New Tunisian government sworn in… What’s next?

Prepared by: Radwa Ramadan Abdel Fattah Sherif

Introduction

Recently, Tunisian president, Kais Saied issued a decree appointing a new government, 11 weeks after firing the last one in a power grab, as the country faces acute economic and political crises.

•        The formation of the new government was accompanied by a wave of mixed reactions in Tunisia, from the statements of former Tunisian President Mohamed Moncef Marzouki in Paris calling on France to intervening against the measures taken by President Kais Saied, which provoked his ire. Tunisian Ministry of the Interior, which issued a statement by the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemning Marzouki’s statements and warning against any attempt at foreign interference in Tunisian affairs. Tunisian President Kais Saied has entrusted Najla Boden to form the third government since his election in September 2019. One of the most prominent features of the new government is the presence of women, in addition to the position of Najla Boden as the first female prime minister in the Arab world; the new cabinet included eight female ministers. This indicates the intention of Tunisian President Kais Saied to honor Tunisian women. Given the political polarization that Tunisia has experienced recently, the new government is expected to face many serious challenges; in particular the Covid-19 pandemic and its economic and social impact that led to an increase in internal debt, the high unemployment rates that reached around 17.8% in the first third of this year, with an increase of around 17, 4% in the third quarter of 2020 and the need to improve Tunisia’s negotiating position with the IMF in order to obtain new loans to stimulate the economy and negotiate the planning of the country’s external debt. In short, the current fears of foreign interference in the affairs of the country and the correction of the democratic path in Tunisia will require some time, especially after the formation of the new government … So what is the next Future scenarios

•         Amending the Constitution

It is expected that a number of constitutional texts will be amended, as President Kais Saied previously hinted in a statement regarding the future of the political situation in Tunisia: “Constitutions are not eternal and amendments can be made that respond to the Tunisian people.” In reference to the possibility of amending the 2014 constitution.

•        Roadmap

It is anticipated that the future step to accommodate the Tunisian street will require the existence of a road map that requires focusing on ways to speed up the transitional period and encourage the new government to take urgent economic measures.