Country Profile
From The Report: Tunisia 2017
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Home of the ancient city of Carthage, present-day Tunisia has a long and distinguished history. Its location at the centre of North Africa, close to vital shipping routes in the Mediterranean, ensured it became a hub for control over the region for successive ruling elites, including the Berbers, Phoenicians, Romans, and Arab and Ottoman dynasties. In the late 19th century Tunisia became a French protectorate, a status it maintained until colonial rule ended in 1956, and the country achieved full independence. The post-independence republican period was dominated first by Habib Bourgiba, who ruled as president for three decades (1956-87), advancing secular ideals, in particular the emancipation of women. Bourgiba’s successor, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, assumed power in 1987, and established an authoritarian rule that would stay in place until a wave of anti-government protests forced him into exile in January 2011. The start of Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution had a widespread impact, igniting the region-wide movement now known as the Arab Spring. Though at times rocky, Tunisia’s road to democracy has been generally deemed a success, and the country is often hailed as a beacon of hope in a turbulent region.

This chapter contains a viewpoint from President Béji Caïd Essebsi; and an interview with Akinwumi Adesina, President, African Development Bank.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

A hopeful future: A country of rich heritage and resources, Tunisia continues to move forward six years after the Jasmine Revolution
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Home of the ancient city of Carthage, present-day Tunisia has a long and distinguished history. Its location at the centre of North Africa, close to vital shipping routes in the Mediterranean, ensured it became a hub for control over the region for successive ruling elites, including the Berbers, Phoenicians, Romans, and Arab and Ottoman dynasties. In the late 19th century Tunisia became a French protectorate, a status it maintained until French colonial rule ended in 1956, and the country…

Viewpoint

Building a democracy: President Béji Caïd Essebsi, on the country’s democratic transition and its socio-economic challenges
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Viewpoint:President Béji Caïd Essebsi Tunisia’s 2010 revolution opened a new chapter in the country’s history, as the Tunisian people dared to make a break with the past. In the ensuing years, Tunisians have demonstrated just as much courage by avoiding strife and confrontation, and instead pursuing a path of compromise and dialogue in order to pave the way for a peaceful transition to democracy. Three years after the revolution Tunisia faced a crisis that threatened to seriously polarise…

Overview

Positive developments: National unity government works to accelerate implementation of economic and social reforms
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The period from 2011 to 2016 ushered in unprecedented change for Tunisia. Six years after the beginning of the Jasmine Revolution, Tunisia has embraced a democratic rule of law, along with all of the swings and roundabouts that can entail. Tunisia’s democratic transition has earned it international recognition, garnering the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize for the National Dialogue Quartet, a coalition of civil society groups that played an instrumental role in achieving this peaceful transition. But…

Analysis

Good fences: The government looks to consolidate a “zero-enemy” regional foreign policy
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As the sole success story of the Arab Spring, Tunisia has emerged as an emblematic model of democratic transition in what can be an unstable region, which has further burnished the country’s diplomatic influence. Pragmatic Approach Tunisia has a long tradition of pragmatic diplomacy in the Middle East and Africa, benefitting in part from what was once its most defining trait: stability. Under its previous presidents, Tunisia prized stability, in some cases to the detriment of other democratic…

Analysis

Strategic partnerships: Tunisia secures international support for economic recovery
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In its efforts towards economic recovery and the consolidation of democracy, Tunisia’s government is increasing cooperation with international partners. The revolution and democratic reforms have garnered significant international goodwill, recently evidenced by the success of the country’s investment conference, Tunisia 2020, in Tunis on November 29 and 30, 2016. Tunisia 2020 During the conference, which gathered representatives from some 40 countries, Tunisia unveiled its new development…

Interview

A resilient future: Akinwumi Adesina, President, African Development Bank (AfDB), on building a stronger continent
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Interview:Akinwumi Adesina How can the vulnerability of African markets to global shocks be reduced? AKINWUMI ADESINA: Several commodity exporters in Africa, including South Africa, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and oil exporters such as Nigeria, Algeria, Angola, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of Congo have been severely hit by the dip in commodity prices and the slowdown in China’s economy. These events have led to significant revenue shortfalls in these countries. The…