every-nig","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/green\/2023\/04\/03\/worst-drought-on-record-forces-tunisia-to-cut-off-drinking-water-for-seven-hours-every-nig","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Tunisia is cutting off water supplies to citizens for seven hours a night. The extreme measure is a response to the country's worst drought on record. \n\nThe water will be cut off daily from 9pm until 4am, with immediate effect, state water distribution company SONEDE said in a statement on Friday. \n\nThe country's agriculture ministry earlier introduced a quota system for drinking water and banned its use in agriculture until 30 September. \n\nTunisia is battling with a drought that is now in its fourth year. \n\nWhat\u2019s causing Tunisia\u2019s drought? \n\nYears of drought have dried up Tunisian reservoirs, diminished harvests and pushed the government to raise tap water prices for homes and businesses. \n\nAttributing the unprecedented drought to climate change , SONEDE head Mosbah Hlali called on Tunisians to understand the decision to cut off water supplies. \n\nThe Mediterranean region has experienced blistering heat in recent summers and a lack of rainfall in winter. In August 2021, Tunisia experienced record-high temperatures of over 50\u00b0C. \n\nThe country\u2019s dam capacity has now dropped to around 1 billion cubic metres, or 30 per cent of the maximum, according to senior agriculture ministry official Hamadi Habib. \n\nThe Sidi Salem Dam in the north of the country, a key provider of drinking water to several regions, has declined to only 16 per cent of its maximum capacity, official figures show. \n\nTunisia\u2019s grain harvest will be \u201cdisastrous\u201d, with the drought-hit crop declining to 200,000-250,000 tonnes this year from 750,000 tonnes in 2022, senior farmers union official Mohamed Rjaibia told news agency Reuters on Thursday. \n\nHow severe are Tunisia\u2019s water restrictions? \n\nAs well as cutting off overnight water supplies, Tunisia\u2019s agriculture ministry has banned the use of drinking water to wash cars, water green areas and clean streets and public places. \n\nViolators face a fine and imprisonment for a period of between six days to six months. \n\nResidents say Tunisian authorities have been cutting off drinking water at night in some areas of the capital and other cities for the last two weeks in a bid to cut consumption. \n\nThe move has sparked widespread anger. \n\nThe new decision threatens to fuel social tension in a country whose people suffer from poor public services, high inflation and a weak economy. \n\nFarmers have also been urged to stop irrigating vegetable fields with water from dams and in some cases face limits. \n\nTunisia already has food supply problems due to high global prices and the government\u2019s own financial difficulties, which have reduced its capacity to buy imported food and subsidise farms at home. \n\nThe drought has pushed up fodder prices, contributing to a crisis for Tunisia\u2019s dairy industry as farmers sell off herds they can no longer afford to keep, leaving supermarket shelves empty of milk and butter. \n\nWill Europeans face water restrictions this summer?\u00a0 \n\nEurope has been in drought since 2018, according to a recent study from the Graz University of Technology in Austria. \n\nLow winter rain and snowfall have left countries at risk of another extreme summer,\u00a0the European Commission has warned. \n\nNorthern Italy, France and Spain are bracing for restrictions, which last year limited some residents of Catalonia to using water for around four hours a day. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Tunisia is cutting off water supplies to citizens for seven hours a night. The extreme measure is a response to the country's worst <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//03//28//very-precarious-the-european-countries-facing-another-year-of-drought/">drought on record.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//03//21//hundreds-of-millions-of-children-at-risk-from-inadequate-or-unsafe-drinking-water/">water will be cut off daily from 9pm until 4am, with immediate effect, state water distribution company SONEDE said in a statement on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>The country's agriculture ministry earlier introduced a quota system for drinking <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2022//10//28//south-americas-lithium-triangle-communities-are-being-sacrificed-to-save-the-planet/">water and banned its use in agriculture until 30 September.<\/p>\n<p>Tunisia is battling with a <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//03//24//200-marathons-in-one-year-meet-the-endurance-runner-raising-awareness-of-the-water-crisis/">drought that is now in its fourth year.<\/p>\n<h2>What\u2019s causing Tunisia\u2019s drought?<\/h2><p>Years of drought have dried up Tunisian reservoirs, diminished <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//03//07//meat-diary-and-rice-which-foods-contribute-the-most-to-global-warming/">harvests and pushed the government to raise tap water prices for homes and businesses.<\/p>\n<p>Attributing the unprecedented drought to <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//03//14//weather-whiplash-flooding-and-droughts-to-happen-more-often-and-last-longer-as-climate-war/">climate change<\/strong><\/a>, SONEDE head Mosbah Hlali called on Tunisians to understand the decision to cut off water supplies.<\/p>\n<p>The Mediterranean region has experienced blistering heat in recent summers and a lack of rainfall in winter. In August 2021, Tunisia experienced record-high <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//03//27//cop27-finally-put-a-loss-and-damage-fund-on-the-map-what-can-we-expect-on-the-way-to-cop28/">temperatures of over 50\u00b0C.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7501398,7499420\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//03//30//macron-unveils-frances-plan-to-share-reuse-and-save-water-in-the-face-of-drought/">Macron unveils France\u2019s plan to share, reuse and save water in the face of drought<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//04//18//more-of-the-same-these-european-villages-are-preparing-for-another-year-of-extreme-drought/"> \u2018I pray and hope': These European villages are already facing another year of extreme drought<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The country\u2019s dam capacity has now dropped to around 1 billion cubic metres, or 30 per cent of the maximum, according to senior agriculture ministry official Hamadi Habib.<\/p>\n<p>The Sidi Salem Dam in the north of the country, a key provider of drinking water to several regions, has declined to only 16 per cent of its maximum capacity, official figures show.<\/p>\n<p>Tunisia\u2019s grain harvest will be \u201cdisastrous\u201d, with the drought-hit <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2022//07//18//food-insecurity-can-we-grow-climate-proof-crops/">crop declining to 200,000-250,000 tonnes this year from 750,000 tonnes in 2022, senior farmers union official Mohamed Rjaibia told news agency Reuters on Thursday.<\/p>\n<h2>How severe are Tunisia\u2019s water restrictions?<\/h2><p>As well as cutting off overnight water supplies, Tunisia\u2019s agriculture ministry has banned the use of drinking <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2022//08//16//golf-courses-stay-green-while-flower-towns-wither-in-french-drought/">water to wash cars, water green areas and clean streets and public places.<\/p>\n<p>Violators face a <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2022//07//20//la-residents-can-only-water-their-plants-twice-a-week-and-its-enforced-by-the-water-police/">fine and imprisonment for a period of between six days to six months.<\/p>\n<p>Residents say Tunisian authorities have been cutting off drinking water at night in some areas of the capital and other cities for the last two weeks in a bid to cut consumption.<\/p>\n<p>The move has sparked widespread anger.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7422670\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//02//23//why-are-tunisias-beaches-disappearing-and-what-does-it-mean-for-the-country/">Why are Tunisia\u2019s beaches disappearing and what does it mean for the country?<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The new decision threatens to fuel social tension in a country whose people suffer from poor public services, high inflation and a weak economy.<\/p>\n<p>Farmers have also been urged to stop irrigating <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//02//22//food-shortages-why-are-uk-supermarkets-rationing-fruit-and-vegetables/">vegetable fields with water from dams and in some cases face limits.<\/p>\n<p>Tunisia already has food supply problems due to high global prices and the government\u2019s own financial difficulties, which have reduced its capacity to buy imported food and subsidise farms at home.<\/p>\n<p>The drought has pushed up fodder prices, contributing to a crisis for Tunisia\u2019s <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//03//07//meat-diary-and-rice-which-foods-contribute-the-most-to-global-warming/">dairy industry as farmers sell off herds they can no longer afford to keep, leaving supermarket shelves empty of milk and butter.<\/p>\n<h2>Will Europeans face water restrictions this summer?<\/h2><p>Europe has been in drought since 2018, according to a recent study from the Graz University of Technology in Austria.<\/p>\n<p>Low <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//02//21//in-pictures-parts-of-europe-face-risk-of-drought-after-historically-low-winter-rainfall/">winter rain<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//01//04//no-snow-europes-ski-resorts-forced-to-close-amid-record-breaking-temperatures/">snowfall have left countries at risk of another extreme summer,\u00a0the European Commission has warned.<\/p>\n<p>Northern Italy, France and Spain are bracing for restrictions, which last year limited some residents of <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2022//08//04//heres-what-its-like-living-through-europes-driest-summer-in-memory/">Catalonia to using water for around four hours a day.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1680518337,"updatedAt":1680519367,"publishedAt":1680519364,"firstPublishedAt":1680519367,"lastPublishedAt":1680519367,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"REUTERS\/Jihed Abidellaoui","altText":"Sidi El Barrak dam with depleted levels of water, in Nafza, west of the capital Tunis, Tunisia, 7 January 2023. ","callToActionText":null,"width":1344,"caption":"Sidi El Barrak dam with depleted levels of water, in Nafza, west of the capital Tunis, Tunisia, 7 January 2023. ","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/68\/48\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_199b6481-101a-5249-80b2-6af646ff6249-7506848.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":756}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"symons","twitter":null,"title":"Angela Symons"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"water-shortage","titleRaw":"Water shortage","id":9513,"title":"Water shortage","slug":"water-shortage"},{"urlSafeValue":"drought","titleRaw":"Drought","id":9403,"title":"Drought","slug":"drought"},{"urlSafeValue":"water","titleRaw":"Water","id":12169,"title":"Water","slug":"water"},{"urlSafeValue":"extreme-weather","titleRaw":"Extreme weather","id":17856,"title":"Extreme weather","slug":"extreme-weather"},{"urlSafeValue":"water-crisis","titleRaw":"Water Crisis","id":12170,"title":"Water Crisis","slug":"water-crisis"},{"urlSafeValue":"farmers","titleRaw":"Farmers","id":18298,"title":"Farmers","slug":"farmers"}],"widgets":[{"count":2,"slug":"related"}],"related":[{"id":2240120},{"id":2241090}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"Reuters","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"climate","urlSafeValue":"climate","title":"Climate","online":0,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/green\/climate\/climate"},"vertical":"green","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"green","id":8,"title":"Green","slug":"green"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":8,"slug":"green","urlSafeValue":"green","title":"Green"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"climate","id":"climate","title":"Climate","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/green\/climate"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":34,"urlSafeValue":"climate","title":"Climate"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":283,"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","title":"Tunisia","url":"\/news\/africa\/tunisia"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_science','gs_busfin','gs_busfin_indus','gs_business','progressivemedia','gs_science_environ','gs_science_environment','gs_busfin_indus_agriculture','gs_business_agri','neg_saudiaramco','neg_audi_list2','sm_politics','neg_facebook_2021','gt_negative','gt_negative_fear'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"GREEN_Tunisia cuts off public water supplies overnight due to drought","path":"\/green\/2023\/04\/03\/worst-drought-on-record-forces-tunisia-to-cut-off-drinking-water-for-seven-hours-every-nig","lastModified":1680519367},{"id":2237814,"cid":7502388,"versionId":3,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"The EU should know the rise of autocracy in Tunisia won't be fixed with short-term band-aids","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"The EU can't fix Tunisia's rising autocracy with band-aid solutions","titleListing2":"VIEW | The democratic backsliding that the opposition is describing as a coup has not provoked a significant enough reaction from Europe. That might threaten the stability in the Middle East on the whole, Ghazi Ben Ahmed writes.","leadin":"The democratic backsliding that the opposition is describing as a coup has not provoked a significant enough reaction from Europe. That might threaten the stability in the Middle East on the whole, Ghazi Ben Ahmed writes.","summary":"The democratic backsliding that the opposition is describing as a coup has not provoked a significant enough reaction from Europe. That might threaten the stability in the Middle East on the whole, Ghazi Ben Ahmed writes.","keySentence":"","url":"the-eu-should-know-the-rise-of-autocracy-in-tunisia-wont-be-fixed-with-short-term-band-aid","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/03\/31\/the-eu-should-know-the-rise-of-autocracy-in-tunisia-wont-be-fixed-with-short-term-band-aid","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The EU is clearly concerned that Tunisia is heading for political and economic collapse.\u00a0 \n\nAs a result of widespread disillusionment, democracy has been in decline, and authoritarian populists have seized power in various corners of the world. \n\nSadly, Tunisia is no exception.\u00a0 \n\nTunisia\u2019s transition to democracy following its 2011 Jasmine Revolution\u00a0\u2014\u00a0the first in a series of democratisation protests that\u00a0became broadly known as the Arab Spring movement\u00a0\u2014only lasted for as long as average citizens still believed it would deliver a better life.\u00a0 \n\nToday, it is in shambles as President Kais Saied has cemented his authoritarian rule. Following this democratic recession, Tunisia was not invited to the second Summit for Democracy co-hosted by the US on 29-30 March.\u00a0 \n\nFrustrated by corruption and growing inequalities, Tunisians also turned to populism \n\nIn 2016, the year of Brexit and former US President Donald Trump's arrival to power, disillusionment surged to a climax in OECD countries.\u00a0 \n\nMany people worldwide became increasingly sceptical of the ability of their governments to act effectively in protecting their health and promoting positive economic policies and prosperity for all. \n\nThose excluded from globalisation, in Europe or the US, pushed the elites who had failed to listen to them out of power.\u00a0 \n\nIn Tunisia, where dividends of democracy were slow to materialise, citizens\u2019 ire grew, and they lost confidence in democratic institutions as instruments capable of providing concrete solutions to their problems.\u00a0 \n\nThese tensions were compounded by massive and widespread corruption and rising inequalities, creating terrible frustrations while dangerously feeding populism.\u00a0 \n\nIn Brazil, one of the key reasons for former President Jair Bolsonaro\u2019s rise to power in 2018 was the massive amount of corruption that tainted the administration of his opponent Lula\u2019s Workers\u2019 Party, which was in power from 2003 until 2016. \n\nFrom an 'incorruptible constitutionalist' to an illiberal autocrat \n\nTunisia\u2019s Saied was elected in 2019 on a platform where he painted himself as a warrior against the country\u2019s \"corrupt, incompetent elite,\" and he did enjoy a reputation of incorruptibility as a political outsider.\u00a0 \n\nWhile all post-revolution governments basically faltered, Saied \u2014 an unknown constitutionalist \u2014 had maintained his popularity until his power grab on 25 July 2021, when he suspended the parliament, dismissed the PM, and proceeded to demolish all political life in the country.\u00a0 \n\nThe democratic backsliding that the opposition is describing as a coup has not provoked a significant enough reaction from Europe and the US.\u00a0 \n\nThe COVID-19 pandemic and its severe impact, inflation, tensions with China, and Russia's war in Ukraine left no room for concern about what the situation in Tunisia \u2014 the only democracy to have arisen from the Arab Spring \u2014 meant for stability across the Middle East on the whole. \n\nThus, US President Joe Biden\u2019s recent proclamation that \u201cthe challenge of our time is to demonstrate that democracies can deliver by improving the lives of their own people and by addressing the greatest problems facing the wider world\u201d is not enough to bring assurance to citizens around the world that democracy is the key to our future prosperity.\u00a0 \n\nMoney might be a stop-gap measure, but it's no long-term solution \n\nDemocracy is a living, fragile thing that needs to be nurtured and protected on an ongoing basis.\u00a0 \n\nPost-revolution periods have always witnessed economic crises and turbulence.\u00a0 \n\nEastern Europe\u2019s transition from Soviet rule saw economies decline throughout the 1990s before they were able to generate economic growth with significant help from the European Union based on a long-term vision. \n\nToday, sadly, it seems easier for the EU to follow the lead of Italy's government and push for a short-term patch of an IMF loan rather than address Tunisia and North Africa's instability through changes in EU neighbourhood policies, starting with migration and mobility.\u00a0 \n\nExperiences around the world have shown that authoritarian rule seldom leads to inclusive growth, dynamic economies, and the tackling of corruption.\u00a0 \n\nTherefore, the EU and Italy\u2019s move to unblock a $1.9 billion (\u20ac1,74bn) IMF loan to Tunisia with no strings attached may just delay the problem by a few months, unleashing an even bigger wave of migrants towards Europe. \n\nTwo major shifts might bring about progress \n\nTunisia is in the process of achieving a double catharsis that will allow it to look forward to the future more serenely.\u00a0 \n\nThe first catharsis comes with the bitter failure of the Islamist party Ennahdha and its acolyte, the Karama (\"Dignity\") party, as their first concern when they took power was to demand high financial compensation from an already bankrupt country.\u00a0 \n\nThe population saw that theocratic systems exploited religion and touted hollow promises about improving their welfare.\u00a0 \n\nAlso, this coalition emerged at a time during which Tunisia was one of the top providers of jihadists in the world.\u00a0Post-Islamism is seen as a decoy designed to make Ennahdha look like a moderate party, in contrast with an overactive Salafist movement. \n\nThe second will only come from the failure of authoritarian populism, characterised by economic myopia, visceral hatred of the \"corrupt\" secularist elites, and hostility toward democratic institutions and the so-called \u201cWestern interference.\u201d \n\nThe same authoritarian populism is guilty of anti-immigrant racism\u00a0\u2014 especially against sub-Saharan Africans\u00a0\u2014 conspiracies against the domestic \"traitors,\" and \"supplicants of foreign forces,\" and hatred of the media allegedly in \u201cthe hands of occult forces\u201d. \n\nAll these are populist ploys that seduced young people impatient to live their dream no longer have the same effect they once had. \n\nTunisia's democracy must be brought back to its feet, and soon \n\nThis double catharsis will make it possible to exorcise the lost decade and approach a new phase in which a peace-loving Tunisia with a history that spans several millennia will be able to seriously tackle all of its problems.\u00a0 \n\nThe rent economy, vested interests, cronyism, economic protectionism, and massive corruption in particular. \n\nTunisia\u2019s democracy must be restored expeditiously, and Europe and the US must help the country deliver it more effectively with long-term systemic solutions.\u00a0 \n\nThe second Democracy Forum should highlight Tunisia\u2019s democratic transition and ensure that it can address the country\u2019s most pressing challenges.\u00a0 \n\nThe Forum states : \u201cWe will champion a vision of our world that is grounded in democratic values: transparent, responsive, and accountable governance; rule of law; and respect for human rights.\u201d\u00a0 \n\nHistory will tell us if this is just wishful thinking. \n\nGhazi Ben Ahmed is the Founder of the Mediterranean Development Initiative (MDI), a Tunis-based think-tank founded in 2013 to help support economic and social development in the Mediterranean region. \n\nAt Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>The EU is clearly concerned that Tunisia is heading for political and economic collapse.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As a result of widespread disillusionment, democracy has been in decline, and authoritarian populists have seized power in various corners of the world.<\/p>\n<p>Sadly, Tunisia is no exception.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Tunisia\u2019s transition to democracy following its 2011 Jasmine Revolution\u00a0\u2014\u00a0the first in a series of democratisation protests that\u00a0became broadly known as the Arab Spring movement\u00a0\u2014only lasted for as long as average citizens still believed it would deliver a better life.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7444226\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//03//06//tunisians-defy-protest-ban-and-rally-against-president/">Tunisians defy protest ban and rally against president <\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Today, it is in shambles as President Kais Saied has cemented his authoritarian rule. Following this democratic recession, Tunisia was not invited to the second Summit for Democracy co-hosted by the US on 29-30 March.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Frustrated by corruption and growing inequalities, Tunisians also turned to populism<\/h2><p>In 2016, the year of Brexit and former US President Donald Trump's arrival to power, disillusionment surged to a climax in OECD countries.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Many people worldwide became increasingly sceptical of the ability of their governments to act effectively in protecting their health and promoting positive economic policies and prosperity for all.<\/p>\n<p>Those excluded from globalisation, in Europe or the US, pushed the elites who had failed to listen to them out of power.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In Tunisia, where dividends of democracy were slow to materialise, citizens\u2019 ire grew, and they lost confidence in democratic institutions as instruments capable of providing concrete solutions to their problems.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">These tensions were compounded by massive and widespread corruption and rising inequalities, creating terrible frustrations while dangerously feeding populism.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.7783203125\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//50//23//88//808x631_cmsv2_08f6e387-2225-525b-b59a-d46c5afb2c7e-7502388.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo\/Hassene Dridi\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/384x299_cmsv2_08f6e387-2225-525b-b59a-d46c5afb2c7e-7502388.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/640x498_cmsv2_08f6e387-2225-525b-b59a-d46c5afb2c7e-7502388.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/750x584_cmsv2_08f6e387-2225-525b-b59a-d46c5afb2c7e-7502388.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/828x644_cmsv2_08f6e387-2225-525b-b59a-d46c5afb2c7e-7502388.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/1080x841_cmsv2_08f6e387-2225-525b-b59a-d46c5afb2c7e-7502388.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/1200x934_cmsv2_08f6e387-2225-525b-b59a-d46c5afb2c7e-7502388.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/1920x1494_cmsv2_08f6e387-2225-525b-b59a-d46c5afb2c7e-7502388.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A Tunisian holds a bird cage containing his national flag during a demonstration to mark the eighth anniversary of the democratic uprising in Tunis, January 2019<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Hassene Dridi<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>These tensions were compounded by massive and widespread corruption and rising inequalities, creating terrible frustrations while dangerously feeding populism.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In Brazil, one of the key reasons for former President Jair Bolsonaro\u2019s rise to power in 2018 was the massive amount of corruption that tainted the administration of his opponent Lula\u2019s Workers\u2019 Party, which was in power from 2003 until 2016.<\/p>\n<h2>From an 'incorruptible constitutionalist' to an illiberal autocrat<\/h2><p>Tunisia\u2019s Saied was elected in 2019 on a platform where he painted himself as a warrior against the country\u2019s \"corrupt, incompetent elite,\" and he did enjoy a reputation of incorruptibility as a political outsider.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While all post-revolution governments basically faltered, Saied \u2014 an unknown constitutionalist \u2014 had maintained his popularity until his power grab on 25 July 2021, when he suspended the parliament, dismissed the PM, and proceeded to demolish all political life in the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">The COVID-19 pandemic and its severe impact ... and Russia's war in Ukraine left no room for concern about what the situation in Tunisia meant for stability across the Middle East on the whole.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.650390625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//06//87//80//42//808x525_cmsv2_c2fc94de-905b-54ca-99fd-ac1e2d3fc009-6878042.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo\/Slim Abid\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/87\/80\/42\/384x250_cmsv2_c2fc94de-905b-54ca-99fd-ac1e2d3fc009-6878042.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/87\/80\/42\/640x416_cmsv2_c2fc94de-905b-54ca-99fd-ac1e2d3fc009-6878042.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/87\/80\/42\/750x488_cmsv2_c2fc94de-905b-54ca-99fd-ac1e2d3fc009-6878042.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/87\/80\/42\/828x539_cmsv2_c2fc94de-905b-54ca-99fd-ac1e2d3fc009-6878042.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/87\/80\/42\/1080x702_cmsv2_c2fc94de-905b-54ca-99fd-ac1e2d3fc009-6878042.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/87\/80\/42\/1200x780_cmsv2_c2fc94de-905b-54ca-99fd-ac1e2d3fc009-6878042.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/87\/80\/42\/1920x1249_cmsv2_c2fc94de-905b-54ca-99fd-ac1e2d3fc009-6878042.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Tunisia's President Kais Saied leads a security meeting with members of the army and police forces in Tunis, 25 July 2021<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Slim Abid<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The democratic backsliding that the opposition is describing as a coup has not provoked a significant enough reaction from Europe and the US.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The COVID-19 pandemic and its severe impact, inflation, tensions with China, and Russia's war in Ukraine left no room for concern about what the situation in Tunisia \u2014 the only democracy to have arisen from the Arab Spring \u2014 meant for stability across the Middle East on the whole.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, US President Joe Biden\u2019s recent proclamation that \u201cthe challenge of our time is to demonstrate that democracies can deliver by improving the lives of their own people and by addressing the greatest problems facing the wider world\u201d is not enough to bring assurance to citizens around the world that democracy is the key to our future prosperity.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Money might be a stop-gap measure, but it's no long-term solution<\/h2><p>Democracy is a living, fragile thing that needs to be nurtured and protected on an ongoing basis.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Post-revolution periods have always witnessed economic crises and turbulence.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Eastern Europe\u2019s transition from Soviet rule saw economies decline throughout the 1990s before they were able to generate economic growth with significant help from the European Union based on a long-term vision.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">The EU and Italy\u2019s move to unblock a $1.9 billion (\u20ac1,74bn) IMF loan to Tunisia with no strings attached may just delay the problem by a few months.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//50//23//88//808x539_cmsv2_ba9cc97b-8c4e-5baf-8bb8-1c2b69a2c837-7502388.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo\/Francisco Seco\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/384x256_cmsv2_ba9cc97b-8c4e-5baf-8bb8-1c2b69a2c837-7502388.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/640x427_cmsv2_ba9cc97b-8c4e-5baf-8bb8-1c2b69a2c837-7502388.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/750x500_cmsv2_ba9cc97b-8c4e-5baf-8bb8-1c2b69a2c837-7502388.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/828x552_cmsv2_ba9cc97b-8c4e-5baf-8bb8-1c2b69a2c837-7502388.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/1080x720_cmsv2_ba9cc97b-8c4e-5baf-8bb8-1c2b69a2c837-7502388.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/1200x800_cmsv2_ba9cc97b-8c4e-5baf-8bb8-1c2b69a2c837-7502388.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/1920x1281_cmsv2_ba9cc97b-8c4e-5baf-8bb8-1c2b69a2c837-7502388.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Migrants from Tunisia wait in a boat as they are assisted by Spanish NGO Open Arms crew members during a rescue operation near the Italian island of Lampedusa, August 2022<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Francisco Seco<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Today, sadly, it seems easier for the EU to follow the lead of Italy's government and push for a short-term patch of an IMF loan rather than address Tunisia and North Africa's instability through changes in EU neighbourhood policies, starting with migration and mobility.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7496226\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//03//29//russia-uses-propaganda-to-make-egypt-the-linchpin-of-its-new-cold-war-with-the-west/">Russia is using propaganda to make Egypt the linchpin of its new Cold War with the West<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Experiences around the world have shown that authoritarian rule seldom leads to inclusive growth, dynamic economies, and the tackling of corruption.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, the EU and Italy\u2019s move to unblock a $1.9 billion (\u20ac1,74bn) IMF loan to Tunisia with no strings attached may just delay the problem by a few months, unleashing an even bigger wave of migrants towards Europe.<\/p>\n<h2>Two major shifts might bring about progress<\/h2><p>Tunisia is in the process of achieving a double catharsis that will allow it to look forward to the future more serenely.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The first catharsis comes with the bitter failure of the Islamist party Ennahdha and its acolyte, the Karama (\"Dignity\") party, as their first concern when they took power was to demand high financial compensation from an already bankrupt country.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The population saw that theocratic systems exploited religion and touted hollow promises about improving their welfare.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Also, this coalition emerged at a time during which Tunisia was one of the top providers of jihadists in the world.\u00a0Post-Islamism is seen as a decoy designed to make Ennahdha look like a moderate party, in contrast with an overactive Salafist movement.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">All these are populist ploys that seduced young people impatient to live their dream no longer have the same effect they once had.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.673828125\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//50//23//88//808x546_cmsv2_ec60e804-f005-522f-9649-fe31719ff3c4-7502388.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo\/Hassene Dridi\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/384x259_cmsv2_ec60e804-f005-522f-9649-fe31719ff3c4-7502388.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/640x431_cmsv2_ec60e804-f005-522f-9649-fe31719ff3c4-7502388.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/750x505_cmsv2_ec60e804-f005-522f-9649-fe31719ff3c4-7502388.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/828x558_cmsv2_ec60e804-f005-522f-9649-fe31719ff3c4-7502388.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/1080x728_cmsv2_ec60e804-f005-522f-9649-fe31719ff3c4-7502388.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/1200x809_cmsv2_ec60e804-f005-522f-9649-fe31719ff3c4-7502388.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/1920x1294_cmsv2_ec60e804-f005-522f-9649-fe31719ff3c4-7502388.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">People demonstrate against Tunisian President Kais Saied's comment on migration, 25 February 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Hassene Dridi<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The second will only come from the failure of authoritarian populism, characterised by economic myopia, visceral hatred of the \"corrupt\" secularist elites, and hostility toward democratic institutions and the so-called \u201cWestern interference.\u201d<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7462062\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//03//14//tunisia-misleading-and-racist-content-goes-viral-on-social-media-leading-to-attacks-on-mig/">Tunisia: Misleading and racist content goes viral on social media leading to attacks on migrants<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The same authoritarian populism is guilty of anti-immigrant racism\u00a0\u2014 especially against sub-Saharan Africans\u00a0\u2014 conspiracies against the domestic \"traitors,\" and \"supplicants of foreign forces,\" and hatred of the media allegedly in \u201cthe hands of occult forces\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>All these are populist ploys that seduced young people impatient to live their dream no longer have the same effect they once had.<\/p>\n<h2>Tunisia's democracy must be brought back to its feet, and soon<\/h2><p>This double catharsis will make it possible to exorcise the lost decade and approach a new phase in which a peace-loving Tunisia with a history that spans several millennia will be able to seriously tackle all of its problems.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The rent economy, vested interests, cronyism, economic protectionism, and massive corruption in particular.<\/p>\n<p>Tunisia\u2019s democracy must be restored expeditiously, and Europe and the US must help the country deliver it more effectively with long-term systemic solutions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7256336,6874538\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//12//18//tunisian-president-under-pressure-to-resign-after-fiasco-elections/">Tunisian President under pressure to resign after 'fiasco' elections<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//07//23//tunisian-police-crack-down-on-anti-saied-demonstration/">Tunisian police crack down on anti-Saied demonstration<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The second Democracy Forum should highlight Tunisia\u2019s democratic transition and ensure that it can address the country\u2019s most pressing challenges.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Forum states : \u201cWe will champion a vision of our world that is grounded in democratic values: transparent, responsive, and accountable governance; rule of law; and respect for human rights.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>History will tell us if this is just wishful thinking.<\/p>\n<p><em>Ghazi Ben Ahmed is the Founder of the Mediterranean Development Initiative (MDI), a Tunis-based think-tank founded in 2013 to help support economic and social development in the Mediterranean region.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>At Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at <a href=https://www.euronews.com/news/africa/\"mailto:view@euronews.com\">view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation.<\/em><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1680276430,"updatedAt":1680285858,"publishedAt":1680285204,"firstPublishedAt":1680285207,"lastPublishedAt":1680285858,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Euronews","altText":"People take part in a protest against President Kais Saied's policies in Tunis, 5 March 2023","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"People take part in a protest against President Kais Saied's policies in Tunis, 5 March 2023","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_7f55ed90-f554-5211-a7e8-408b731e6b03-7502388.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Hassene Dridi","altText":"A Tunisian holds a bird cage countaining his national flag during a demonstration to mark the eighth anniversary of the democratic uprising in Tunis, January 2019","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"A Tunisian holds a bird cage countaining his national flag during a demonstration to mark the eighth anniversary of the democratic uprising in Tunis, January 2019","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_08f6e387-2225-525b-b59a-d46c5afb2c7e-7502388.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":797},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Hassene Dridi","altText":"People demonstrate against Tunisian President Kais Saied's comment on migration, 25 February 2023","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"People demonstrate against Tunisian President Kais Saied's comment on migration, 25 February 2023","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ec60e804-f005-522f-9649-fe31719ff3c4-7502388.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":690},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Francisco Seco","altText":"Migrants from Tunisia wait in a boat as they are assisted by Spanish NGO Open Arms crew members during a rescue operation near the Italian island of Lampedusa, August 2022","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Migrants from Tunisia wait in a boat as they are assisted by Spanish NGO Open Arms crew members during a rescue operation near the Italian island of Lampedusa, August 2022","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ba9cc97b-8c4e-5baf-8bb8-1c2b69a2c837-7502388.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Fateh Guidoum","altText":"Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni departs Algiers after a two day official visit in Algeria, 23 January 2023","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni departs Algiers after a two day official visit in Algeria, 23 January 2023","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/23\/88\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_53d2f0e4-75af-51f2-899d-be6f6961d4d9-7502388.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":682}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","titleRaw":"Tunisia","id":8191,"title":"Tunisia","slug":"tunisia"},{"urlSafeValue":"protests-in-tunisia","titleRaw":"Protests in Tunisia","id":9329,"title":"Protests in Tunisia","slug":"protests-in-tunisia"},{"urlSafeValue":"arab-spr-ng","titleRaw":"Arab Spring","id":13508,"title":"Arab Spring","slug":"arab-spr-ng"},{"urlSafeValue":"european-union","titleRaw":"European Union","id":105,"title":"European 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TUNISIA EUROPEAN UNION DEMOCRACY","path":"\/2023\/03\/31\/the-eu-should-know-the-rise-of-autocracy-in-tunisia-wont-be-fixed-with-short-term-band-aid","lastModified":1680285858},{"id":2224344,"cid":7462062,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230314_NWSU_50797107","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Tunisia: Misleading and racist content goes viral on social media leading to attacks on migrants","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Tunisia: Misleading claims go viral leading to attacks on migrants","titleListing2":"#TheCube We've looked at several claims circulating online about sub-Saharan African migrants in Tunisia. Here's what we've found. ","leadin":"The attacks on migrants started after President Kais Saied's remarks caused a wave of racist violence across the country.","summary":"The attacks on migrants started after President Kais Saied's remarks caused a wave of racist violence across the country.","keySentence":"","url":"tunisia-misleading-and-racist-content-goes-viral-on-social-media-leading-to-attacks-on-mig","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/03\/14\/tunisia-misleading-and-racist-content-goes-viral-on-social-media-leading-to-attacks-on-mig","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Facing attacks and discrimination, sub-Saharan African migrants are fleeing Tunisia, just weeks after controversial comments by President Kais Saied. \n\nThe Tunisian leader\u00a0said migration was a \"conspiracy\" to change the country\u2019s identity, also known as the\u00a0white-nationalist \u201cgreat replacement\u201d conspiracy theory.\u00a0He denies his comment was racist. \n\nCountries such as Ivory Coast and Guinea have begun repatriating their nationals due to fears for their safety, after migrants have been attacked on the streets and even evicted from their homes or fired from their jobs. \n\nOn social media, hate speech and misinformation have proliferated. The Cube has looked closer at some of these misleading claims.\u00a0 \n\nHow many migrants are there in Tunisia? \n\nOne claim frequently pushed by news outlets and social media accounts is that there are more than 700,000 Sub-Saharan African migrants in the country. \n\nBut according to the Tunisian Statistical Institute on Migration the number is much lower. Out of approximately 58,000 immigrants about 21,000 are from sub-Saharan Africa. \n\nThis exaggerated number has spread to Moroccan and Egyptian social media pages and groups. \n\nSocial media users have started calling for the preservation of Moroccan and Egyptian identities, fearful migrants will erase their Islamic and Arab heritage.\u00a0\u00a0 \n\nOne video found by Euronews on Twitter shows how social media users criticised Moroccan women who\u00a0 married sub-Saharan Africans.\u00a0 \n\nSimilar posts were seen in Egypt echoing a fear that immigrants will change the country\u2019s demographic profile. \n\nBlack citizens in Tunisia fire back \n\nThis wave of discrimination\u00a0 pushed Black citizens to slam the harassment and violence they claim to experience in Tunisia. \n\nMany Black Tunisians say they\u2019ve been mistaken for undocumented migrants and physically or verbally attacked. \n\nIn response, a social media campaign was launched with people posing with their Tunisian IDs along with the hashtag \u201cmy papers on me, just in case.\u201d \n\nKais Saeid's comments provoked anger in certain sub-Saharan African countries calling for retaliatory measures against Tunisian immigrants. \n\nOne video on Twitter claims to show a Tunisian citizen arrested and kicked out of Guinea. The text on the bottom half says \u201cBravo to the Guinean government for the immediate repatriation of all Tunisians.\" \n\nBut after doing an image reverse search, The Cube found the video dates back to April 2022 and has nothing to do with the current events in Tunisia.\u00a0 \n\nThe man arrested is from Spain, not Tunisia. He\u2019s being led away by police in Ivory Coast for trafficking narcotics.\u00a0 \n\nMeanwhile, The World Bank has paused talks over its future engagement with Tunisia, while the EU warned the country against hate speech targeting people fleeing conflict and poverty. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Facing attacks and discrimination, sub-Saharan African migrants are fleeing Tunisia, just weeks after controversial comments by President Kais Saied.<\/p>\n<p>The Tunisian leader\u00a0said migration was a \"conspiracy\" to change the country\u2019s identity, also known as the\u00a0white-nationalist \u201cgreat replacement\u201d conspiracy theory.\u00a0He denies his comment was racist.<\/p>\n<p>Countries such as Ivory Coast and Guinea have begun repatriating their nationals due to fears for their safety, after migrants have been attacked on the streets and even evicted from their homes or fired from their jobs.<\/p>\n<p>On social media, hate speech and misinformation have proliferated. The Cube has looked closer at some of these misleading claims.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>How many migrants are there in Tunisia?<\/h2><p>One claim frequently pushed by news outlets and social media accounts is that there are more than 700,000 Sub-Saharan African migrants in the country.<\/p>\n<p>But according to the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"http:////www.migration.nat.tn//fr//publications//etudes-et-recherche//rapport-de-l-enquête-nationale-sur-la-migration-internationale-tunisia-hims/">Tunisian Statistical Institute on Migration<\/strong><\/a> the number is much lower. Out of approximately 58,000 immigrants about 21,000 are from sub-Saharan Africa.<\/p>\n<p>This exaggerated number has spread to Moroccan and Egyptian social media pages and groups.<\/p>\n<p>Social media users have started calling for the preservation of Moroccan and Egyptian identities, fearful migrants will erase their Islamic and Arab heritage.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////twitter.com//hespress//status//1628058009384411137/">One video<\/strong><\/a> found by Euronews on Twitter shows how social media users criticised Moroccan women who\u00a0 married sub-Saharan Africans.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Similar posts were seen in Egypt echoing a fear that immigrants will change the country\u2019s demographic profile.<\/p>\n<h2>Black citizens in Tunisia fire back<\/h2><p>This wave of discrimination\u00a0 pushed Black citizens to slam the harassment and violence they claim to experience in Tunisia.<\/p>\n<p>Many Black Tunisians say they\u2019ve been mistaken for undocumented migrants and physically or verbally attacked.<\/p>\n<p>In response, a social media campaign was launched with people posing with their Tunisian IDs along with the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.facebook.com//hashtag//فوقي_وراقي_على_ماياتي/">hashtag \u201cmy papers on me, just in case.\u201d<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Kais Saeid's comments provoked anger in certain sub-Saharan African countries calling for retaliatory measures against Tunisian immigrants.<\/p>\n<p><a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////twitter.com//mdkmood//status//1632434476126031874/">One video on Twitter<\/strong><\/a> claims to show a Tunisian citizen arrested and kicked out of Guinea. The text on the bottom half says \u201cBravo to the Guinean government for the immediate repatriation of all Tunisians.\"<\/p>\n<p>But after doing an image reverse search, The Cube found the video dates <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.youtube.com//watch?v=t8XiWbpV2pA\%22>back to April 2022<\/strong><\/a> and has nothing to do with the current events in Tunisia.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The man arrested is from Spain, not Tunisia. He\u2019s being led away by police in Ivory Coast for trafficking narcotics.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, The World Bank has paused talks over its future engagement with Tunisia, while the EU warned the country against hate speech targeting people fleeing conflict and poverty.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1678729091,"updatedAt":1678787849,"publishedAt":1678787828,"firstPublishedAt":1678787849,"lastPublishedAt":1678787849,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Euronews","altText":"False content goes viral on social media about migrants in Tunisia","callToActionText":null,"width":960,"caption":"False content goes viral on social media about migrants in Tunisia","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/46\/20\/66\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_34a4652c-44b0-52d1-bcbe-178d64c39c4d-7462066.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":540}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"khatsenkova","twitter":null,"title":"Sophia Khatsenkova"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"racism","titleRaw":"Racism","id":8147,"title":"Racism","slug":"racism"},{"urlSafeValue":"social-network","titleRaw":"Social network","id":10367,"title":"Social network","slug":"social-network"},{"urlSafeValue":"african-migrants","titleRaw":"African migrants","id":16799,"title":"African migrants","slug":"african-migrants"},{"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","titleRaw":"Tunisia","id":8191,"title":"Tunisia","slug":"tunisia"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2232402}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"4zl6at201zs","dailymotionId":"x8j30ra"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":151720,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":18882389,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/03\/14\/en\/230314_NWSU_50797107_50797169_151720_173756_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":151720,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":27940693,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/03\/14\/en\/230314_NWSU_50797107_50797169_151720_173756_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":283,"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","title":"Tunisia","url":"\/news\/africa\/tunisia"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gs_society','gs_society_misc','gs_travel','gs_travel_locations','gb_hatespeech_news-ent','gv_hatespeech','gs_tech_compute_net_social','gs_tech_social','gs_tech','gs_tech_compute'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"THE CUBE - TUNISIA MIGRANTS","path":"\/2023\/03\/14\/tunisia-misleading-and-racist-content-goes-viral-on-social-media-leading-to-attacks-on-mig","lastModified":1678787849},{"id":2218278,"cid":7444226,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230305_NWSU_50689908","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Tunisians defy protest ban and rally against president ","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Tunisians defy protest ban and rally against president ","titleListing2":"Hundreds of Tunisians rallied in defiance against an official ban on Sunday's protest, to demand the release of more than 20 prominent figures opposed to the president.","leadin":"Hundreds of Tunisians rallied in defiance against an official ban on Sunday's protest, to demand the release of more than 20 prominent figures opposed to the president.","summary":"Hundreds of Tunisians rallied in defiance against an official ban on Sunday's protest, to demand the release of more than 20 prominent figures opposed to the president.","keySentence":"","url":"tunisians-defy-protest-ban-and-rally-against-president","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/03\/06\/tunisians-defy-protest-ban-and-rally-against-president","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Hundreds of Tunisians rallied in defiance against an official ban on Sunday's protest, to demand the release of more than 20 prominent figures opposed to the president. \n\nThey include members of the main opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front (NSF), and its main component, the Islamist-leaning Ennahdha party, who were arrested recently. \n\nThey denounced a 2021 power grab by President Kais Saied 'as a coup' after he sacked the government and froze parliament. He also imposed sweeping changes to the political system of the sole democracy to have emerged from the Arab Spring uprisings. \n\nHowever the president says the move was essential to save Tunisia from chaos. \n\nInitially dozens gathered by a key bus and tramway station in central Tunis before charging police barricades to then march towards Habib Bourguiba Avenue, where the crowd soon swelled to more than 500, reporters said. \n\nA policeman used a loudspeaker to urge demonstrators to move out of the iconic avenue -- the site of repeated protests -- and head towards the headquarters of Al Joumhouri party several kilometres away, saying: \"Please, the march is banned\". \n\nIssam Chebbi, head of Al Joumhouri party, is among the Saied opponents who have been arrested in the crackdown launched in February. \n\nHis brother Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, who heads the NSF, addressed the crowd and said the arrests were \"arbitrary\". \n\nProtester Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, 78, said: \"We are defending a national cause and we will not stop until democracy and institutions return.\" \n\nOther detainees include senior opposition figures Jawhar Ben Mbarek, businessman Kamel Eltaief, the head of Tunisia's most popular radio station Mosaique FM, Noureddine Boutar, as well as trade union officials. \n\nMbarek's father, Ezzedine Hazgui, who was imprisoned under the dictatorship of ousted president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, attended the rally and denounced Saied in comments to AFP. \n\n\"The president has placed all state institutions under his control and has divided the people. The police protects an illegitimate president,\" Hazgui said. \n\nSaied has accused those arrested of \"terrorism\" and causing recurrent food shortages, as well as plotting against the state. \n\nRights group Amnesty International has labelled the arrests a \"politically motivated witch hunt\". \n\nThe NSF had called for the demonstration, which came a day after more than 3,000 joined a Tunis rally organised by the powerful UGTT trade union. \n\n","htmlText":"<p><strong>Hundreds of Tunisians rallied in defiance against an official ban on Sunday's protest, to demand the release of more than 20 prominent figures opposed to the president.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>They include members of the main opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front (NSF), and its main component, the Islamist-leaning Ennahdha party, who were arrested recently.<\/p>\n<p>They denounced a 2021 power grab by President Kais Saied 'as a coup' after he sacked the government and froze parliament. He also imposed sweeping changes to the political system of the sole democracy to have emerged from the Arab Spring uprisings.<\/p>\n<p>However the president says the move was essential to save Tunisia from chaos.<\/p>\n<p>Initially dozens gathered by a key bus and tramway station in central Tunis before charging police barricades to then march towards Habib Bourguiba Avenue, where the crowd soon swelled to more than 500, reporters said.<\/p>\n<p>A policeman used a loudspeaker to urge demonstrators to move out of the iconic avenue -- the site of repeated protests -- and head towards the headquarters of Al Joumhouri party several kilometres away, saying: \"Please, the march is banned\".<\/p>\n<p>Issam Chebbi, head of Al Joumhouri party, is among the Saied opponents who have been arrested in the crackdown launched in February.<\/p>\n<p>His brother Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, who heads the NSF, addressed the crowd and said the arrests were \"arbitrary\".<\/p>\n<p>Protester Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, 78, said: \"We are defending a national cause and we will not stop until democracy and institutions return.\"<\/p>\n<p>Other detainees include senior opposition figures Jawhar Ben Mbarek, businessman Kamel Eltaief, the head of Tunisia's most popular radio station Mosaique FM, Noureddine Boutar, as well as trade union officials.<\/p>\n<p>Mbarek's father, Ezzedine Hazgui, who was imprisoned under the dictatorship of ousted president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, attended the rally and denounced Saied in comments to AFP.<\/p>\n<p>\"The president has placed all state institutions under his control and has divided the people. The police protects an illegitimate president,\" Hazgui said.<\/p>\n<p>Saied has accused those arrested of \"terrorism\" and causing recurrent food shortages, as well as plotting against the state.<\/p>\n<p>Rights group Amnesty International has labelled the arrests a \"politically motivated witch hunt\".<\/p>\n<p>The NSF had called for the demonstration, which came a day after more than 3,000 joined a Tunis rally organised by the powerful UGTT trade union.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1678040683,"updatedAt":1678181601,"publishedAt":1678108440,"firstPublishedAt":1678046531,"lastPublishedAt":1678108474,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Hassene Dridi\/Copyright 2023 The AP. ","altText":"Tunisians defy protest ban to demand release of Saied critics","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Tunisians defy protest ban to demand release of Saied critics","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/44\/42\/32\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_947c1206-f00f-5d09-a047-6cd08d510b71-7444232.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":677}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","titleRaw":"Tunisia","id":8191,"title":"Tunisia","slug":"tunisia"},{"urlSafeValue":"opposition","titleRaw":"Opposition","id":11286,"title":"Opposition","slug":"opposition"},{"urlSafeValue":"protests-in-tunisia","titleRaw":"Protests in Tunisia","id":9329,"title":"Protests in Tunisia","slug":"protests-in-tunisia"},{"urlSafeValue":"protestas","titleRaw":"Protests","id":27110,"title":"Protests","slug":"protestas"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2240120},{"id":2241090},{"id":2275534}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"Xp0IoQnLUyY","dailymotionId":"x8iv6bk"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":35000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":4607325,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/03\/05\/en\/230305_NWSU_50689908_50689932_35000_204254_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":35000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":7044957,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/03\/05\/en\/230305_NWSU_50689908_50689932_35000_204254_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AFP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":283,"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","title":"Tunisia","url":"\/news\/africa\/tunisia"},"town":{"id":2186,"urlSafeValue":"tunis","title":"Tunis"},"grapeshot":"'gb_safe','gs_society','gv_crime','gs_society_misc','gt_negative','gt_negative_anger','gs_politics','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_politics_misc'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"TUNISIA SUNDAY PROTEST","path":"\/2023\/03\/06\/tunisians-defy-protest-ban-and-rally-against-president","lastModified":1678108474},{"id":2211012,"cid":7422670,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Why are Tunisia\u2019s beaches disappearing and what does it mean for the country?","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Tunisia: Beach erosion is threatening tourism and communities","titleListing2":"Why are Tunisia\u2019s beaches disappearing and what does it mean for the country?","leadin":"Coastal erosion is harming tourism, fishing and farming in Tunisia - and drought is making it worse.","summary":"Coastal erosion is harming tourism, fishing and farming in Tunisia - and drought is making it worse.","keySentence":"","url":"why-are-tunisias-beaches-disappearing-and-what-does-it-mean-for-the-country","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/green\/2023\/02\/23\/why-are-tunisias-beaches-disappearing-and-what-does-it-mean-for-the-country","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Rising sea levels are causing Tunisia\u2019s beaches to gradually disappear. \n\nThis is making life hard for the country\u2019s tourism and fishing industries. \n\nThe Maghreb - made up of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya - is more affected by coastal erosion than any region outside South Asia, the World Bank found in a 2021 study. \n\nAmong these countries, Tunisia has had the highest erosion rates in the last three decades, averaging almost 70cm a year, it found. \n\nAt least 85 per cent of Tunisia's population of more than 12 million lives by the coast. This is more than double the global average of about 40 per cent, according to the World Bank. \n\nAs a result, the country is disproportionately affected by coastal erosion.\u00a0 So, why is it happening and what impact is it having on local communities? \n\nRising sea levels are damaging Tunisia\u2019s fishing communities \n\nRising sea levels , primarily caused by global warming -induced ice melt and rising water temperatures, are one of the main culprits for coastal erosion. \n\nAs Tunisian beaches are eroded, fishermen in the coastal town of Ghannouch say their boats and nets are increasingly getting damaged by rocks as they go out to sea. \n\n\"The beach sand is significantly reduced and rocks are appearing there instead,\" says Mohamed Ali, 39, a fisherman in the town, located about 400 km south of Tunis. \n\n\"I had my boat damaged several times. It is becoming difficult to go to the sea and fish,\" the father-of-four adds. \n\nAli says he makes about $300 (\u20ac283) per month fishing, but his income is 20 per cent lower than in previous years before coastal erosion became a major factor. He is one of about 600 fishermen in Ghannouch. \n\nSassi Alaya, the head of the fisheries guild in the town's southern port, says that half of the local fishermen have been affected along the most eroded areas of the coastline. \n\nNearly half of Tunisia's 670 km of beaches were acutely threatened by coastal erosion as of 2020 - a figure that has more than tripled since 1995 - according to the Tunisian State Agency for Coastal Protection and Planning (APAL). \n\nOn the island of Djerba - about 110 km south of Ghannouch - 52-year-old fisherman Al-Akhdar Ahmed says his income has halved over the last decade due to the shrinking beaches . He now earns just $250 (\u20ac236) a month from fishing. \n\n\"Rocks are now surrounding about 18 kilometres of the coast of the island, destroying the livelihoods of hundreds of fishermen there,\" he says. \n\nBut rising seas aren\u2019t the only cause. \n\nWhat else is causing Tunisia\u2019s beaches to disappear? \n\nOverdevelopment on beaches and the destruction of natural defences like dunes are doubling down on the effect of rising sea levels. \n\nCoastal erosion \"is getting worse and worse because of human interference,\" says Oula Amrouni, a researcher for the National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technology (INSTM). \n\n\"People and buildings have increasingly been crowding coasts, replacing natural protections against erosion like sand dunes and wetlands,\" she adds. \n\nAccelerating climate change has also brought soaring temperatures , worsening drought in Tunisia. \n\nTogether with rising sea levels, this is harming not only the country's fishing sector but its agriculture and tourism too, experts say. \n\nHow is drought contributing to coastal erosion in Tunisia? \n\nINSTM says the government has responded to growing water security concerns by building more dams to save fresh water. \n\nHowever, dams often trap sand and sediment that would otherwise flow to the sea, thereby fuelling coastal erosion, researchers say. \n\n80 per cent of the coastal sand in Tunisia comes from inland, according to Gil Mah\u00e9, research director for the hydrosciences laboratory at France's Montpellier University, who is currently working at INSTM in Tunisia. \n\n\" Dams ... [are] the major impact increasing the vulnerability of sandy coasts to erosion,\" he says. \n\nThree years of drought have left many of the country's 37 dams depleted or empty, and driven the government to increase tap water prices for households and companies. \n\nThe country is investing in building additional dams to try to store as much fresh water as possible. \n\nWhich other industries are impacted by Tunisia\u2019s coastal erosion? \n\nAlong the most eroded areas of Ghannouch\u2019s coastline, about 80 per cent of businesses - including restaurants and coffee shops - have also been impacted. \n\n\"The rising sea levels and the disappearing sand have severely harmed businesses on the beach,\" says Alaya, with tourism experiencing a big decline over the last decade. \n\nIt is also a \"major blow to agriculture \", according to Mah\u00e9. \n\nAs coastal erosion worsens along Tunisia\u2019s coastlines, saltwater moves inland, ruining arable areas. \n\n\"And what about all the infrastructure built along the coast? Ports? Nuclear power plants ?\" Mah\u00e9 adds. \n\nThe estimated annual cost of coastal erosion in terms of damage to land and near-shore buildings amounts to the equivalent of 2.8 per cent of GDP in Tunisia. This is significantly higher than in neighbouring Libya (0.7 per cent), Morocco (0.4 per cent) and Algeria (0.2 per cent), the World Bank study found. \n\nYet it said the real cost to Tunisia was likely to be higher as the study did not incorporate other factors such as lost tourism revenues. \n\nThe erosion of beaches represents \"a real socioeconomic bomb\", Mah\u00e9 wrote in a 2021 article for Montpellier University. \n\nWhat is being done to prevent coastal erosion in Tunisia? \n\nResearchers Mah\u00e9 and Amrouni say they are working on projects in partnerships with international institutions such as the World Bank and the United Nations' Development Programme (UNDP) to reduce erosion through nature-based solutions. \n\nOne initiative - implemented by UNDP together with APAL - has installed 0.9 km of sand trapping fences and 1.1 km of palm fronds pegged to the ground to reduce the impact of huge waves on a beach on Djerba, where coastal erosion has caused heavy flooding of wetland areas. \n\n\"We want the beaches to heal by themselves through building dikes, dune fences and wave breakers using natural materials from the ecosystem,\" says Amrouni. \n\n\"Only in this way, can we have better beach conditions in the long run,\" she adds. \n\nAPAL has also built walls to guard the coastline against waves and sourced sand from a nearby sand quarry to rebuild beaches. In 2020 - the latest available data - it had better protected 32 km of coast. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Rising sea levels are causing Tunisia\u2019s beaches to gradually disappear.<\/p>\n<p>This is making life hard for the country\u2019s <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//tag//sustainable-tourism/">tourism and <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//tag//fishing/">fishing industries.<\/p>\n<p>The Maghreb - made up of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya - is more affected by <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//tag//coastal-erosion/">coastal erosion<\/strong><\/a> than any region outside South Asia, the World Bank found in a 2021 study.<\/p>\n<p>Among these countries, Tunisia has had the highest erosion rates in the last three decades, averaging almost 70cm a year, it found.<\/p>\n<p>At least 85 per cent of Tunisia's population of more than 12 million lives by the coast. This is more than double the global average of about 40 per cent, according to the World Bank.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, the country is disproportionately affected by coastal erosion.\u00a0So, why is it happening and what impact is it having on local communities?<\/p>\n<h2>Rising sea levels are damaging Tunisia\u2019s fishing communities<\/h2><p><a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//tag//sea-level/">Rising sea levels<\/strong><\/a>, primarily caused by <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//tag//global-warming/">global warming<\/strong><\/a>-induced ice melt and rising water temperatures, are one of the main culprits for coastal erosion.<\/p>\n<p>As Tunisian <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//tag//beach/">beaches are eroded, fishermen in the coastal town of Ghannouch say their boats and nets are increasingly getting damaged by rocks as they go out to sea.<\/p>\n<p>\"The beach sand is significantly reduced and rocks are appearing there instead,\" says Mohamed Ali, 39, a fisherman in the town, located about 400 km south of Tunis.<\/p>\n<p>\"I had my boat damaged several times. It is becoming difficult to go to the sea and fish,\" the father-of-four adds.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7348036,7420366\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//01//27//the-impact-of-rising-sea-levels-is-being-underestimated-scientists-warn/">The impact of rising sea levels is being \u2018underestimated\u2019, scientists warn\u00a0<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//02//22//france-italy-belgium-the-european-regions-most-at-risk-from-floods-and-sea-level-rise/">France, Italy, Belgium: The European regions most at risk from floods and sea level rise<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Ali says he makes about $300 (\u20ac283) per month fishing, but his income is 20 per cent lower than in previous years before coastal erosion became a major factor. He is one of about 600 fishermen in Ghannouch.<\/p>\n<p>Sassi Alaya, the head of the fisheries guild in the town's southern port, says that half of the local fishermen have been affected along the most eroded areas of the coastline.<\/p>\n<p>Nearly half of Tunisia's 670 km of beaches were acutely threatened by coastal erosion as of 2020 - a figure that has more than tripled since 1995 - according to the Tunisian State Agency for Coastal Protection and Planning (APAL).<\/p>\n<p>On the island of Djerba - about 110 km south of Ghannouch - 52-year-old fisherman Al-Akhdar Ahmed says his income has halved over the last decade due to the shrinking <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//02//10//more-than-500-sea-lions-and-55000-birds-die-from-bird-flu-in-peru/">beaches. He now earns just $250 (\u20ac236) a month from fishing.<\/p>\n<p>\"Rocks are now surrounding about 18 kilometres of the coast of the island, destroying the livelihoods of hundreds of fishermen there,\" he says.<\/p>\n<p>But rising seas aren\u2019t the only cause.<\/p>\n<h2>What else is causing Tunisia\u2019s beaches to disappear?<\/h2><p>Overdevelopment on beaches and the destruction of natural defences like dunes are doubling down on the effect of rising sea levels.<\/p>\n<p>Coastal erosion \"is getting worse and worse because of human interference,\" says Oula Amrouni, a researcher for the National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technology (INSTM).<\/p>\n<p>\"People and buildings have increasingly been crowding coasts, replacing natural protections against erosion like sand dunes and wetlands,\" she adds.<\/p>\n<p>Accelerating climate change has also brought soaring <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//tag//extreme-weather/">temperatures, worsening drought in Tunisia.<\/p>\n<p>Together with rising sea levels, this is harming not only the country's fishing sector but its <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//tag//agriculture/">agriculture and tourism too, experts say.<\/p>\n<h2>How is drought contributing to coastal erosion in Tunisia?<\/h2><p>INSTM says the government has responded to growing <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//tag//water-shortage/">water security<\/strong><\/a> concerns by building more dams to save fresh water.<\/p>\n<p>However, dams often trap sand and sediment that would otherwise flow to the sea, thereby fuelling coastal erosion, researchers say.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7418526\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//02//21//in-pictures-parts-of-europe-face-risk-of-drought-after-historically-low-winter-rainfall/">In pictures: Parts of Europe face risk of drought after historically low winter rainfall<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>80 per cent of the coastal sand in Tunisia comes from inland, according to Gil Mah\u00e9, research director for the hydrosciences laboratory at France's Montpellier University, who is currently working at INSTM in Tunisia.<\/p>\n<p>\"<a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//02//07//switzerlands-solar-dam-why-are-sun-and-snow-the-perfect-mix-for-solar-energy/">Dams... [are] the major impact increasing the vulnerability of sandy coasts to erosion,\" he says.<\/p>\n<p>Three years of drought have left many of the country's 37 dams depleted or empty, and driven the government to increase tap water prices for households and companies.<\/p>\n<p>The country is investing in building additional dams to try to store as much fresh <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//tag//water/">water as possible.<\/p>\n<h2>Which other industries are impacted by Tunisia\u2019s coastal erosion?<\/h2><p>Along the most eroded areas of Ghannouch\u2019s coastline, about 80 per cent of businesses - including restaurants and coffee shops - have also been impacted.<\/p>\n<p>\"The rising sea levels and the disappearing sand have severely harmed businesses on the beach,\" says Alaya, with tourism experiencing a big decline over the last decade.<\/p>\n<p>It is also a \"major blow to <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//tag//farming/">agriculture/", according to Mah\u00e9.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7406700\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//02//16//france-demolishes-beach-apartments-and-relocates-residents-due-to-rising-sea-levels/">In pictures: France demolishes beach apartments and relocates residents due to rising sea levels<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>As coastal erosion worsens along Tunisia\u2019s coastlines, saltwater moves inland, ruining arable areas.<\/p>\n<p>\"And what about all the infrastructure built along the coast? Ports? <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//tag//nuclear-power-plant/">Nuclear power plants<\/strong><\/a>?\" Mah\u00e9 adds.<\/p>\n<p>The estimated annual cost of coastal erosion in terms of damage to land and near-shore buildings amounts to the equivalent of 2.8 per cent of GDP in Tunisia. This is significantly higher than in neighbouring Libya (0.7 per cent), <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//tag//morocco/">Morocco (0.4 per cent) and Algeria (0.2 per cent), the World Bank study found.<\/p>\n<p>Yet it said the real cost to Tunisia was likely to be higher as the study did not incorporate other factors such as lost tourism revenues.<\/p>\n<p>The erosion of beaches represents \"a real socioeconomic bomb\", Mah\u00e9 wrote in a 2021 article for Montpellier University.<\/p>\n<h2>What is being done to prevent coastal erosion in Tunisia?<\/h2><p>Researchers Mah\u00e9 and Amrouni say they are working on projects in partnerships with international institutions such as the World Bank and the United Nations' Development Programme (UNDP) to reduce erosion through nature-based solutions.<\/p>\n<p>One initiative - implemented by UNDP together with APAL - has installed 0.9 km of <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2022//03//29//sand-pirates-are-driving-global-shortages-in-this-vital-construction-material/">sand trapping fences and 1.1 km of palm fronds pegged to the ground to reduce the impact of huge waves on a beach on Djerba, where coastal erosion has caused heavy flooding of wetland areas.<\/p>\n<p>\"We want the beaches to heal by themselves through building dikes, dune fences and wave breakers using natural materials from the ecosystem,\" says Amrouni.<\/p>\n<p>\"Only in this way, can we have better beach conditions in the long run,\" she adds.<\/p>\n<p>APAL has also built walls to guard the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2021//11//12//camargue-why-is-france-s-natural-wildlife-paradise-threatened-by-climate-change/">coastline against waves and sourced sand from a nearby sand quarry to rebuild beaches. In 2020 - the latest available data - it had better protected 32 km of coast.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1677153980,"updatedAt":1677155177,"publishedAt":1677155174,"firstPublishedAt":1677155177,"lastPublishedAt":1677155177,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Reuters","altText":"Rising sea levels are damaging Tunisia\u2019s fishing communities","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"Rising sea levels are damaging Tunisia\u2019s fishing communities","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/42\/26\/70\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_bd08a50a-b2b2-5952-bfae-e4adcec65e83-7422670.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"symons","twitter":null,"title":"Angela Symons"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"fishing","titleRaw":"fishing","id":13386,"title":"fishing","slug":"fishing"},{"urlSafeValue":"coastal-erosion","titleRaw":"coastal erosion","id":17800,"title":"coastal erosion","slug":"coastal-erosion"},{"urlSafeValue":"global-warming","titleRaw":"global warming","id":382,"title":"global warming","slug":"global-warming"},{"urlSafeValue":"sea-level-rise","titleRaw":"Sea level rise","id":27670,"title":"Sea level rise","slug":"sea-level-rise"},{"urlSafeValue":"drought","titleRaw":"Drought","id":9403,"title":"Drought","slug":"drought"},{"urlSafeValue":"tourism","titleRaw":"Tourism","id":4221,"title":"Tourism","slug":"tourism"}],"widgets":[{"count":3,"slug":"related"}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"Reuters","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"climate","urlSafeValue":"climate","title":"Climate","online":0,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/green\/climate\/climate"},"vertical":"green","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"green","id":8,"title":"Green","slug":"green"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":8,"slug":"green","urlSafeValue":"green","title":"Green"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"climate","id":"climate","title":"Climate","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/green\/climate"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":34,"urlSafeValue":"climate","title":"Climate"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":283,"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","title":"Tunisia","url":"\/news\/africa\/tunisia"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_science','progressivemedia','gs_science_environ','gs_science_environment','gs_science_geography','gs_business','gs_busfin','neg_facebook_2021','neg_bucherer','gs_busfin_indus','castrol_negative_uk','gs_science_misc','neg_mobkoi_castrol','gt_negative'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"GREEN_Why are Tunisia\u2019s beaches disappearing and what does it mean for the country?","path":"\/green\/2023\/02\/23\/why-are-tunisias-beaches-disappearing-and-what-does-it-mean-for-the-country","lastModified":1677155177},{"id":2188030,"cid":7352622,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230129_NWSU_50181791","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Voters go to the polls in the second round of Tunisia's parliamentary elections","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Tunisians voting in parliamentary elections","titleListing2":"Voters go to the polls in the second round of Tunisia's parliamentary elections","leadin":"Tunisians are casting their votes in the second round of parliamentary elections. They're seen as a conclusive step in President Kais Saied\u2019s push to consolidate power.","summary":"Tunisians are casting their votes in the second round of parliamentary elections. They're seen as a conclusive step in President Kais Saied\u2019s push to consolidate power.","keySentence":"","url":"voters-go-to-the-polls-in-the-second-round-of-tunisias-parliamentary-elections","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/01\/29\/voters-go-to-the-polls-in-the-second-round-of-tunisias-parliamentary-elections","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Tunisia\u2019s president and its shaky, decade-long experiment with democracy are facing an important test on Sunday as voters cast ballots in the second round of parliamentary elections. \n\nTurnout was just 11 per cent in the first round of voting last month, as many disaffected Tunisians stayed away and the influential opposition Islamist party boycotted. \n\nThe runoff elections on Sunday are being watched around the Arab world. They're seen as a conclusive step in President Kais Saied\u2019s push to consolidate power, tame Islamist rivals and win back lenders and investors needed to save the teetering economy. \n\nVoters are choosing lawmakers to replace the last parliament, led by Islamist party Ennahdha, which Saied suspended in 2021 and later disbanded. \n\nHe then had the constitution rewritten to give more power to the president and less to the legislature. \n\nAnalysts note a growing crisis of confidence between citizens and the political class since Tunisia\u2019s 2011 revolution unleashed Arab Spring uprisings across the region, and led Tunisians to create a new democratic political system once seen as a model. \n\nPolls opened at 8am local time on Sunday, except in restive regions near the Algerian and Libyan borders where authorities are limiting voting hours for security reasons. \n\nThe turnout rate, an important sign of the elections\u2019 legitimacy, is expected to be announced on Sunday evening, and the election results in the ensuing days. \n\nIn the first-round elections, 23 candidates secured seats outright in the 161-seat parliament, either because they ran unopposed or because they won more than 50 per cent of the vote. \n\nIn Sunday\u2019s runoff, voters are choosing among 262 candidates seeking to fill 131 seats. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Tunisia\u2019s president and its shaky, decade-long experiment with democracy are facing an important test on Sunday as voters cast ballots in the second round of parliamentary elections.<\/p>\n<p>Turnout was just 11 per cent in the first round of voting last month, as many disaffected Tunisians stayed away and the influential opposition Islamist party boycotted.<\/p>\n<p>The runoff elections on Sunday are being watched around the Arab world. They're seen as a conclusive step in President Kais Saied\u2019s push to consolidate power, tame Islamist rivals and win back lenders and investors needed to save the teetering economy.<\/p>\n<p>Voters are choosing lawmakers to replace the last parliament, led by Islamist party Ennahdha, which Saied suspended in 2021 and later disbanded.<\/p>\n<p>He then had the constitution rewritten to give more power to the president and less to the legislature.<\/p>\n<p>Analysts note a growing crisis of confidence between citizens and the political class since Tunisia\u2019s 2011 revolution unleashed Arab Spring uprisings across the region, and led Tunisians to create a new democratic political system once seen as a model.<\/p>\n<p>Polls opened at 8am local time on Sunday, except in restive regions near the Algerian and Libyan borders where authorities are limiting voting hours for security reasons.<\/p>\n<p>The turnout rate, an important sign of the elections\u2019 legitimacy, is expected to be announced on Sunday evening, and the election results in the ensuing days.<\/p>\n<p>In the first-round elections, 23 candidates secured seats outright in the 161-seat parliament, either because they ran unopposed or because they won more than 50 per cent of the vote.<\/p>\n<p>In Sunday\u2019s runoff, voters are choosing among 262 candidates seeking to fill 131 seats.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1674989944,"updatedAt":1675006206,"publishedAt":1675005849,"firstPublishedAt":1675005853,"lastPublishedAt":1675005853,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","altText":"Going to polls in Tunisia","callToActionText":null,"width":1366,"caption":"Going to polls in Tunisia","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/35\/26\/26\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_90cbd705-5804-57d0-9375-34618fae847e-7352626.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":910}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"parliamentary-elections","titleRaw":"Parliamentary elections","id":9287,"title":"Parliamentary elections","slug":"parliamentary-elections"},{"urlSafeValue":"abstention-rate","titleRaw":"Abstention rate","id":9281,"title":"Abstention rate","slug":"abstention-rate"},{"urlSafeValue":"society","titleRaw":"Society","id":11899,"title":"Society","slug":"society"},{"urlSafeValue":"financial-crisis","titleRaw":"Financial Crisis","id":4351,"title":"Financial Crisis","slug":"financial-crisis"},{"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","titleRaw":"Tunisia","id":8191,"title":"Tunisia","slug":"tunisia"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2225312}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"ZCaA8a5x800","dailymotionId":"x8hoctu"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":35000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":4348743,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/01\/29\/en\/230129_NWSU_50181791_50181839_35000_152640_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":35000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":6751559,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/01\/29\/en\/230129_NWSU_50181791_50181839_35000_152640_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world 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ELECTIONS","path":"\/2023\/01\/29\/voters-go-to-the-polls-in-the-second-round-of-tunisias-parliamentary-elections","lastModified":1675005853},{"id":2152196,"cid":7256336,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221218_NWSU_49589576","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Tunisian President under pressure to resign after 'fiasco' elections","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Lowest turnout since the Revolution","titleListing2":"Tunisian opposition parties have demanded President Kais Saied's resignation for undermining democratic progress in the country","leadin":"Tunisian opposition parties have demanded President Kais Saied's resignation after fewer than 9% of the electorate voted on Saturday","summary":"Tunisian opposition parties have demanded President Kais Saied's resignation after fewer than 9% of the electorate voted on Saturday","keySentence":"","url":"tunisian-president-under-pressure-to-resign-after-fiasco-elections","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/12\/18\/tunisian-president-under-pressure-to-resign-after-fiasco-elections","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Only 8.8% of the Tunisian electorate voted in the parliamentary elections on Saturday against the backdrop of a soaring cost-of-living crisis and widespread fears that democracy has been undermined in the country.\u00a0 \n\nThe boycott of the vote was encouraged by opposition parties, including the Salvation Front coalition, who say that it is part of a \"coup\" led by President Kais Saied who wants to legitimise his one-man rule.\u00a0 \n\nElectoral board president Farouk Bouasker acknowledged that the turnout was \"modest\" but\u00a0said it could be explained by \"the absence of foreign financing, in contrast to previous elections\". \n\nSaturday's turnout is the lowest participation in any poll since the revolution over ten years ago.\u00a0 \n\nIn January 2021, just over a year after President Saied was elected, anti-government protests broke out in Tunisia, sparked by economic hardship and the COVID-19 pandemic.\u00a0 \n\n\nOn 25 July that year, Saied suspended the parliament and dismissed Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, which triggered the ongoing political crisis in the north African country.\u00a0 \n\nThe former lawyer granted himself almost unchecked powers after pushing through a new constitution in July this year, which has been branded \"a setback for human rights\" by Amnesty International .\u00a0 \n\nSaied rejects claims that he has undone Tunisia's path to democracy, instead stating that the dissolution of parliament was necessary to break political deadlock.\u00a0 \n\nThe first results of the election are expected on Monday. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Only 8.8% of the Tunisian electorate voted in the parliamentary elections on Saturday against the backdrop of a soaring cost-of-living crisis and widespread fears that democracy has been undermined in the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The boycott of the vote was encouraged by opposition parties, including the Salvation Front coalition, who say that it is part of a \"coup\" led by President Kais Saied who wants to legitimise his one-man rule.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Electoral board president Farouk Bouasker acknowledged that the turnout was \"modest\" but\u00a0said it could be explained by \"the absence of foreign financing, in contrast to previous elections\".<\/p>\n<p>Saturday's turnout is the lowest participation in any poll since the revolution over ten years ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In January 2021, just over a year after President Saied was elected, anti-government protests broke out in Tunisia, sparked by economic hardship and the COVID-19 pandemic.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p>On 25 July that year, Saied suspended the parliament and dismissed Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, which triggered the ongoing political crisis in the north African country.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The former lawyer granted himself almost unchecked powers after pushing through a new constitution in July this year, which has been branded \"a setback for human rights\" by <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.amnesty.org//en//latest//news//2022//07//tunisia-adoption-of-new-constitution-marks-a-setback-for-human-rights//#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThis%20new%20constitution%2C%20that%20has%20now%20replaced%20the,why%20the%202014%20constitution%20needed%20to%20be%20replaced.\">Amnesty International<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Saied rejects claims that he has undone Tunisia's path to democracy, instead stating that the dissolution of parliament was necessary to break political deadlock.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The first results of the election are expected on Monday.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1671329324,"updatedAt":1671359044,"publishedAt":1671358715,"firstPublishedAt":1671358719,"lastPublishedAt":1671358719,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Slim Abid\/Copyright 2022 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":"President Saied votes in parliamentary elections","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"President Saied votes in parliamentary elections","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/25\/56\/74\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_a6edb9d5-c141-50f0-b5e7-49323f334a84-7255674.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":700},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Slim Abid\/Copyright 2022 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":null,"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/25\/63\/56\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_e2de6bf2-18c6-50af-9a1d-982da1ea3a36-7256356.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":697}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"jewell","twitter":"@BJewellJourno","title":"Isabella Jewell"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"parliamentary-elections","titleRaw":"Parliamentary elections","id":9287,"title":"Parliamentary elections","slug":"parliamentary-elections"},{"urlSafeValue":"president","titleRaw":"President","id":5004,"title":"President","slug":"president"},{"urlSafeValue":"boycott","titleRaw":"Boycott","id":4890,"title":"Boycott","slug":"boycott"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2205922},{"id":2227906}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"LFj-Bdaec8s","dailymotionId":"x8gfbe7"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":7745377,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/22\/12\/18\/en\/221218_NWSU_49589576_49589620_60000_082957_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":11880289,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/22\/12\/18\/en\/221218_NWSU_49589576_49589620_60000_082957_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"AP","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":283,"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","title":"Tunisia","url":"\/news\/africa\/tunisia"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gs_politics_misc','gs_politics','gb_safe','gs_politics_elections','gs_politics_issues_policy'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"TUNISIA ELEX RESULTS","path":"\/2022\/12\/18\/tunisian-president-under-pressure-to-resign-after-fiasco-elections","lastModified":1671358719},{"id":2142788,"cid":7234492,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221206_TCSU_49418768","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Tunisia fully reopens: Here\u2019s why you should visit its pristine beaches and ancient cities","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"This stunning Mediterranean country has lifted all COVID restrictions","titleListing2":"Tunisia fully reopens: Here\u2019s why you should visit its pristine beaches and ancient cities","leadin":"This north African country has ancient ruins to rival Rome.","summary":"This north African country has ancient ruins to rival Rome.","keySentence":"","url":"tunisia-fully-reopens-heres-why-you-should-visit-its-pristine-beaches-and-ancient-cities","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/travel\/2022\/12\/06\/tunisia-fully-reopens-heres-why-you-should-visit-its-pristine-beaches-and-ancient-cities","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Tunisia has dropped all remaining COVID travel restrictions three years after it first shut its borders during the pandemic. \n\nAs of last week, travellers no longer have to present vaccine passes or undergo health checks at the border. \n\nIt\u2019s good news for those who have the stunning Mediterranean country on their bucket list. \n\nTunisia tempts tourists with azure waters, sand dune-filled desert and ancient ruins. \n\nHere\u2019s why you should visit in 2023. \n\nAre there entry restrictions for Tunisia? \n\nLast week, Tunisia lifted all remaining COVID travel restrictions. \n\nThe government says the levels of the virus in the country are sufficiently low to allow the move. \n\nTravellers to Tunisia no longer need to show a vaccine certificate, meaning unvaccinated tourists can also visit. \n\nPre-departure tests for COVID are not required and there will be no testing or health checks on arrival. There is also no requirement for travellers to quarantine on arrival. \n\nHowever, masks remain mandatory in enclosed spaces for those who test positive for COVID. \n\nHere\u2019s what you should see and do on a trip to Tunisia. \n\nLounge on Tunisia\u2019s best beaches \n\nTunisia has long been a popular beach destination. \n\nTo the north, you can find wild bays of white cliffs and verdant vegetation, while further south pale stretches of sand lead down to clear waters. \n\nHammamet is a great choice if you\u2019re staying in the capital, Tunis. The balmy waters of this beach are a favourite with snorkelers and scuba divers . \n\nTowards the south, head over the bridge to Djerba island for pristine sands and a crystalline sea. Retire to one of the old villages nearby for a fresh seafood lunch. \n\nMeander medieval streets in Houmt Souk \n\nWhile on Djerba island, stop off at the main settlement and market town of Houmt Souk. \n\nThe city is a melange of cultures as Arabs, Spanish and Ottomans have settled in the coastal area over the centuries. \n\nWander the streets of whitewashed adobe houses and dip into the bazaars where stalls laden with colourful products crowd the pavements. \n\nMarvel at centuries of ancient ruins in Carthage and beyond \n\nCenturies of conquests and battles for settlement have shaped the rich history of Tunisia. \n\nThe country is full of tangible traces of the north African and European cultures that converged on the territory. \n\nThe once mighty city of Carthage, now lying just outside modern Tunis, is one of the country\u2019s most famous archeological sites . \n\nSettled by the Phoenician Greeks, it was a powerful trading hub in the ancient world. \n\nCenturies of wars and invasions have reduced the city to ruins, but they still evoke the splendour of the historic metropolis. \n\nA more impressive and better preserved ancient monument is the amphitheatre of El Djem, a UNESCO -designated oval arena to rival the Colosseum in Rome. \n\nDiscover sand dunes and a desert oasis in the Sahara \n\nMake sure you leave time to head out into the shifting sands of the Sahara desert . \n\nVisit the mud town of Tozeur, an oasis-settlement of earthen structures built in ancient Berber tradition. \n\nDelve into the city\u2019s medina for arabesque architecture decorated with intricate geometric brickwork designs. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Tunisia has dropped all remaining COVID travel restrictions three years after it first shut its borders during the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>As of last week, travellers no longer have to present vaccine passes or undergo health checks at the border.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s good news for those who have the stunning Mediterranean country on their bucket list.<\/p>\n<p>Tunisia tempts tourists with azure waters, sand dune-filled desert and ancient ruins.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s why you should visit in 2023.<\/p>\n<h2>Are there entry restrictions for Tunisia?<\/h2><p>Last week, Tunisia lifted all remaining <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2022//11//30//global-tourism-rebounds-strongly-after-covid-19/">COVID travel restrictions.<\/p>\n<p>The government says the levels of the virus in the country are sufficiently low to allow the move.<\/p>\n<p>Travellers to Tunisia no longer need to show a vaccine certificate, meaning unvaccinated tourists can also visit.<\/p>\n<p>Pre-departure tests for <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2022//11//11//china-relaxes-travel-restrictions-all-you-need-to-know-about-tests-quarantine-and-flights/">COVID are not required and there will be no testing or health checks on arrival. There is also no requirement for travellers to quarantine on arrival.<\/p>\n<p>However, masks remain mandatory in enclosed spaces for those who test positive for COVID.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what you should see and do on a trip to Tunisia.<\/p>\n<h2>Lounge on Tunisia\u2019s best beaches<\/h2><p>Tunisia has long been a popular <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2021//07//03//these-are-the-20-most-beautiful-beaches-in-the-world-and-half-are-in-europe/">beach destination.<\/p>\n<p>To the north, you can find wild bays of white cliffs and verdant vegetation, while further south pale stretches of sand lead down to clear waters.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-ease-in-up widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.75\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//23//44//92//808x608_cmsv2_c99c360b-137b-5ebe-b09a-8e1bf11b6213-7234492.jpg/" alt=\"Aleksandr Sali\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/23\/44\/92\/384x288_cmsv2_c99c360b-137b-5ebe-b09a-8e1bf11b6213-7234492.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/23\/44\/92\/640x480_cmsv2_c99c360b-137b-5ebe-b09a-8e1bf11b6213-7234492.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/23\/44\/92\/750x563_cmsv2_c99c360b-137b-5ebe-b09a-8e1bf11b6213-7234492.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/23\/44\/92\/828x621_cmsv2_c99c360b-137b-5ebe-b09a-8e1bf11b6213-7234492.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/23\/44\/92\/1080x810_cmsv2_c99c360b-137b-5ebe-b09a-8e1bf11b6213-7234492.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/23\/44\/92\/1200x900_cmsv2_c99c360b-137b-5ebe-b09a-8e1bf11b6213-7234492.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/23\/44\/92\/1920x1440_cmsv2_c99c360b-137b-5ebe-b09a-8e1bf11b6213-7234492.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Towards the south, head over the bridge to Djerba island for pristine sands and a crystalline sea.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Aleksandr Sali<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Hammamet is a great choice if you\u2019re staying in the capital, Tunis. The balmy waters of this <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2022//06//19//from-hidden-coves-to-nature-reserves-italy-has-europes-most-diverse-beaches-heres-the-top/">beach are a favourite with <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2021//07//19//cyprus-bets-on-snorkelling-tourism-fancy-exploring-ruins-underwater/">snorkelers and <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2022//04//13//accessible-tourism-scuba-diving-opens-for-disabled-travellers-in-thailand/">scuba divers<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Towards the south, head over the bridge to Djerba island for pristine sands and a crystalline sea. Retire to one of the old villages nearby for a fresh seafood lunch.<\/p>\n<h2>Meander medieval streets in Houmt Souk<\/h2><p>While on Djerba island, stop off at the main settlement and market town of Houmt Souk.<\/p>\n<p>The city is a melange of cultures as Arabs, Spanish and Ottomans have settled in the coastal area over the centuries.<\/p>\n<p>Wander the streets of whitewashed adobe houses and dip into the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2022//09//25//beirut-discover-modern-souks-and-pumping-nightlife-in-the-mediterraneans-most-underrated-c/">bazaars where stalls laden with colourful products crowd the pavements.<\/p>\n<h2>Marvel at centuries of ancient ruins in Carthage and beyond<\/h2><p>Centuries of conquests and battles for settlement have shaped the rich history of Tunisia.<\/p>\n<p>The country is full of tangible traces of the north African and European cultures that converged on the territory.<\/p>\n<p>The once mighty city of Carthage, now lying just outside modern Tunis, is one of the country\u2019s most famous <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2022//10//24//project-treasure-unlocking-hidden-wonders-of-the-aegean-and-black-seas/">archeological sites<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-ease-in-up widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.75\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//23//44//92//808x608_cmsv2_5c132261-b4b7-51ad-b3b2-5a0f73c1f75d-7234492.jpg/" alt=\"Albert Gubaydullin\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/23\/44\/92\/384x288_cmsv2_5c132261-b4b7-51ad-b3b2-5a0f73c1f75d-7234492.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/23\/44\/92\/640x480_cmsv2_5c132261-b4b7-51ad-b3b2-5a0f73c1f75d-7234492.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/23\/44\/92\/750x563_cmsv2_5c132261-b4b7-51ad-b3b2-5a0f73c1f75d-7234492.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/23\/44\/92\/828x621_cmsv2_5c132261-b4b7-51ad-b3b2-5a0f73c1f75d-7234492.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/23\/44\/92\/1080x810_cmsv2_5c132261-b4b7-51ad-b3b2-5a0f73c1f75d-7234492.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/23\/44\/92\/1200x900_cmsv2_5c132261-b4b7-51ad-b3b2-5a0f73c1f75d-7234492.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/23\/44\/92\/1920x1440_cmsv2_5c132261-b4b7-51ad-b3b2-5a0f73c1f75d-7234492.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">The once mighty city of Carthage, now lying just outside modern Tunis, is one of the country\u2019s most famous archeological sites.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Albert Gubaydullin<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Settled by the Phoenician Greeks, it was a powerful trading hub in the ancient world.<\/p>\n<p>Centuries of wars and invasions have reduced the city to ruins, but they still evoke the splendour of the historic metropolis.<\/p>\n<p>A more impressive and better preserved ancient monument is the amphitheatre of El Djem, a <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2022//04//19//these-eight-unesco-approved-destinations-balance-conservation-with-tourism/">UNESCO-designated oval arena to rival the Colosseum in Rome.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"6391866,7222356\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2022//11//30//the-future-of-travel-carbon-zero-cruises-rebuilding-ukraine-and-sightseeing-in-the-metaver/">The future of travel: Carbon-zero cruises, rebuilding Ukraine and sightseeing in the metaverse<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2024//04//01//tourist-taxes-all-of-the-countries-you-will-have-to-pay-to-enter-in-2022/">Barcelona increases its tourist tax this week: Where else will you have to pay to enter in 2024?<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Discover sand dunes and a desert oasis in the Sahara<\/h2><p>Make sure you leave time to head out into the shifting sands of the Sahara <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2022//03//23//jordan-everything-you-need-to-plan-a-trip-to-this-middle-eastern-gem/">desert./n
Visit the mud town of Tozeur, an oasis-settlement of earthen structures built in ancient Berber tradition.<\/p>\n<p>Delve into the city\u2019s medina for arabesque architecture decorated with intricate geometric brickwork designs.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1670337441,"updatedAt":1670339678,"publishedAt":1670339674,"firstPublishedAt":1670339678,"lastPublishedAt":1670339678,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"JR Harris","altText":"This north African country has ancient ruins to rival Rome. ","callToActionText":null,"width":3872,"caption":"This north African country has ancient ruins to rival Rome. ","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/23\/44\/92\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_8dcfd476-1296-5633-93c2-80a782229680-7234492.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":2592},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Aleksandr Sali","altText":"Towards the south, head over the bridge to Djerba island for pristine sands and a crystalline sea.","callToActionText":null,"width":4032,"caption":"Towards the south, head over the bridge to Djerba island for pristine sands and a crystalline sea.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/23\/44\/92\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_c99c360b-137b-5ebe-b09a-8e1bf11b6213-7234492.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":3024},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Albert Gubaydullin","altText":"The once mighty city of Carthage, now lying just outside modern Tunis, is one of the country\u2019s most famous archeological sites.","callToActionText":null,"width":4096,"caption":"The once mighty city of Carthage, now lying just outside modern Tunis, is one of the country\u2019s most famous archeological sites.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/23\/44\/92\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_5c132261-b4b7-51ad-b3b2-5a0f73c1f75d-7234492.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":3072}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"hughes","twitter":null,"title":"Rebecca Ann Hughes"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","titleRaw":"Tunisia","id":8191,"title":"Tunisia","slug":"tunisia"},{"urlSafeValue":"beach","titleRaw":"beach","id":21082,"title":"beach","slug":"beach"},{"urlSafeValue":"ancient-city","titleRaw":"ancient city","id":18564,"title":"ancient city","slug":"ancient-city"},{"urlSafeValue":"monument","titleRaw":"monument","id":17474,"title":"monument","slug":"monument"},{"urlSafeValue":"desert","titleRaw":"desert","id":15800,"title":"desert","slug":"desert"},{"urlSafeValue":"covid-19-restrictions","titleRaw":"COVID-19 restrictions","id":26310,"title":"COVID-19 restrictions","slug":"covid-19-restrictions"}],"widgets":[{"count":2,"slug":"image"},{"count":1,"slug":"related"}],"related":[{"id":2151958},{"id":2208330}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"destinations","urlSafeValue":"destinations","title":"Destinations","online":0,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/travel\/destinations\/destinations"},"vertical":"travel","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"travel","id":7,"title":"Travel","slug":"travel"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":7,"slug":"travel","urlSafeValue":"travel","title":"Travel"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"destinations","id":"destinations","title":"Destinations","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/travel\/destinations"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":28,"urlSafeValue":"destinations","title":"Destinations"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":283,"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","title":"Tunisia","url":"\/news\/africa\/tunisia"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gs_travel','gb_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','neg_intel_en','gs_science','gs_travel_holidays','gs_science_geography','neg_mobkoi_feb2021','gs_health','eap-gs-homerfaber-fs-30july19','gs_covid19','gs_travel_locations','gs_health_misc','gt_positive','neg_audi_list2','neg_nespresso','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"TRAVEL_Tunisia reopens","path":"\/travel\/2022\/12\/06\/tunisia-fully-reopens-heres-why-you-should-visit-its-pristine-beaches-and-ancient-cities","lastModified":1670339678},{"id":2128824,"cid":7202430,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221119_NWSU_49174014","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Bonjour! Francophone leaders gather for Tunisia summit","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Bonjour! Francophone leaders gather for Tunisia summit","titleListing2":"Bonjour! Francophone leaders gather for Tunisia summit","leadin":"Emmanuel Macron is seeking more support for Ukraine, and encouraging efforts to strengthen the use of French, especially in North Africa.","summary":"Emmanuel Macron is seeking more support for Ukraine, and encouraging efforts to strengthen the use of French, especially in North Africa.","keySentence":"","url":"bonjour-francophone-leaders-gather-for-tunisia-summit","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/11\/19\/bonjour-francophone-leaders-gather-for-tunisia-summit","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"A summit of French-speaking nations is taking place in Tunisia this weekend, with 30 leadrs focused on economic cooperation in an event seen as a success for Tunisia's President Kais Saied, more than a year after he came to power in a coup.\u00a0 \n\nWhile the two-day summit will officially focus on \"digital as a vector of development\", it will also be an opportunity for Western and African leaders to discuss topics such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, where there is a gap on positions.\u00a0 \n\n\nMany African countries have been critical of what they perceive as a lack of international solidarity with the continent in the face of its own crises, noting that Europe managed to quickly mobilise to come to the aid of Ukraine.\u00a0 \n\nThis 18th summit of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) on the island of Djerba will also be an opportunity to celebrate the belated 50th birthday of an organisation founded in 1970 and with 88 members -- not all of whom are French-speaking, with Armenia, Egypt, Moldova, the United Arab Emirates and Serbia included. \n\nThe summit coincides with the final phase of the COP27 on the climate in Egypt and follows a meeting of the G20 in Indonesia which was dominated by the war in Ukraine, an observer country within the OIF. \n\nIn total, 89 delegations are present, seven international organizations and more than thirty leaders including the French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the President of the European Council Charles Michel and Senegal's leader Macky Sall. \n\nThe re-election of the Secretary General of the OIF -- Louise Mushikiwabo from Rwanda was the sole candidate -- is also on the program of the two days of meetings between representatives of an area of \u200b\u200b321 million French speakers who will more than double to 750 million in 2050, thanks to African demographics. \n\nBefore the summit, Ms Mushikiwabo told AFP that she wanted to ask member states to \"redouble their efforts\" in the face of a decline in the use of French at international organisations. \n\nDespite critical voices denouncing an \"inaudible\" Francophonie , Mushikiwabo deemed her organisation \"more relevant than ever\" and able to \"bring a little added value\" to \"most of the world's problems\", citing COP27 . \n\nAccording to an official from Canada, a heavyweight in the Francophone world, the organisation \"can be a positive force\" on issues such as \"peace, economic prosperity and the consolidation of democracy\". \n\nThis official indicated that Canada also wanted to echo, during the summit, the \"concerns\" for \"democratic participation\" in Tunisia since President Saied seized full powers in July 2021, and which is going through a serious socio-economic crisis. \n\nEmmanuel Macron calls for more support for Ukraine\u00a0 \n\nEmmanuel Macron will not be giving a speech at the Francophonie summit in Tunisia, but he plans to raise the Ukrainian issue behind the scenes to try to garner support at the end of a long diplomatic tour. \n\n\nAfter the G20 in Bali and the Apec meeting in Bangkok, the French president has called on more countries to join the \"growing consensus\" against the war. \n\nAnd several leaders of the French-speaking community had indicated they wanted to talk about the war in Ukraine.\u00a0 \n\nMacron will have a number of bilateral meetings during his stop in Djerba, including with the Tunisian president, and Armenian prime minister.\u00a0 \n\nThe French president lamented that \"in the Maghreb countries, less French is spoken than 20 or 30 years ago\", citing \"quasi-political forms of resistance\", the ease of using English and the difficulty of accessing books in French at affordable prices. \n\n\nHe went on to say that \"we must have a project of reconquest\", urging that the French language be made \"hospitable\" again by showing that it is possible to speak a French that is \"not necessarily academic\", but a language that facilitates trade. \n\nFor the African continent, \"it is the true universal language\", \"the Francophonie is the language of pan-Africanism\", he added. \n\nEmmanuel Macron leaves Tunisia on Saturday evening, while the summit formally ends on Sunday.\u00a0 \n\n","htmlText":"<p>A summit of French-speaking nations is taking place in Tunisia this weekend, with 30 leadrs focused on economic cooperation in an event seen as a success for Tunisia's President Kais Saied, more than a year after he came to power in a coup.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While the two-day summit will officially focus on \"digital as a vector of development\", it will also be an opportunity for Western and African leaders to discuss topics such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, where there is a gap on positions.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p>Many African countries have been critical of what they perceive as a lack of international solidarity with the continent in the face of its own crises, noting that Europe managed to quickly mobilise to come to the aid of Ukraine.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This 18th summit of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) on the island of Djerba will also be an opportunity to celebrate the belated 50th birthday of an organisation founded in 1970 and with 88 members -- not all of whom are French-speaking, with Armenia, Egypt, Moldova, the United Arab Emirates and Serbia included.<\/p>\n<p>The summit coincides with the final phase of the COP27 on the climate in Egypt and follows a meeting of the G20 in Indonesia which was dominated by the war in Ukraine, an observer country within the OIF.<\/p>\n<p>In total, 89 delegations are present, seven international organizations and more than thirty leaders including the French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the President of the European Council Charles Michel and Senegal's leader Macky Sall.<\/p>\n<p>The re-election of the Secretary General of the OIF -- Louise Mushikiwabo from Rwanda was the sole candidate -- is also on the program of the two days of meetings between representatives of an area of \u200b\u200b321 million French speakers who will more than double to 750 million in 2050, thanks to African demographics.<\/p>\n<p>Before the summit, Ms Mushikiwabo told AFP that she wanted to ask member states to \"redouble their efforts\" in the face of a decline in the use of French at international organisations.<\/p>\n<p>Despite critical voices denouncing an \"inaudible\" Francophonie , Mushikiwabo deemed her organisation \"more relevant than ever\" and able to \"bring a little added value\" to \"most of the world's problems\", citing COP27 .<\/p>\n<p>According to an official from Canada, a heavyweight in the Francophone world, the organisation \"can be a positive force\" on issues such as \"peace, economic prosperity and the consolidation of democracy\".<\/p>\n<p>This official indicated that Canada also wanted to echo, during the summit, the \"concerns\" for \"democratic participation\" in Tunisia since President Saied seized full powers in July 2021, and which is going through a serious socio-economic crisis.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//20//24//30//808x454_cmsv2_2a4db8e4-e5c3-5b11-b8f7-37f47e8678f6-7202430.jpg/" alt=\"AFP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/20\/24\/30\/384x216_cmsv2_2a4db8e4-e5c3-5b11-b8f7-37f47e8678f6-7202430.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/20\/24\/30\/640x360_cmsv2_2a4db8e4-e5c3-5b11-b8f7-37f47e8678f6-7202430.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/20\/24\/30\/750x422_cmsv2_2a4db8e4-e5c3-5b11-b8f7-37f47e8678f6-7202430.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/20\/24\/30\/828x466_cmsv2_2a4db8e4-e5c3-5b11-b8f7-37f47e8678f6-7202430.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/20\/24\/30\/1080x608_cmsv2_2a4db8e4-e5c3-5b11-b8f7-37f47e8678f6-7202430.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/20\/24\/30\/1200x675_cmsv2_2a4db8e4-e5c3-5b11-b8f7-37f47e8678f6-7202430.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/20\/24\/30\/1920x1080_cmsv2_2a4db8e4-e5c3-5b11-b8f7-37f47e8678f6-7202430.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">France's President Emmanuel Macron (C) talks with his advisers during the 18th summit of French-speaking countries in Djerba, November 19, 2022.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AFP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Emmanuel Macron calls for more support for Ukraine<\/h2><p>Emmanuel Macron will not be giving a speech at the Francophonie summit in Tunisia, but he plans to raise the Ukrainian issue behind the scenes to try to garner support at the end of a long diplomatic tour. <\/p>\n<p>After the G20 in Bali and the Apec meeting in Bangkok, the French president has called on more countries to join the \"growing consensus\" against the war.<\/p>\n<p>And several leaders of the French-speaking community had indicated they wanted to talk about the war in Ukraine.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Macron will have a number of bilateral meetings during his stop in Djerba, including with the Tunisian president, and Armenian prime minister.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The French president lamented that \"in the Maghreb countries, less French is spoken than 20 or 30 years ago\", citing \"quasi-political forms of resistance\", the ease of using English and the difficulty of accessing books in French at affordable prices. <\/p>\n<p>He went on to say that \"we must have a project of reconquest\", urging that the French language be made \"hospitable\" again by showing that it is possible to speak a French that is \"not necessarily academic\", but a language that facilitates trade.<\/p>\n<p>For the African continent, \"it is the true universal language\", \"the Francophonie is the language of pan-Africanism\", he added.<\/p>\n<p>Emmanuel Macron leaves Tunisia on Saturday evening, while the summit formally ends on Sunday.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1668861156,"updatedAt":1668883435,"publishedAt":1668883431,"firstPublishedAt":1668883435,"lastPublishedAt":1668883435,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"FETHI BELAID \/ AFP","altText":"Leaders of French-speaking countries pose for a photo before 18th Franophone Summit in Tunisia, 19 November 2022","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"Leaders of French-speaking countries pose for a photo before 18th Franophone Summit in Tunisia, 19 November 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FRANCOPHONE SUMMIT IN TUNISIA","path":"\/2022\/11\/19\/bonjour-francophone-leaders-gather-for-tunisia-summit","lastModified":1668883435},{"id":2128036,"cid":7200704,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"221118_NCSU_49161789","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Waste crisis in Tunisia's second city sparks anger among locals","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Growing anger at waste crisis gripping Tunisia's second city","titleListing2":"Waste crisis in Tunisia's second city fuels growing resentment among locals","leadin":"Rubbish has been piling up in the streets of Sfax, as landfill sites reach capacity and local residents are forced to burn their own refuse.","summary":"Rubbish has been piling up in the streets of Sfax, as landfill sites reach capacity and local residents are forced to burn their own refuse.","keySentence":"","url":"waste-crisis-in-tunisias-second-city-sparks-anger-among-locals","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/11\/18\/waste-crisis-in-tunisias-second-city-sparks-anger-among-locals","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Over 1,000 protesters gathered in Tunisia's second city Sfax on Thursday to voice their frustration at the ongoing waste crisis exacerbated by a landfill fire polluting the city's air. \n\nRubbish has been piling up in the streets of Sfax for months, as available landfill sites reach capacity. Local residents are being forced to burn their own refuse. \n\nProtestors, including refuse collectors, gathered in front of the provincial government headquarters chanting: \"Sfax is forgotten, rubbish is eating it in every street\". \n\nThey demanded the resignation of Sfax's governor Fakher Fakhfakh, who the previous day attempted to play down the dangers of a landfill fire near the city's port. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Over 1,000 protesters gathered in Tunisia's second city Sfax on Thursday to voice their frustration at the ongoing waste crisis exacerbated by a landfill fire polluting the city's air.<\/p>\n<p>Rubbish has been piling up in the streets of Sfax for months, as available landfill sites reach capacity. Local residents are being forced to burn their own refuse.<\/p>\n<p>Protestors, including refuse collectors, gathered in front of the provincial government headquarters chanting: \"Sfax is forgotten, rubbish is eating it in every street\".<\/p>\n<p>They demanded the resignation of Sfax's governor Fakher Fakhfakh, who the previous day attempted to play down the dangers of a landfill fire near the city's port.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1668776121,"updatedAt":1669222730,"publishedAt":1668783187,"firstPublishedAt":1668783189,"lastPublishedAt":1669222730,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AFP","altText":"Protesters gather in front of the provincial government headquarters in Sfax, Tunisia","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"Protesters gather in front of the provincial government headquarters in Sfax, Tunisia","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/20\/07\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ce337c9c-310f-5ee3-b66b-3b6faecb8372-7200704.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"waste-disposal","titleRaw":"waste disposal","id":13734,"title":"waste disposal","slug":"waste-disposal"},{"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","titleRaw":"Tunisia","id":8191,"title":"Tunisia","slug":"tunisia"},{"urlSafeValue":"protests-in-tunisia","titleRaw":"Protests in Tunisia","id":9329,"title":"Protests in 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comment","online":1,"url":"\/nocomment"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":283,"urlSafeValue":"tunisia","title":"Tunisia","url":"\/news\/africa\/tunisia"},"town":{"id":3716,"urlSafeValue":"sfax","title":"Sfax"},"grapeshot":"'gt_negative','castrol_negative_uk','neg_mobkoi_castrol','neg_intel_en','neg_facebook','gt_negative_anger','gt_negative_fear','neg_facebook_2021','neg_facebook_neg4','neg_facebook_q4','neg_mobkoi_feb2021','neg_audi_list2','manufacturing','gs_science_environ','gs_science_environment','gt_negative_dislike','gs_politics_misc','gs_science','gb_sensitive_news-ent','gs_food_misc','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_food','gs_politics','gv_safe'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"NC2 TUNISIA PROTEST","path":"\/video\/2022\/11\/18\/waste-crisis-in-tunisias-second-city-sparks-anger-among-locals","lastModified":1669222730},{"id":2008540,"cid":6875352,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"220724_NWSU_47520750","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Tunisians take to the streets ahead of constitutional referendum","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Tunisians protest ahead of constitutional referendum","titleListing2":"Tunisians take to the streets ahead of constitutional referendum","leadin":"Tunisians took the streets this weekend to protest against a planned constitutional referendum, which would concentrate power in the hands of the president.","summary":"Tunisians took the streets this weekend to protest against a planned constitutional referendum, which would concentrate power in the hands of the president.","keySentence":"","url":"tunisians-take-to-the-streets-ahead-of-constitutional-referendum","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/07\/24\/tunisians-take-to-the-streets-ahead-of-constitutional-referendum","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Tunisians took the streets this weekend to demonstrate against a constitutional referendum on Monday, which would transfer greater powers to the president. \n\nHundreds gathered in Tunis on Saturday to demand the\u00a0resignation of president Kais Saied, before Tunisians vote on Monday for a draft constitution that will reduce the role of the parliament and judiciary, and remove most checks on his power. \n\n\nThe date of the referendum is exactly one year after president Saied dismissed the government and froze parliament - a significant blow to Tunisia's young democracy.\u00a0 \n\nThe vote is the latest move in what Saied's opponents call a march to one-man rule since he moved against the elected officials a year ago in what has been branded a coup. \n\n\nDemonstrators, waving\u00a0Tunisia\u2019s red-and-white, chanted \"get out\" and \"the people want the fall of Kais Saied; the people want the fall of the constitution,\u201d at the Saturday event organised by the\u00a0National Salvation Front (FSN) opposition alliance. \n\nA large number of police stood alongside roads but there were no reports of violence. \n\n\nOne protester, Mohamed Gonani, feared the changes could create a presidency which is too powerful. \n\n\"The essence of the constitution is to ensure a balance of powers, but this [new] constitution gives the president broad powers and has no mechanism to impeach or reprimand him,\" he said.\u00a0 \n\nDuring a separate protest on Friday evening by civil society groups and smaller political parties, police used sticks and pepper spray to disperse demonstrators, arresting several of them. \n\n\nSince last year's power grab, critics of the president have grown louder, although divisions among the opposition have hampered their ability to form a clear stance against Saied and mobilise street protests.\u00a0 \n\nSome critics, such as Samia Abbou, the head of the Attayar party, initially supported the president in dissolving parliament, but are now opposed to his proposed constitutional changes. \n\n\"I was for a positive change, for the thieves and the mafia who stole the country to be called to account. I was for that,\" he told Euronews. \"But on September 22 [the date Saied issued a decree granting him full presidential power], we saw his true nature,\" he said. \n\nSaied\u2019s power grab from parliament last July came after years of political paralysis and economic stagnation and appeared to have widespread support at the time. \n\nHowever, there has been little sign of public enthusiasm for his referendum, with only limited numbers of people attending rallies to support it. \n\nMany Tunisians when asked about the political turmoil, point instead to a looming economic crisis as the most urgent issue facing the country. \n\nTunisia will vote Monday on the constitutional draft that would enshrine the vast powers Saied has exercised since he sacked the government last year. \n\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Tunisians took the streets this weekend to demonstrate against a constitutional referendum on Monday, which would transfer greater powers to the president.<\/p>\n<p>Hundreds gathered in Tunis on Saturday to demand the\u00a0resignation of president Kais Saied, before Tunisians vote on Monday for a draft constitution that will reduce the role of the parliament and judiciary, and remove most checks on his power. <\/p>\n<p>The date of the referendum is exactly one year after president Saied dismissed the government and froze parliament - a significant blow to Tunisia's young democracy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The vote is the latest move in what Saied's opponents call a march to one-man rule since he moved against the elected officials a year ago in what has been branded a coup. <\/p>\n<p>Demonstrators, waving\u00a0Tunisia\u2019s red-and-white, chanted \"get out\" and \"the people want the fall of Kais Saied; the people want the fall of the constitution,\u201d at the Saturday event organised by the\u00a0National Salvation Front (FSN) opposition alliance.<\/p>\n<p>A large number of police stood alongside roads but there were no reports of violence. <\/p>\n<p>One protester, Mohamed Gonani, feared the changes could create a presidency which is too powerful.<\/p>\n<p>\"The essence of the constitution is to ensure a balance of powers, but this [new] constitution gives the president broad powers and has no mechanism to impeach or reprimand him,\" he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"5208338\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2020//12//17//arab-spring-how-has-tunisia-changed-ten-years-on-from-the-anti-government-uprising/">Arab Spring: How has Tunisia changed ten years on from the anti-government uprising?<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>During a separate protest on Friday evening by civil society groups and smaller political parties, police used sticks and pepper spray to disperse demonstrators, arresting several of them. <\/p>\n<p>Since last year's power grab, critics of the president have grown louder, although divisions among the opposition have hampered their ability to form a clear stance against Saied and mobilise street protests.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Some critics, such as Samia Abbou, the head of the Attayar party, initially supported the president in dissolving parliament, but are now opposed to his proposed constitutional changes.<\/p>\n<p>\"I was for a positive change, for the thieves and the mafia who stole the country to be called to account. I was for that,\" he told Euronews. \"But on September 22 [the date Saied issued a decree granting him full presidential power], we saw his true nature,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>Saied\u2019s power grab from parliament last July came after years of political paralysis and economic stagnation and appeared to have widespread support at the time.<\/p>\n<p>However, there has been little sign of public enthusiasm for his referendum, with only limited numbers of people attending rallies to support it.<\/p>\n<p>Many Tunisians when asked about the political turmoil, point instead to a looming economic crisis as the most urgent issue facing the country.<\/p>\n<p>Tunisia will vote Monday on the constitutional draft that would enshrine the vast powers Saied has exercised since he sacked the government last year.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1658607138,"updatedAt":1658677144,"publishedAt":1658676765,"firstPublishedAt":1658676768,"lastPublishedAt":1658676793,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"FETHI BELAID\/AFP or licensors","altText":"Tunisians protest ahead of the referendum","callToActionText":null,"width":4028,"caption":"Tunisians protest ahead of the referendum","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/06\/87\/53\/66\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_5539f892-3c49-5195-8034-b64f71732ef0-6875366.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":2776}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"ssan","twitter":"@rhalssanio","title":"Rhal Ssan"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"protests-in-tunisia","titleRaw":"Protests in Tunisia","id":9329,"title":"Protests in 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missing, feared drowned, after a crowded boat of migrants sank off the coast of Tunisia on Wednesday morning, with the number of people risking their lives on the dangerous crossing to Europe on the rise.","keySentence":"","url":"seventy-five-missing-after-crowded-boat-of-migrants-sinks-off-the-coast-of-tunisia","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/05\/25\/seventy-five-missing-after-crowded-boat-of-migrants-sinks-off-the-coast-of-tunisia","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Some 75 people are missing after a crowded boat sank off the coast of Tunisia on Wednesday, according to the International Organisation for Migration and a Tunisian security official. \n\nThe IOM said 24 people had been rescued from the craft, which had departed from the beaches of Zawara in Libya and sank off the coast of Sfax. \n\nThe unnamed Tunisian official told Reuters that the coastguard had recovered one body and continued to search for 75 others who fell into the water. \n\nIn recent months there has 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Figures from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) show more than 123,000 migrants arrived in Italy in 2021, compared to more than 95,000 in 2020. \n\nDozens of people have also recently\u00a0 drowned off the Tunisian coast after embarking for Italy.\u00a0 Earlier this month the\u00a0Tunisian coastguard recovered a further 24 bodies, bringing the total to 67, after four boats carrying 120 people sank at the end of April. More than 50 victims of that incident are still missing. \n\nLast week the coastguard also rescued 44 from an overcrowded boat that sank off the coast of Louza in Sfax. At least four of them died and another 10 were still unaccounted for, a security official said at the time. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Some 75 people are missing after a crowded boat sank off the coast of Tunisia on Wednesday, according to the International Organisation for Migration and a Tunisian security official.<\/p>\n<p>The IOM said 24 people had been rescued from the craft, which had departed from the beaches of Zawara in Libya and sank off the coast of Sfax.<\/p>\n<p>The unnamed Tunisian official told Reuters that the coastguard had recovered one body and continued to search for 75 others who fell into the water.<\/p>\n<p>In recent months there has been a surge in the number of people trying to make the dangerous crossing to Europe. Figures from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) show more than 123,000 migrants arrived in Italy in 2021, compared to more than 95,000 in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>Dozens of people have also recently\u00a0drowned off the Tunisian coast after embarking for Italy.\u00a0Earlier this month the\u00a0Tunisian coastguard recovered a further 24 bodies, bringing the total to 67, after four boats carrying 120 people sank at the end of April. More than 50 victims of that incident are still missing.<\/p>\n<p>Last week the coastguard also rescued 44 from an overcrowded boat that sank off the coast of Louza in Sfax. At least four of them died and another 10 were still unaccounted for, a security official said at the time.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1653470255,"updatedAt":1653474681,"publishedAt":1653474676,"firstPublishedAt":1653474681,"lastPublishedAt":1653474681,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"(AP Photo\/Santi Palacios)","altText":"A group of migrants wait to be assisted by a team from the Spanish NGO Open Arms, around 20 miles southwest of Italy, Thursday July 29, 2021.","callToActionText":null,"width":1021,"caption":"A group of migrants wait to be assisted by a team from the Spanish NGO Open Arms, around 20 miles southwest of Italy, Thursday July 29, 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with a tracking beacon glued to its shell to help researchers better protect the threatened species.","keySentence":"","url":"turtles-freed-in-tunisia-with-tracking-monitor","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/05\/22\/turtles-freed-in-tunisia-with-tracking-monitor","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Three rescued loggerhead turtles were released into the Mediterranean off Tunisia on Sunday, one with a tracking beacon glued to its shell to help researchers better protect the threatened species. \n\nThe main risks to sea turtles in Tunisia are linked to fisheries, since they become entangled in nets -- including the three that were released into the wild. \n\nThe migratory species, which can live to as old as 45, are listed as \"vulnerable\" in the Red List of threatened species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). \n\nThe turtles' release was watched by a crowd of some 50 people, many of them children, carried out by a specialised care centre in Tunisia's eastern port of Sfax. \n\nSome 35 turtles have been cared for at the centre in the past year as part of the Mediterranean-wide Life Med Turtle project. \n\nEnvironmental activists helped carry the heavy turtles down the beach, before the animals crawled the final distance towards the sea. \n\nAll of them were tagged, but one of them also had a phone-sized tracking beacon glued to its hard shell, which will track its progress as it moves across the sea. \n\nAs well as loggerhead turtles, two other turtle species are found in the Mediterranean, the green and leatherback turtle. \n\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Three rescued loggerhead turtles were released into the Mediterranean off Tunisia on Sunday, one with a tracking beacon glued to its shell to help researchers better protect the threatened species.<\/p>\n<p>The main risks to sea turtles in Tunisia are linked to fisheries, since they become entangled in nets -- including the three that were released into the wild.<\/p>\n<p>The migratory species, which can live to as old as 45, are listed as \"vulnerable\" in the Red List of threatened species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).<\/p>\n<p>The turtles' release was watched by a crowd of some 50 people, many of them children, carried out by a specialised care centre in Tunisia's eastern port of Sfax.<\/p>\n<p>Some 35 turtles have been cared for at the centre in the past year as part of the Mediterranean-wide Life Med Turtle project.<\/p>\n<p>Environmental activists helped carry the heavy turtles down the beach, before the animals crawled the final distance towards the sea.<\/p>\n<p>All of them were tagged, but one of them also had a phone-sized tracking beacon glued to its hard shell, which will track its progress as it moves across the sea.<\/p>\n<p>As well as loggerhead turtles, two other turtle species are found in the Mediterranean, the green and leatherback 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