Unpacking Tunisia’s Present: Political and Economic Trajectories under Kais Saied’s Second Term

As the EU continues to prioritise concerns regarding migrant departures from Tunisia, the July 2023 EU-Tunisia Memorandum of Understanding appears to be the principal institutional and political channel for engagement with Tunisian authorities. Meanwhile, Tunisia continues to grapple with mounting challenges. The re-election of Kais Saied on 6 October 2024, with 90.69% of the vote, has been marked by widespread allegations of electoral irregularities and authoritarian practices. Politically, Tunisia keeps standing at a crossroads: on one side, a government increasingly centralised and exclusionary; on the other, a marginalised civil society striving to safeguard fragile democratic practices amidst a consolidated democratic backsliding. Economically, the country also faces a critical situation, with rising unemployment, inflation and poverty deeply affecting people’s living standards. Meanwhile, the exploitation of an anti-sub-Saharan discourse by Saied exacerbates social tensions and undermines migrant people’s rights.

Against this backdrop, the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) is hosting an online seminar featuring leading scholars on Tunisia and EU policy in North Africa. The discussion will delve into the country’s domestic socio-political developments and foreign policy, providing key insights into the trajectory of the country under Saied’s second term. The event will also assess recent EU engagements with Tunis and reflect on how to promote a more sustainable strategy to address the multiple political, social and economic challenges of Tunisia.