Is Tunisia Becoming a Dictatorship?

In 2011, Tunisia came to world attention as mass protests forced the country's longstanding dictator, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, to flee the country. The uprising, known as the Jasmine Revolution, would spark huge demonstrations elsewhere across the Middle East and North Africa: The Arab Spring. But a decade later, there are fears that the country's president, Kais Saied, is taking the country back to authoritarianism, if not dictatorship. So, is democracy really now under threat in Tunisia?
Hello and welcome! My name is James Ker-Lindsay. Here I take an informed look at International Relations with a focus on conflicts, security, and statehood. If you like what you see, please do SUBSCRIBE. If you want more, including exclusive content and benefits, including discussion on the channel Discord server, consider becoming a CHANNEL MEMBER or support me through PATREON. Many thanks!
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Tunisia has always had a rather unusual place in the Arab world. Having become a French Protectorate in 1881, in the first part of the 20th century a nationalist movement arose. In 1934, this split to form Neo-Destour, which would become the ruling party after the country eventually attained independence in 1956. After the monarchy was abolished in 1957, the country came under the rule of Habib Bourguiba, who ruled as a dictator until 1987, when he was ousted by Ben Ali. However, all this changed in 2011, when a young market trader, Mohamed Bouazizi, took his own life in protest at police corruption. However, a decade later, Tunisia faces huge economic, political and social problems. It against this backdrop that Saied has introduced a number of measured rolling back democracy. But is this for the country's good, as he claims. Or is it the return to dictatorship?
CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction and Titles
00:47 The Arab Spring and Tunisia
01:33 Tunisia: Location, Population and Economy
02:21 The Emergence of Modern Tunisia
03:59 Tunisia under Habib Bourguiba
05:11 Tunisia under Ben Ali
06:27 Tunisia after the Jasmine Revolution
08:20 Tunisia under Kais Saied
10:18 Reactions to Saied's Rule by Decree
11:08 Tunisia: A Return to Dictatorship?
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Current Issues and Disputes • CURRENT ISSUES AND DIS...
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FURTHER READING & USEFUL SOURCES
Government of Tunisia www.pm.gov.tn/pm/content/?lang=en
Tunisia | Freedom House freedomhouse.org/country/tunisia
Tunisia | Human Rights Watch www.hrw.org/middle-east/north...
Tunisia’s Fellagha and the Battle for Independence • Tunisia's Fellagha and...
Tunisia: An Arab Anomaly amzn.to/3BXBoRk
The Arab Spring: The Hope and Reality of the Uprisings amzn.to/3hMqqaq
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KEYWORDS
#Tunisia #Politics #NorthAfrica
#InternationalPolitics #CurrentAffairs #InternationalRelations
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[@JamesKerLindsay]

So, how should we regard Kais Saied? Do you think he is a democrat trying to impose control on Tunisia, as many Western Governments seem willing to believe? Or is there something more worrying to his actions, as many observers suggest? As ever, I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments below.

[@realtalk675]

Talk about your own COUNTRY. You only think you know everything what is brittain doing ?? Hate carrier

[@theconqueringram5295]

Well, we at least need to watch this guy and his policies.

[@Amin-hj5yg]

Democracy is just a form of government among others, and it's not a goal itself if it's not going to provide sustainable development, and the welfare of the citizens. what's more important than democracy is individual and social liberties. Take a closer look to US ambassador reports and emails back in the late 2000's you'll definitely understand the course of events and you'll see how the US manged to destroy yet another country. The reports can be devised in two main sections first a social analysis of the Tunisians with meticulous details (what they think about the political party back then, their relationship and opinions in regard to Islam, what they wear and how they behave etc). The second is sum ups about their meetings with Ennahdha Leaders. What the US got from that is that Tunisia is the perfect environment to start their little experiment in the region. Since then we're suffering from terrorism, social instability, poverty etc. Bottom line Tunisians don't care about democracy what matter for us is economic stability. There's at least 2 millions who never voted or showed any interest in the political life since 2011 and the majority who did so , it was in the intention to choose the fit politicians to boost the economy. Deception after another you can see the results in the last parliament election.

[@sayaridridi2681]

Kais saied is good man in tunisia everyone can do what he wand and say anything about him with respect of course in tunisia now the problem is not kais saied i promis you the big chalnge is economique we need to have good life becouse we are as tunisia we want to lough and joke and be happy no like china or vitname s factory everywere 300dolar a month we want quality of life eurpe without oil resourse thats the big deal that we look for it

[@Planet_Xplorer]

@@sayaridridi2681 He's a dictator that will bankrupt Tunisia

[@ellihowa2365]

As a Tunisian citizen, I have to say I am impressed by the quality of infos presented in your video and your objective cohesive approach. Most analysts jump to conclusions early and quickly categorize the whole scenery as dictatorship or liberal democracy. 1. Tunisia is often described as a success only because Western analysts compare it to collapsing countries like Libya, Syria and Yemen and totalitarian military regimes like Egypt. However, Tunisia is geopolitically very different to the middle east: no sectarianism, no tribalism, strong sens of nationalism, homogeneous population, apolitical military, liberal society and progressive legislation (compared to MENA), very active civil society, stable state institutions (despite political instability), functioning administration (our state is basically a conglomerate of administrations which assures the functioning of the state but also a bureaucracy obstructing economoc growth)... we had everything to succeed except the economy: the economic crisis caused the rise of populism: our current president attracted a huge part of our people with his populist slogans and extreme idealism.. unfortunately he was voted democratically. Tunisia is an example of a liberal democracy electing a non-liberal president. 2. Despite Saied's power grab, Tunisia is still by far more liberal and "democratic" than the rest of MENA: the opposition is still very active and our local media are 24/24 criticizing his policies. The judiciary is still relatively independent despite political pressure. 3. Kais Saied's measures in 25 July (freezing the parliament and sacking the government) were incredibly popular and caused popular joy and relief: the opposition is very unpopular and hated by the people. However, recently the president has started losing popularity and a big part of our people are finally waking up and realizing his utter incompetence (the president has zero economic knowledge). 4. After 2011, we had a flawed unstable and dysfunctional democracy: parliamentary mosaicism, political instability (around one government each year), non-election of Constitutional Court (the power grab wouldnt happen with one in place) which lead the country to a political deadlock. The parliamentary regime proved its failure and there was a need for a more presidential yet democratic! regime. 5. The economic crisis played a major role in the current democratic backsliding. The previous governments and their parties were too afraid to lose popularity and cause social protests by pushing for unpopular radical economic reforms such as privatizing state owned companies (labor union is extremely powerful in Tunisia), reducing subsidies and monetary reforms... 6. Tunisians are still new to democracy and voting Saied was a mistake (just like when Ennahda was elected). Hopefully we will learn from such mistakes and bring a more stable this time functional democracy capable of generating inclusive economic wealth.

[@shahidanusrat6086]

As a Pakistani I fully support love and respect Tunisia sovereignty and territorial integrity from Pakistan 🙂🇵🇰🇹🇳😍🥰 . May Allah SWT bless Tunisia and it's beautiful people from Pakistan 🙂🇵🇰🇹🇳🇹🇷🙂🥰

[@winstonmaraj8029]

@@shahidanusrat6086 Perpetually amusing, the Pakistanis and South Asian wannabe Arabs. Its because of your guy Allah that the Islamic World is where it is. Pakistan, inheritors of the MAGNIFICENT Mohenjo Daro civilisation is slouching towards Bethlehem, as things fall apart. That enduring fantasy that South Asians, no matter how hard they try to define themselves as Arabs, Turks or Mongols, that they are somehow gonna make progress by praying 5 times daily. Keep drifting. 👍🍷

[@shahidanusrat6086]

@@winstonmaraj8029 nonsense

[@tozrimondher4250]

As a Tunisian, I approve everything you said

[@ij4674]

Social liberalism is dangerous to society.

[@thetruekhanofkhans]

I understand this is not topical but seeing my country, Mongolia, as a democratic country in an ocean of autocracy is strangely heartwarming.

[@jxz107]

Out of curiosity, how have the protests been developing in the capital recently? I've been fascinated by Mongolia's relatively robust democracy, and was wondering if the protests are a sign of any potential reversal of this (as a comparison, my country of South Korea is apparently going to have its ranking on the Democracy Index lowered by 2023, but I won't go into detail about that)

[@thetruekhanofkhans]

@@jxz107 very much ongoing although certainly not as intense as its original stages. I highly doubt there’ll be any crackdown as that would be extremely unusual by Mongolian standards. Most likely there’ll be concessions from the government or maybe even a resignation of the cabinet (we’ve had resignations for much less), but definitely no rollback of democratic rights as that’s just not realistic given the current political climate.

[@thomasjohnson2862]

Interesting. I know almost nothing about modern Mongolia 🇲🇳, but I guess if there’s nothing in the news, then no news is good news!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you. I really should try to look at Mongolia. Sadly, I've never been. But my wife has and found it fascinating.

[@thetruekhanofkhans]

@@JamesKerLindsay Recommend coming in July so you can experience warmer temperatures, greenery and our major traditional festival, Naadam!

[@FairyCRat]

I guess we can officially declare the Arab spring a failure.

[@charlesk22]

Yeah. It now needs an in depth political autopsy

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks. I'm not sure that we are quite there yet. But it is sadly looking that way.

[@vdghj93]

Yes and thank god it was, the arab spring was good in its essence but manipulated by Americans and Europeans to put strawman in power. You don't know the reality of these countries, the common man of the street regrets everyday Gadhafi, Ben Ali, Saddam...

[@sparks1792]

@@vdghj93always these comments strong leadership would’ve stopped all of that but humans love power

[@walidayari4149]

I'm Tunisian and i agree 💯

[@Larzh220469]

Democracy needs to deliver tangible benefits to the people. If it doesn't, there is always some strongman ready to take over. It remains to be seen whether Kais Saied is yet another wannabe despot, or if he really believes in his project. While I am only moderately optimistic at best, I think it is too early to give up on Tunisia.

[@theintrovertadventurer9640]

Democracy is only as good and effective as the people you elect. If you keep electing incompetent fools, do not expect good results. The same goes for dictatorship, although without the election part.

[@chinguunerdenebadrakh7022]

But the thing with these sort is that it's often sabotaged by the same people who will then turn around and blame the idea itself rather than the implementation or their own sabotage. It's like underfunding publicly funded healthcare, healthcare results return abysmal, blame public healthcare, advocate for private healthcare and boom, you have private healthcare and you get your money in cash from the lobbyists.

[@necropolistc6357]

democracy needs to start voting for people who will actually do good

[@healtheworld2059]

Thanks for the vote of confidence but if one wants to be realistic, the guy is more of a looney tune than a wannabe despot. Usually despots take little to no time to show their ugly plans. Instead, many believe K Saied to be Asperger (?) , at best incapable to get out of his head.

[@RobBCactive]

Democracy's prime benefit is giving people a way to change leaders and the government. They all too often become the problem when they have too long in power. The benefits are long term, as course corrections occur and enterprise develops within legal frameworks rather than by familial or biz ties to some "strongman".

[@bluebird6906]

As an Arab i am Afraid of dictatorship and i hate it. We created as a free people not a slaves. long live freedom and democracy.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you. It is really worrying to think that after all this, Tunisia still remains far, far ahead of any other Arab country in terms of democracy and freedom. It really is quite depressing. But I’m not sure why the Middle East and North Africa remains so impenetrable to democracy?

[@__-rt5tm]

@@JamesKerLindsay as an Arab I think because society hasn't had a social revaluation yet when you have a political revaluation without a societal one like the Arab springs you see everything go back to normal as people flee back to what's familiar and has worked (worked as in having a tolerable life )

[@Zaabi]

You’re not Arab

[@logiic8835]

Cap

[@Zaabi]

@@JamesKerLindsay we’ll as a arab- we don’t want democracy

[@malek5986]

I really appreciate how well structured this video is. Very informative with an accurate narrative. As a tunisian citizen, I can say that tunisians are aware of the way Kais has been ruling. I believe that we all have had faith that he could make some tangible changes even with his undemocratic move on the 25th of july. But he failed drastically, and this last election was a clear indicator of people turning their backs not only to his reforms but to the political scene as a whole. A general sense of despair is felt by people at this point, especially with the downfall of the economy, which is people's first concern. Politically, i don't think we truly know what is going to happen. But i don't think that Kais can dig down the dictatorship back simply because people have outgrew it and that people are learning and taking notes from all previous events.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much for the extremely kind words. I appreciate them enormously. It is really helpful to have views from Tunisians. It helps other viewers so much to be able to hear so many interesting and informative comments. Thanks again.

[@peterkops6431]

Catching up after an illness. So much important content. Thanks Pro👍🏻👍🏻

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Sorry to hear you haven’t been well. Hope you’re feeling better now.

[@tim01263]

Happy Christmas, James! Thank-you for the great videos, hope you and your family have a lovely time!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much! :-) We all had a lovely time. I hope you enjoyed yours, if you were celebrating. Wishing you all the very best for the New Year!

[@4Usuality]

Merry Christmas Professor! Thanks for the interesting video!

[@mms16]

Hi Tunisian here. you know what they say, you can't have democracy on an empty stomach. And you failed to mention is the utter and literal clowning that was happening on the parliament for a decade while no Tunisian saw any sign of growth or a will of the government to make anything better. Now, when voting for Saiid in 2019 many of us were kinda hoping for him to be totalitarian and maybe just maybe do things better or do anything at all for that matter. Lastly, and this is my personal view. If 2011 revolution was genuine, then it should happen again if needed

[@Naitokalmah]

listen to the guy ! you could make a follow up video and explain on the parliament's corruption/incompetence after 2011 , outside influence on the country and the subsequential assassinations of political figures just to name a few topics

[@machays7001]

Excellent video, thank you for posting

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks so much!

[@safouanekhamassi]

This is extremely well presented and summarized. Great video !

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much. I really appreciate the kind words.

[@Kitties_are_pretty]

It's so great seeing your channel blow up like this. You're great at what you do.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much Joshua! That's incredibly kind of you. I really appreciate the support! :-)

[@peterkops6431]

The historical context you provide really assists in understanding the present Prof. You really put this stuff together excellently. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@TheRamsey582]

I have to say, I am impressed. I'm sharing this video with friends. Thank you for the great work!

[@freeaigle7548]

Happy Christmas & New year📚🍸☕✍️🪵🪚⚜️

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you very much indeed! And to you too if you are celebrating.

[@shahidanusrat6086]

As a Pakistani I fully support love and respect Tunisia sovereignty and territorial integrity from Pakistan 🙂🇵🇰🇹🇳🙂🥰🇹🇷.

[@raniaabidi7380]

Pakistan 😍💕

[@paramahansayogananda6719]

I wouldn’t know what to do without your videos! They are the best!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much. And thanks for all your support over 2022. I really appreciate it.

[@rayenharchay821]

Hey James, As a Tunisian, I have really enjoyed your video. It was very informative and straight to the point. I approve everything that has been said. The only thing that I felt is missing was that the parties and the sacked government were completely incompetent (far more than our president is portrayed economically): Up until its resolution, the parliament has been a laughing stock. People lost faith in parties (with Ennahdha reigning over the country for over a decade) and the politicians. They have been the same and the decline has been ever so present with their reign. As democratic as the regime has been portrayed since the Arab spring, Ennahdha ruled over the country by having people in power and approving government selections that represented them. The second-place party in each election has always either merged with Ennahdha or formed an alliance afterwards. The problem is, with the hands of the party being so widespread, many people were benefiting from this regime and were rising to power in their respective field because of their association. This proved too much for the common citizen that has been seeing incompetence spreading all over his/her daily life and started the 25 of July movement. People lost patience and came down to the streets to express their frustration. The president reforms were met with extreme joy among the Tunisians as it finally put an end to what was happening. In Tunisia, we are all aware of the increasing power the president is having. However, most of us feel that, if it doesn't happen this way, the country will fall back to the same people that have been ruling so terribly in the last decade. It is a necessary mean to an end if you will. I am sure no Tunisian will live with an oppressing dictator if one ever rose to power. Kais Saied, even though not perfect, is by far the better option at the time. We all hope his government can turn things around. Again, great video!!! Thanks 😊

[@BM-lm8zg]

stop farting

[@tacapssifax7491]

تحليل رائع شكرا يا إبن البلد 🇹🇳🇹🇳🇹🇳🇹🇳🇹🇳👍👍👍👍👍

[@tacapssifax7491]

@@BM-lm8zg imbécile.!!

[@abassiahmed8673]

يعطيك الصحة ❤️🇹🇳

[@mariemtouiti2638]

تحليل أعرج علمت شيئاً وغابت عنك أشياء.. من كل الأحزاب لم تذكر إلا حزبا بعينه.. و النداء.. حكم خمسة سنين و كل الرئاسات عندو ( الرئيس و البرلمان الحكومة) ضيّعوا على تونس الكثير من الوقت... اتحاد الشغل إللي يتصرّف كأنو حزب ما عطّلش لبلاد بآلاف الإضرابات... ورغم ذلك كنّا في مسار ديموقراطي يوصل فيه المواطن يربح حكم ضد الرئيس... أنا أعجبني عنوان الفيديو .. La Tunisie : retour à la dictature

[@haythemedhibi]

Very good summary!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you very much!

[@louvendran7273]

Once again, a gem. Compliments of the season to you and the rest of your team.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much. That's really kind of you. And all my very best wishes to you too! (And I am 'the team'. 😀)

[@danielwilkinson3173]

A strange coincidence when I just booked a holiday to Tunisia yesterday, and on the same day, this video is released! Nonetheless, a very interesting piece, and I hope Tunisia can continue down the path of building further prosperity and peace as time goes on. Have a great Christmas, Prof Ker-Lindsay!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Haha! A coincidence indeed. I’m sure you’ll have a lovely time. In the meantime, a very Merry Christmas to you too! :-)

[@margec2304]

I was there three months ago and had a fantastic time. I am actually shocked that this video is practically the opposite of what I learned on my trip around the entire country. I know tourists don't see everything but I don't think my tour missed that much traveling from the Mediterranean to the Sahara. I was impressed with the friendly people; visited Muslim families' homes; spoke with highly educated Muslim women; saw profitable trade with their products. i.e., olive oil, salt flats, entrepreneurial businesses, etc. The climate near the coast was exceptional. I found this country much more progressive than I imagined. I think you will enjoy your tour.

[@essaghirtorens160]

Morroco is far better

[@besafricain9281]

@@essaghirtorens160 dima mga7fin wjouhkoum! You never allow positive things about your neighbors! Msakin wallah.

[@essaghirtorens160]

@@besafricain9281 they tried to broke my country and god punish them 😍 I love it 🇲🇦 But i only tell the truth, Morroco is far far better than Tunisia and Algéria together.

[@romdhanimustapha2153]

We are a people who do not like American democracy, and we do not like to interfere in the affairs of others, and we do not like those who interfere in their problems. Thank you

[@peterkops6431]

Amazing how a sip of power can turn into an unquenchable thirst.

[@rpgbb]

Merry Christmas and a Prosperous 2023 (Let’s hope 😅)

[@soleilrougelhorizon3439]

Le retour au sérieux oui !!🎉👍🏼🇩🇿

[@oozlygirl910]

Hope you make other videos about Tunisia, it's an interesting country that went through a lot of events

[@emilhuseynov6121]

It was all about elite politics. The army stood down in 2011 and now we’ll see if the same happens later.

[@echarts3710]

One problem is how some people view Kais Saied as a secular person. While he opposes Islamism, he is a very conservative beyond Western standards, including homophobic statements. Also, the story of Nidaa Tounes is interesting. A secular and centre-left party, they won both presidential and legislative elections in 2014. But the party got split in pieces in just 5 years, their seats dropped from 86 to just 3 and their former uniting leader Essebsi who became president died in office.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks a lot. You're absolutely right. While Saied is opposed to extremism, he is most certainly very conservative. (Although it is also interesting to note, for what it may be worth, that his wife doesn't wear a headscarf - which seems very much in keeping with Tunisia's rather liberal and secular outlook.) I wish I had more time to look at the events between 2011 and 2019. The country went through a lot of turmoil. The problem is that is is really easy to overwhelm viewers by recounting too many incidents. I had to keep it relatively focused.

[@shadowfangempire609]

When did Kais Saied said anything Homophobic?

[@alexanderwilliams4336]

So? He is a Muslim not a woke shenanigan regardless though he is a puppet planted by the west

[@sallouhahassan2105]

Gott beschütze unser Kais S3id 🤲❤️🇹🇳

[@tarekjaziri9347]

A psychopath and a narcissist who refuses treatment

[@sallouhahassan2105]

@@tarekjaziri9347 wir die Araber sind leicht zu manipulieren und Europäer und Americaner wissen das wir einen limitiert intellect haben und das für € und Doll. nicht nur unsere Nationen verratern , und darum das Lied "Démocratie"😂 und "das arabisch Frühling " und wir schlucken und glauben und versuchen die guten Patrioten zu eliminieren,wie du jetzt (narcict und Psychopathen,) besser alles seinen Land se verkaufen und verraten mir fehlen die Worte

[@behroozkhaleghirad]

I'm Iranian and you all know what's going on in Iran nowadays. I fear the same scenario at a much larger scale for Iran. Iran, as the oldest official country in the world, located exactly in the middle of the crossroad of opposing cultures, is a multi-ethnic country with a unique geopolitical situation. I have came to this conclusion that countries like Iran are too ethnically diverse, too geopolitically important and too resourceful to be effectively secured and ruled by real democracy. French or Swiss democracy doesn't work in countries like Iran, but almost all dictatorships have been recipes for disaster throughout history too. And anything in between is practically impossible and prone to devastate the country. WHAT THE ... SHALL WE DO? I ask this on behalf of all Iranians, Russians, Chinese, Indians, Afghans, Iraqis, Egyptians, Syrians, etc... This is a serious and vital question that I can't find any real answer for it. Please let me know what you all think.

[@edwardmerriam6970]

India has been a democracy for a very long time though...

[@macuma5533]

I don't know man, I really don't

[@thomassenbart]

What, Iran is the oldest official country in the world? That is a strange claim. The Persian Empire was created circa 650 BC and ruled until Alexander ended it after Gaugamela around 334 BC. Upon his death, Macedonian generals divided the Empire, Ptolemy Egypt, Antiochus, in Syria and Seleucus who controlled Mesopotamia to India, i.e. the Seleucid Empire. This last rump Kingdom became the Parthian and Sasanian/Neo Persian empires which fought Rome but both were defeated/conquered by the Romans and then the Arabian Muslim armies in the 7th century. The Abbasids replaced the Umayyads and ruled from Baghdad. Then came the Turks/Mamelukes and Ghaznavid, Seljuk and Khwarezmian kingdoms, all Muslim btw but not Persian. Then come the Mongols, who crush everything conquering all, circa 1250 AD. Timurlane follows with his empire. It is not until the 1500s that we begin to see a true Persian kingdom emerge again, the Safavid Empire. From this point multiple Persian dynasties emerge and rule until the Russians, English and Ottomans begin to divide up the realm. By WWII, Iran was impotent and completely controlled by Britain and Russia. After WWII, you have the 53 coup and installation of the Shah and the rest is modern history. So, where exactly are you drawing the idea the Iran is the oldest official country in the world from? I don't see it. Iran could be a democracy/republic if it followed the basic rules. 1. Establish a secular govt., with a strict division between Islam and politics 2. Create a culture respects the rule of law, not personal connections and corruption 3. A strong and populous middle class, 60% of the people, at least. 4. Control of the military by civilian authority.

[@JohnSmith-sl2qc]

India's a democracy tho

[@belstar1128]

Switzerland is multi-ethnic .

[@ashrafsahli2869]

I really appreciate the time you've taken to make this video speaking about my country.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much. I hope I presented a fair account of the situation and the debate over the president’s actions.

[@ashrafsahli2869]

​@@JamesKerLindsay Yes, I think so. Even I'm one of whom supported the president Kais Saied, I still believe : having all the power of the government is called dictatorship. But if we rethink about the democratie definition and compare that with what we see in democratic countries, we'll recognize easely : what is happening is far to be what citezens want but it's what governors want rather. So if the president Kais Saied does what people want he will be more democratic than others - They are still more democratic than him just in form and nothing else.

[@mohameddaoud8770]

I am Tunisian and I've lived in Western countries, including Britain and the U.S. (so-called established democracies) and believe that democracy is not a-one- size-fits-all notion. I think democracy requires the rule of law first and foremost. In Tunisia, we had a poor 'democratic' start in 2011-2019, with the perpetuation of the corrupt deep state from the times of Bourguiba and Ben Ali. Kais Saied may be a novice, mediocre politician, but he is not getting any help from anybody in the establishment (all political parties, media, upstart oligarks, frabcophile elites, etc.) to implement reforms and the rule of law. It will take more than a president, no matter how enlightened s/he may be, to effect change.

[@allenmed2383]

I admire how much effort you put into these videos. Good luck professor

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much. That’s incredibly kind of you. I really appreciate it enormously.

[@sallouhahassan2105]

Da sind nur Fake Neus

[@iliasaek8678]

Professor we need another video on the Cyprus issue! Anything would be appreciated

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks Ilias. I certainly plan to come back to it at some point.

[@thomassenbart]

This is the nature of almost all Islamic states. The culture of these countries is contrary to democracy. Further, you need a strong middle class to have any chance of democracy taking hold. Also, until you can achieve a culture that respects the rule of law, rather than success through connections or bribery, secular govt., a middle class that is the majority of the population and a process for the peaceful transfer of power. Morocco, Tunisia, formerly Turkey and the UAE are or have been moving in these directions but still all are Islamic states formally. This is a problem.

[@buckfizzard291]

Why is democracy something to achieve having a strong constitutional republic that protects rights ect is much preferable how many "democratic" nations can you buy a gun and gold

[@Silent_WT]

Tunisia is secular dude! Plus if religion is the problem then why are the first world arab countries thriving? Indonesia is not even arab yet religious and it is doing more than just fine! It is not the problem of religion it is a problem of people being people.

[@Adsper2000]

@@buckfizzard291 ​Name me one dictatorship where you can freely buy a gun without a very good reason.

[@imen8254]

Some people saying Tunisia becoming dictatorship just because it is trying to get out of western control and looking for its economic intrests with countries that west consider as enemy. The economic crisis in Tunisia didn't happen suddenly after Kais Saïd became a president like you want to make non tunisians think, it's a result of wrong choices and corruption for a whole decade after the arab spring, Tunisians voted for this president and they're pleased with his decisions concerning the parliament, and they voted days ago for a new one. There's no taking over political freedoms.. I'm more concerned about democracy and freedom of speech in western countries ,we've seen horrible things during pandemic and after...

[@thefuzzman3]

Great videos! I love learning about the world through watching them. I've noticed that you've started including music in your videos. I was wondering where this music comes from and which tracks you're using? Keep up the great work!

[@khaledkharbout2515]

he is not saying the truth

[@salahadin821]

It's interesting James that you talk about the Arab Spring but ignore totally Yemen! You could have mentioned it at least... We feel like if it was a forgotten country while one of the most hostile war in the history is happening there as a consequence of the Arab Spring wave.

[@DawahhFoundaat]

Hello, Tunisian here 🇹🇳. We appreciate your interest in our nation. Sorry to tell you this but some of the things mentioned here are not very accurate . For instance, the video talked about claims that our nation is becoming more dictatorial. This is simple untrue. I never felt more secure than today under Kais Saied's rule, The so-called "Islamic party," Ennahdha, governed the country for ten whole years. In the midst of the Covid-19 crisis between 2020 and 2021, the aforementioned party and its allies radical allies overthrew 4 successive governments ( Chahed , Jemli , Fakhfakh, Mechichi 1). Simply put, that is indescribable. Not to mention interfering with the Justice Department, making deals with criminals inside the Parliament,using immunity to escape from court cases and the use of taxpayer's money to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dinars to engage in lobbying and improve their reputation abroad. I used to hear a lot about Professor Kais Saied from several friends when I was a student a couple of years ago. I assure you that he has nothing to do with a dictatorship whatsoever. One year following the announcement of the extraordinary exceptionnal measures of 2021, he called on us to vote for a new constitution, which we did on July 25, 2022 ( 3 millions voted , more than 2019's legislative elections ). I understand where you are coming from but we, Tunisians , want stability rather than authoritarianism. By the way it is worth mentioning that the opposition(s) are constantly holding demonstrations , marches , sit-ins , and even strikes ( 16th of June 2022 ) , and they are all protected and secured by the police . Finally, I'd like to say that anyone reading this is more than welcome to visit Tunisia, which is a wonderful nation with plenty of sunshine and Vitamin D. Please avoid focusing on our political issues too much because like those of many other country will give you headaches 😅

[@VladTevez]

Merry Christmas!!!

[@bilic8094]

Merry Christmas to all that celebrate on 25th.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much! And a very Merry Christmas to you too! Καλά Χριστούγεννα. :-)

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much! I don’t think I’ll have a video next week and so let me wish you a very Happy New Year!

[@VladTevez]

@@JamesKerLindsay Happy new year! Ευτυχισμένο το 2023!!

[@bilic8094]

@@JamesKerLindsayAll the best to you and your family James for the holiday season.

[@hasnimondher]

Your outlook is good and rational As a Tunisian citizen, I say that Tunisia will not return to a dictatorship Rather, it is due to imposing the laws of real democracy based on justice, preserving social bonds for one people, and advancing the economy It is not the pseudo-democracy promoted by the Islamic Renaissance Movement and the spread of corruption and nepotism in it, and contributed to the increasing indebtedness of the state. Tunisia is on the right track out of its political and economic crisis In general, there are those who consider a head of state that he is not the owner of an economic project to advance the country, and he does not have an economic thought, and he, in his electoral campaign, acknowledged that and did not deny it, and said that he is building an economic platform that advances the state based on reforming the foundations of economic construction from the laws, institutions and structures of the state in which corruption and chaos permeated for ten years Years and exhaustion... These are reforms that must provide a space of time to reach them, and it is known that building something is not the same as demolishing it

[@knayoub4534]

I'm tunisien men I live here 23 years and all what media say is liar.. nothing dictator is here..we life free and better more so much country's..Young people have been traveling on the sea for a long time, not just now

[@top10ff61]

تفدلك ولا بجدك وين تشوف فيها الحرية🙂

[@Just-One-God]

Islamically, as mentioned in some Sunnah, it is actually prohibited for a Muslim to rebel against their own Muslim ruler; regardless if the ruler is populist or oppresive. If the Tunisians rebel against their own government, I'm afraid they could become like Iran and Syria.

[@michealoflaherty1265]

Democracy can be very delicate, see Europe in the 1920s/30s. Also it contains the seeds of it's own destruction i.e. People can vote for a country to become a dictatorship. To withstand threats a country needs a tradition of democracy and/or for democracy to be the norm in peer nations. Tunisia has neither unfortunately but it has been a democratic trailblazer so there is some hope. (In my opinion)

[@ZarexianMapper]

Back in July 2021 when this coup happened I was afraid from exactly that to happen as trusting people with too much power usually doesn’t end very well. Now I unfortunately see how my doubts start to become true.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks. I think that this is the real danger. Even if he started out with the best of intentions, the fact that he has been able to grab so much power is certainly worrying. It will be interesting to see how this does evolve.

[@ZarexianMapper]

@@JamesKerLindsay one of my favorite examples is Erdogan. When he came to power he might have been an Islamist, but he was a really progressive one. In the first years it seemed Erdogan really took the nation into the right direction. Over the time the power corrupted him and now he is barely recognized from how he was 15-20 years ago. This is also how I see the situation in Tunisia. Either he stays so long in charge to get corrupted by power himself or he eventually has to step down and his sucessor will tighten the grip over the country.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks. I completely agree. I remember how Erdogan’s was at first and how he has changed. It is such an interesting story. By the way, I have actually met him and had a proper conversation with him. He gave a talk at Oxford many years ago and there was a drinks reception before dinner and I spent about 15-20 minutes with him. Absolutely fascinating!

[@ZarexianMapper]

@@JamesKerLindsay wow, that's awesome! What did you talk about in your conversation with him?

[@frikhx8725]

as a tunisian im happy that I have found this video, I have shared it to a friend who really care about the economic and governmental state of tunisia, by the way you know more about tunisia more than tunisian’s do, and this video is an eye opener, Kais Saied didn’t do anything good for the country since he became the president of tunisia, most of his tv appearances are useless but I hope it’ll change soon, thank you for making this incredible video.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much for the kind words. I really appreciate it. Tunisia is such an interesting country with a fascinating history, and yet it really doesn't receive much attention - especially in the Anglophone world. I am so glad that you felt that I handled it well.

[@khaledkharbout2515]

as tunisian hee is lying

[@Haze-ok8hp]

@@khaledkharbout2515 as a Tunisian i'd say the same :D naanbou t7inik

[@cgmwest]

Cbik ya Khaled ?? Orzon chway

[@frikhx8725]

@@cgmwest yer7am weldik fakel kelma

[@M2MCH]

Thank u for this video and ur interest in the Tunisian issue. I think that the standards of democracy differ from one country to another, especially western governments, as well as the country's culture and history so u can't easily conclude about the origin or the reason of political crisis in Tunisia. You have to be Tunisian to answer that question. Observers of the Tunisian political affairs think at first that the power grab is exercised by the president. However, political parties, both opposition and loyalists, have monopolized power for years and reduced the representation of the people through their visions based on personal interests without referring to the silent majority of the people. Getting out of the current situation requires a long preparation to reprogram Tunisian thought and rebuild a cultural and moral system that accepts the other and deals with it based on partnership in reconstruction, not on exclusion and rivalry over power. U've to be Tunisian to understand our political parties, supposed to achieve goals for which they're elected not their personal interests and profits. Currently, in Tunisia, a "power grab" is necessary against those parties whose their last concern is the citizen's problems.

[@ccsleipnir4440]

As a norwegian who is engaged to a tunisian and have been in the country 5 times over the last 2 years, this is an impressive video you did the research well. As another person commented most tunisians were happy that said suspended parliament and did what he did, as for example ennadha who won the elections quickly became disliked by a majority of people. My fiance explains to me that many people voted for them because now it was finally their time to get closer to islam, after a long time of securalist leaders, and indeed many typicac laws like this were introduced, such as not showing affection publicly (before it was completely normal to see people kiss in the street, my fiance explains, now its punishable by 6 months in jail) She also explains that many people in tunisia just want a strong stable leader as for example bourgiba was. The problem is that a large majority of tunisian politicians uses their postition for personal gain(corruption) which of course happens in the west too but its almost the norm there. As you pointed out tunisia has for a long time been the leading country in the arab world when it comes to for example womens rights, and i truly do believe that tunisia can get a functioning democracy in the future, but when, who knows... In my opinion this generation of tunisian youth is far more educated than the previous generations, we will see what happens

[@wissemabboudi4673]

Your fiance is wrong about the part of kissing in the Street... We Tunisians are conservatives and we are a Muslim nation .. such behavior is never accepted by us and it will never be normal because we value ethics and morals and traditional values .. that's our way of life and we love it and we will never let go of it for the sake of degeneracy like the liberal west did in the name of "freedom"&"progress" , the entire world can see the consequences of such poisonous ideologies that vandalize society Intel the point marriage and creating a family have become a curse I just wanted you to know the facts and I wish you and your future wife a happy life ❤️✌️

[@bayrembenmansour5414]

I'm a Tunisian Ex-Muslim, although I do respect people's beliefs, I don't want the country to get too religious to the point of killing or punishing apostates like they do in many other arab countries, I still want to be free and express myself without fear which is why I lean towards a more liberal and open-minded leader.

[@mohamedrafrafi9830]

I'm Tunisian and super proud Muslim ,our issues are with those hypocrite, fake leaders . They sold themselves and the entire country to the western

[@hano25]

@@bayrembenmansour5414 You, as an atheist minority in Tunisia, must respect the Muslim majority here and their desire to impose a minimum level of respect in the street or any public places In which there should be no practices affecting their religion, "my freedom ends when the freedom of others begins"

[@theman8070]

Point of correction, you are a slave not a fiancé.

[@koontekinte0]

thanks a lot for the video professor, it is truly a wizening experience to watch any new video you publish. Dan Carlin once opened my eyes about exactly this subject of fragile democracies in the arab world. he said something along the lines of democracy not being an obvious system of ruling and far from trivial to implement. Indeed, watching the western nations' first bouts with democracy what we should expect here are horrible executions, monarchist factions, civil wars, secessionist movements - which is pretty much what we see in the arab world (I would also throw in Turkey, Iran and Israel - all of which were democracies at one point in their history and are no longer such). Even watching European young democracies brings pain these days (Hungary and Poland anyone?). democracy is complicated, and will go out the window whenever the first cracks appear if not for total civic commitment to it by the general population.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks so much Rafi. I completely agree. There's a tendency for some to look down on other parts of the world and criticise them for not being democratic. But many Western countries have shown just how easily democracy can be undermined. I am very worried about what we have seen in Britain. And the US is in a very dangerous place.

[@hkchan1339]

Agreed, the French are literally on their 5th republic and the Germans are on the 4th Reich, democracy is difficult and fragile. But it's worth pursuing as we have yet found a better way of governance at replacing bad leaders (elections is better than revolutions - ask the French)

[@ihabal-dhaouadi3433]

What a video ❤️. But as a Tunisian young man, I have to say that aches my heart 😢

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you. I really do hope that Tunisia can find its way. It really has a unique place in the wider region.

[@sekki327]

@@JamesKerLindsay we'd need a major ideological shift for that to happen. the average tunisian isnt as hard working as it should be and wouldnt mind being corrupt for a better earning. i do not see how democracy could be beneficial for our country, i'll support kais saied for a bit more even tho it angers me that he is always avoiding the real problem wich is tunisia's economy.

[@anirudhparthasarathy3387]

Interesting video, the story of Tunisia has been sad, with the government repeatedly failing its people and it is worrying as you point out, that even if we assume that Kaïs Saïed could be trusted to not overreach, it is easy for a successor to exploit the rollback of reforms from Saïed.

[@tylerdordon99]

Maybe the problem is the "people" why no one ever thinks that! Just drive your car in Tunis and it shall be evidence enough of my claim.

[@jackalberry3633]

Great video as usual! I think covering the options currently available to the Syrian government and what may be the next move might make a good video!

[@AdrianESabau]

One of my favorite lines on KZbin: "However, our story really begins..."

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Yes. I had to put it in as I always have new viewers complain that I missed out something or other from the history. This is just my way of saying “I know a lot happened before this, and I’m not neglecting history, but for our purposes, in this particular video, our story really starts with…”. 😀

[@AdrianESabau]

@@JamesKerLindsay Yes. For me at least, it's the landmark for "I was familiar with the story up to this point, let's see what I'll learn next".

[@AwatefBettaibi]

I am not into politics but my take on this issue is that the return to dictatorship in Tunisia is out of the questin.The current president Kais Said has no record regarding human rights' violation nor does he deny anyone the right to exercise their political freedom.Indeed if he had something to be blamed for it would be his failure to introduce a clear economic reform .In Tunisia , we suffer from an economic crisis with shortage of basic supplies and high unemployment rates. But to be fair we can 't pin it only on him.This situation is a legacy of years and years of successive governments lacking the will to improve the lives of the disadvantaged people and refusing to devote themselves to public services ,not to speak about their dissipation of the country 's wealth . No one knows what the future holds ,maybe things will improve some day .Thank you for your concern for my beloved country.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much for such an interesting and helpful comment. I really appreciate it. I fully understand that opinion is divided on the president and his actions. It really great to hear from so many Tunisians. I know that other viewers will really appreciate having this perspective from the country.

[@AwatefBettaibi]

@@JamesKerLindsay Am glad to hear from you.I can' t agree more about the fact that there is a division in opinion on Kais Said.I am not standing for him but forgot to mention that he dissolved the parliament as a response to public requirement ,desperate times call for desperate measures .The vast majority of the people were at the end of their rope because of the members of the parliament who were a source of shame.They used the parliament as a political battlefield calling each other names and ignoring their duties to represent the people who elected them . The opposition parties spot this thing and use it as a pretext to tarnish his image .As my limited knowledge Kais Said is an honest president at the time when politics needs a liar.However he lacks some qualities like true statesmanship mainly because he was a layman just like us as he used to be a local functional.In addition to that he doesn 't have a political party to back him up .I can call him the most unlucky president of all times since he is facing the aftermath of the corona virus ,the legacy of the previous dysfunctional governments and of course the outcomes of the wars overseas like that in Ukraine. thank you

[@NP1066]

Let's talk about how Arab (& generally Islamic) societies seem to not be tolerable for democracy. Surely cultural norms and social organization have something to do with that. It's controvetial to say that yes. But why can't we talk about it? Also, there is the already noticeable phenomenon of Arab monarchichal regimes being generally more stable and successful in weathering the Arab spring. As conpared to ostensible Arab "republics" (ie. military autocracies).

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks. I think we can and should talk about it. But I think we have to a) be very aware that it is a difficult line to tread without appearing to be xenophobic or opposed to Islam and b) that we are commenting at a time when Western systems have their own deep flaws.

[@matthewwhitton5720]

I hadn’t a clue that Professor Ker-Lindsay was a fan of TIKs videos !

[@carlosmiro4932]

Professor Ker-Lindsay, excellent video as usual. But I have an issue with the math in your “a decade on.” It’s actually very close to 12 years since the beginning of the so-called Arab Spring, which has really only been a spring in the seasonal sense. Two is 20% of 10, which very likely makes a big difference to the people of Tunisia living under the conditions you so well described.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks. A little pedantic, but point taken :-)

[@carlosmiro4932]

@@JamesKerLindsay Ouch! In USA 🇺🇸 we’d say nitpicking, but close enough. I used to be a sale and use tax auditor, hence the nitpicking.

[@hart_t5014]

as a Tunisian, your observation was right on the spot, but I may add that fleeing outside of the country is more linked to economics, and it's not something new, as a teen Tunisian I know a lot of teens want to just find a way legally or illegally to escape this country, and it's depressing.

[@arielquelme]

Have u ever thoufh before that the revolution in 2011 was a mistake?

[@oussamax_1976]

First i want to thank you for this amazing video, as a tunisian person the people here are waiting for that 1 great replacement to overthrow kais said, the opposition is not loved by the majority of the people because of their past failures when they ruled, this problem made a large gap between tunisians and politicians resulting of 6 - 5 % elections participation (11.23% is absolutely a lie), However now every political fighting is only between politicians because no one is able to win the people's side at this moment, that lead to people losing hope and their dream now is just leaving the country with very little hope of getting economically better.

[@janetleeadams7287]

I first taught in Tunis in 2012. After that year, I visited Tunisia and then made it my home. I live in the south, in the Sahara. Right now, inflation is probably the biggest economic problem for most people. Food prices have soared so much that I, a foreigner, notice that I need about one/third more dinar for groceries as before. For me, this is not a big problem. But for many, many families here, there is only one wage-earner, and that person is often a day worker or unskilled labor earning barely enough for basic needs. Socially, the low incomes and inability to increase earnings, means that the stability in culture that marriage usually brings, is threatened because the man must have a job, a house, and some kind of vehicle before marriage. Traditionally, the family often provided some essentials but now, the nuclear family is under threat of economic disaster and less able to provide. Furthermore, high unemployment is a disaster though the coffee houses thrive with young men spending their days drinking espresso and solving the problems of the world from their plastic chairs on the sidewalk.

[@mochalo4912]

i am tunisian ; it s not a return to dictatorship ; the president just threw the incapable politicians out

[@omarmissaoui2585]

in 2019 kais was not elected because he was loved it was rather him or a clearly corrupt famous businessman who was facing many trials and tried to stay out of jail by running for president position i can remember clearly everyone i know happy for the businessman losing rather than happy that kais won just a little detail

[@Big007Boss]

At the time when he sacked the government that was deeply corrupt, the country was on the brink of collapse, bankruptcy and lawlessness ran rampant, he overturned that and their currency did improve

[@DarkTruthPlatform]

One of the main reasons of economic decline is the workers strikes. Kais Said serm to do well with this. First year in history without strikes.

[@wyqtor]

I see prof. JKL picked up on the description of En-Nahda as "moderate islamist", probably from the press. Although I value our good professor's opinions, I always laugh out loud when I hear such descriptions. To me, it's a contradiction in terms - it's got to be either one or the other - you cannot have real moderation without secularism. And this is why I think the Arab Spring generally failed, the people in those countries were not really interested in the secularism needed to guarantee stable democracies.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

I think I can see it in these terms because I’ve spent a lot of time working on Turkey. There are lots of really interesting parallels. (In fact, Bourguiba seemed influenced by Atatürk.) The AKP has become an interesting model of how religiosity can exist within a system that remains still extensively secular, although certainly not as much as it once was. That might explain why I can accept the idea of a moderate Islamist party, even if the reality might be different.

[@wyqtor]

@@JamesKerLindsay That is actually a very good counter-argument. Thank you for always taking the time to respond to our comments and Merry Christmas!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

@@wyqtor Thank you very much indeed! And to you too if you’re celebrating.

[@mrmaster9963]

@@JamesKerLindsay Assuming that en Nahda is indeed similar to (if not directly modeled on) the AKP, would you agree that makes an eventual deterioration of liberal democracy under them likely as well? I mean Turkey still has strong institutions and we are looking forward to competitive elections in 6 months, but it is not exactly providing a model to look forward to at the moment

[@mabkml]

@@JamesKerLindsay Thank you, prof, for sharing your extensive work on the subject and for expressing your objective opinion. Habib Bourguiba was indeed influenced by Kamel Ataturk both men are worthy of the utmost respect. The Muslim Brotherhood of Tunisia (Annahda), like the Muslim Brotherhood of Turkey (AKP), are on a mission to undermine secularism and undo the harm caused by Bourguiba and Ataturk by introducing un-Islamic values unfit and contrary to Islamic values, their commitments to secular values is just a smoke screen for their religious ambitions. Lies and deceit are permitted in Islam, considering they are done for the good of the faith.

[@mouhebmanai]

As a tunisian I believe in my people. Although people in Tunisia maybe still not sure what's next and about our future but no dictatorship will raise again no matter what.

[@Katyusha666]

In my opinion British parliamentary democracy is the best system, however - it took hundreds of years to become what it is today. Why should it be any different for Tunisia? Being a democracy does not mean a country has resolved all of its problems, only that the means of resolving their problems have changed.

[@command_unit7792]

Its not doing that Great in the UK currently...Strong centralized Goverments I feel function better.

[@abdelhalim5967]

as an algerian I want to say one thing compare countries which invaded by the brits and those who were colonized by french

[@alghoulaj7172]

As a Tunisian, let me ask this question : How bad did it decline in Everything, from the Health department, to the transport department, to even the general happiness of the people, we reached a stata where even the most basic and important of food is totally abscent, and when it does become available, it's shortage is less than 15 minutes away! So yeah, sometimes dictatorships are better than a democracy only in name. The past 11 years were a blight for the economy, where the ratio of unemployment had risen to an astronomical level, and if we do compare it to totalitarian militry governed countries or warzones, it's better only at the surface level, where no matter what you do, let's not talk about the extremely low wages that are less than 100 USD per Month, and the high cost compared to it. The minimum wage is less than 200 USD per month, and yet, it's very, very rarely achieved for most of the people, as the cost for living Decently, is about 1000 dollar per month! So yeah, let's hope the country doesn't implode... The "Democracy" in Tunisia was more than flawed, as there were assassinations, something neither previous Dictator had done, not even Kangaroo court, but straight assassinations in the name of Demcracy. If nonsensical murders, utter lack of national security, and even starvation and corrruption of the lowest levels are what "Democracy" is about, then we the people don't need it or want it. One more thing : The ravolution started because of the mistreatment of poor, and yet, they became even poorer. All of the injust laws remained in place, all of the unjustice to the poor remained, and they paid the price for the riches, this revolution made those who did it pay the price, while the riches became Much riches, yet they never had enough... One last thing : When those who are called, the democratic polititians, get bent and backstab the people that allowed them to reach that place, they must face the consequences. The President should Not pay a cingle cent unless it's from those who took the loans, to their own gain, and the people didn't see anything, if anything, it's much worse than the 2010's. Trust me, it's much worse. Back then you can work, any job, and it's enough. Now even as a merchant or agricultor or even a businessman and it's Barely enough for you and your family to live, pay rent, eat decent food, and buy something every blue moon! So yeah, if you ask this totally insane guy, maybe dictatorship is the only way out for the country of Tunisia to survive!

[@mouniradhoum4215]

Excellent and well researched overview. Tunisia is NOT experiencing a return to dictatorship but rather a gradual return to law and order as pre requisites for stability (social and economic). These are absolutely needed to ensure freedom, democracy and economic growth thrive. After a decade of a chaotic "democracy" under a corrupt Islamist party Ennahdha, Tunisians realized that democracy, as a former Tunisian foreign minister once said, is not instant coffee. It requires solid foundations of justice (good governance), order, rule of law, and economic freedom.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you very much indeed. Yes, I fully accept that there are several ways of looking at what is happening. I hoped that came through. I fully agree that a strong and stable democracy requires the rule of law, freedom and economic development. But I think we also have to understand why many observers might be worried about the direction the President is going.

[@AEROPEX]

Tunisia is not for Kais Said neither for Ghannouchi or for the camels of moslems brotherhood of London , ...... T U N I S I A WE S T A N D -

[@alexanderwilliams4336]

@@AEROPEX all our leaders are puppets of the west so it’s never going to happen they support organizations such as the Islamic brotherhood especially these democrats who are behind the Arab spring

[@AEROPEX]

@@alexanderwilliams4336 the Leaders Support see the backgroud of BBC Arabic and the Brooking !!! the war in lybia , David Kameroon and Sarko!!!! both on behalf…

[@alexanderwilliams4336]

@@AEROPEX we’re held hostages pretty much it’s like a game of chess

[@mpymelondy]

I lived in Tunisia during the revolution. The question of bread and job was answered by religion. It was at the early stage in 2011/12 that the change was hijaked. It is a beautful country which needs good leadership. It has huge opportunity with brillient youth.

[@HookedonChronics]

I'm Algerian American and I always saw Tunisia as a hope for North African countries so I hope they can figure it out. Algerians I think kind of became apathetic after all the bloodshed in the 90s.

[@TheLocalLt]

Thank you for doing this video, I wasn’t aware of the developments over the last two years. I hope this is indeed a bump in the road and not the start of prolonged despotism. I think other countries are willing to wait and see what happens. With regard to a rise in Islamism, I’m glad you mentioned unemployment. It seems to me that unemployment is the root of both the Islamism problem and the emigration issue. In any case Tunisia is a vital state in the Mediterranean and its stability is necessary for regional security, but beyond stability the Tunisian people, both Arab and Berber, certainly deserve better than the corrupt lack of opportunity they’ve been dealt in what has at times in the past been a land of plenty. I will definitely continue to follow this now that you’ve drawn attention to it. Thanks as always, happy holidays professor!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much LocalLt. Always appreciated. And wishing you all the very best for the holidays as well! Thanks for all your support over the past year.

[@ABC-ABC1234]

@@JamesKerLindsay Tunisian industry is very weak! The production of goods for world market isn't in any way bringing foreign capital.

[@VictorScic]

Again a very great coverage .... would be interesting to explore the fact that as it seems democracy needs to be learned..... many countries have made a long journey to today´s democratic level and it takes decades for people to understand the meaning of their vote, but in my opinion, as much as we cheered so much to see countries like Tunisia/Eygpt become free, the results were that for example both in Tunisia and Eygpt the first elections produced an Islamist Government and I think this was a shock for many. Being free for a short time and then freely electing governments that limited women´s, gay, & religious rights. Could this be a product of inexperienced voters, especially the women who simply voted as their husbands instructed them? ... could we explore the fact that as hard as it may seem it was ´too early for freedom`.....???

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks so much Victor. I really appreciate it. You are absolutely right. The danger with democracy is that it can produce distinctly undemocratic outcomes. The question is how do we construct democratic systems that can weather these types of shocks. And we can't be complacent. As Western countries have shown, democracy, even when we think it is on firm foundations, can be undermined relatively easily in the hands of populists.

[@VictorScic]

@@JamesKerLindsay I come from Malta and as opposed to current pro-Russian emerging tendencies in Malta due to the large influx of people from other countries and ex-Labour Party Ideologies regarding Neutrality back in the day of the Cold War in the 70s and Early 80s, I am thankful Malta had through luck ended up as part of the British Empire. This is because under them Malta had the near full control of internal matters and they so to speak, by following their system Malta got organised, with two major political parties the Conservatives ( PN) and the Socialist Party (MLP), a Police Force, Army and Constituion. One can trace elections dating back to at least 1920. So when Malta finally became independent in 1964 the concept of democracy had been good ingrained into society and although you will find one or two disturbing incidents all in all Malta has enjoyed Democracy for now over 100 Years. In countries which have been ruled by dictators for a long period and then overnight became sort of liberated the process has to be learned and often people understand democracy as free to do all. Leading to total collapse of the system. Look what happened in Lybia, and we can imagine what will happen to China if one time people will have their say.

[@ranmaboii]

Its not like that in tunisia we didnt have such a thing as voted as her husband instructed most of the islamist party member like rashed ghannouchi who lived most of his life in the uk came back and the media mostly funded by the us/uk supported him and gave him the hero look and it was analyzed this way the dictator is bad and he exiled us it means we are good this is how they gained power and the obama regime kept giving lots of money to such parties to help overthrowing gaddafi so before trying to act like u know about us dont we still suffer from colonialism and imperialism

[@aaronjones8905]

I've been following these events through Al Jazeera's coverage, and this video is well done. I would take a wait and see approach to Saied mainly because he doesn't have a political party to protect his power and he's not very charismatic. I have some further thoughts on what would help Tunisia: 1. The power of the state and Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) to interfere in the economy need to be reduced so that Tunisians are not reliant on government employment. A spirit of entrepreneurship is essential for a small nation with few natural resources. 2. The parliament should keep Saied's reform to a first-past-the-post system as young democracies seem to struggle with coalition forming in party list or proportional representation systems. These more complicated systems also make it harder for citizens to see where there vote matters. See Iraq and Lebanon. 3. The political system should either be wholly presidential in the American form or wholly parliamentary in the Westminster form. Mixed systems historically face large difficulties in maintaining public trust because voters struggle to identify who is to blame for poor governance. 4. Tunisians need a political force which pushes for reduced government power. Repeated protests over a lack of jobs reveals that the citizenry identifies the government as the creator of jobs rather than industry or entrepreneurs. This leads to politics being focused on which party can deliver the most handouts to their constituents rather than based on principled disagreements. 5. Tunisian society should adopt a secondary language for its tourism sector. Either French or English would incentivize international travelers and investment.

[@mastergame3984]

In times of confusions, trials and mistrust, the entire Muslim Ummah needs some reassurance and commiseration. Muhammad Qasim’s Dreams bring us such hope and the help of Allah that has been promised by Prophet Muhammad SAW. The negligence, carelessness and materialism that has caused the fall of Muslims and Islam, hence depression in the society. Muhammad Qasim’s Dreams show hope to the true believers that Allah’s help for Islam is not far. #MuhammadQasimDreams

[@kobajourney]

Just a quick note: The video description says "Having become a French Protectorate in 1881". That's a wrong statement as it was pure colonialism. The Sykes-Picot Agreement would explain it as it was a 1916 secret treaty between the United Kingdom and France, with assent from the Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Italy, to define their mutually agreed spheres of influence and control in an eventual partition of the Ottoman Empire. Tunisia have petrol, natural gas and one of the top 10 producer of phosphate and salt which 90% of it is owed by mainly France.

[@CCamilleri1982]

As always, I greatly enjoy your videos Professor. In my opinion, a democracy as we know it in the western world does not work in Arab countries. Egypt is a perfect example where the previous dictator Hosni Mubarak (previously a Military officer) has now been replaced by an equally similar dictator which also came from the Military. Trying to implement democracy in Libya led to nothing but chaos. I believe that only authoritarian rule could bring peace and stability in the country.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much Christopher. I really appreciate it. I think it is a tough problem, certainly. But I'm not sure I would argue that democracy can't work in the Arab world. Yes, it is up against a very entrenched way of doing things. But I like to think that all societies can evolve in a more inclusive way. It may mean that the nature of democracy has to evolve. And the ways of preserving it need to be adjusted. But I do like to think that people want the right to be able to make decisions on the issues that most affect their future. But I agree that, for some reason, it seems a lot harder to get to this in some parts of the world than in others.

[@sou1067]

Given the economic crisis, Tunisians have given up on human rights and just want to be able to work and provide for themselves and their family. Okay, we have freedom but what about economical growth? This is why most tunisians were supporting Saied in his « coup ». However, I doubt that he would be able to deploy effective measures, because of his lack of knowledge in the economical field.

[@IAmTheOnlyLucas]

Good stuff Professor, I should know more about the North African states than I do. However, being an American, I know something of our Dept of State. It’s my opinion that, since the disastrous withdraw from Afghanistan and the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian War, Mr Blinken has decided to handle all of our near-friendly relations with the softest of child gloves. Interstate relations trends in 2022 showed that states sliding into autocracy may always find a friend in one or all three of the big autocratic states in Eurasia. Acute, foreign meddling by the US has been keenly highlighted by our geopolitical rivals. All this means that Blinken and Biden have had their plates full continuously making the case for support for Ukraine, with a domestic audience whose attention is waning, populist sound bites about aid to Ukraine crescendoing, and fracturing support in Congress. Despite the worrisome trends in North and Sub-Saharan Africa, losing possible friends abroad like Tunisia, when it would be so easy for Saied to go along with Russia, is the last thing we need on this side of the pond. Tin-foil hat off and heavy political matters aside, Merry Christmas to the Professor and everyone who attends the weekly lecture! 🎅🏼🎄🎁

[@shadowfangempire609]

Interesting. I just want to add that Tunisia voted against the Russian invasion of Ukrain. So Kais Said is not turning his back to old allies like the US (Both countries signed Treaty of Piece and Friendship that goes back to 1797)

[@firasrouissi7651]

I'm from Tunisia and we are f**ked

[@walidayari4149]

I'm Tunisian and i agree 💯

[@93supra.]

I think you are right.

[@aboubakerbouras43]

Nice Vidéo

[@meronghebresilassie8895]

James when will you update us on what’s happening in the Horn of Africa? And also who is Victorious in the war Eritrea Ethiopia or tplf!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks a lot. I certainly plan to return to the Horn soon!

[@thomasjohnson2862]

I’ve just spent 2 weeks in Morocco 🇲🇦 just while they beat Canada, Spain and Portugal at the World Cup! My understanding of the system there is that it’s still a monarchy, there’s lots of pictures of the king around the country. It introduced a parliament a few years ago, in response to the Arab Spring as part of a few reforms, but it seems that in practice the king still largely calls the shots. But the king’s also popular, has overseen progress, and the country’s stable. It’s interesting to note there’s sometimes advantages to a less democratic system providing stability, but democratic movements can grow organically over time.

[@hkchan1339]

Democracy don't provide good govts, but they are great at replacing bad ones with votes. The problem with Morocco is what if you have a bad king and no means to replace him

[@biernikyghef9626]

could not agree more with your statement, sometimes in under developed countries like mine (morocco) it's most important to concentrate on uplifting the economy of the country, create jobs and give acces to education before even thinking about a 100% democratic system, it has to be organic, you can't just go from 0 to a 100.

[@MegaFarkh]

Introduced a parlement few years ago?? What are you talking about

[@biernikyghef9626]

@@MegaFarkh kidwi 3la doustour dial 2011, walakin rah kigol bini dak doustour machi democraty 7a9i9iya, 3ando sa7

[@shakespear90]

Awdi ach men démocratie A hna ffranca les ministres dial ra2is tay forciw9awanin jdad bidoun 7iwar m3a labarlmaniyin. Tay sta3mlou wa7ed l9anoun smitou "49.3" li kaykhlihoum I douwzou 9anon jdid bidoun jalsa ow 7iwar barlamani. A hada daba houwa lmital dial démocratie li bghina lbldna ? Allah ibe3dna menno

[@iyedhammi2938]

The people asked the president to suspend the judicial council, to postpone elections and especially to suspend the council of representatives. That is what we asked most about over and over again, the president listened to what his people asked. Isnt that democracy?

[@bars4745]

Teşekkürler.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much. I am so incredibly sorry I didn’t reply sooner. I have only just seen this. (KZbin really is terrible at notifications.) That really was incredibly kind of you. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the support. And my sincerest apologies again for the delayed thank you. Very best regards, James

[@moetezbenabderrahmen7100]

Democracy has not been the first priority for the Tunisian people; instead, we want freedom, the ability to work and be respected, and we aim to fight for these things. We have a people's democracy where we are free to express our opinions and support causes we believe in, but the "democratic political system" has never had a specific objective or ideology that guides its actions. Instead, our political society fights for its democracy. is a means of protecting each of them, as well as their corporate and media allies, and sharing power. We will support the system as long as it is sound and functional. According to Kais, it is now preposterous because of the meida campaign against everything he does, but let's wait 1year and see the functioning of 'his' system then we can fix it form inside or crash it down, the choice is ours.

[@nabilriahi4019]

You are right

[@houssemhammami7816]

Hello Prof James. I have some points to clarify. First dictatorship will never comeback to Tunisia because it never left in the first place. We are in the same situation before 2011's revolution and before 25th of July 2021. There is no doubt that President Kais Said is the wrong person in a very sensitive position. What led him to become the president is the mistakes and the lack of competence of all the previous prime ministers and parliament members. It's like a domino effect or butterfly effect that changed the whole course of the country 180° to the worse, this is by itself is a very interesting topic to look at (the time period from 2011 to 25th of July 2021). As a Tunisian all I care about is a government that really cares about us: the people, make laws that make our lives easier, but the opposite is what happene, no party , prime minister nor a president really cares about the country not a single one of them. A KZbin comment is not enough to tell the full story of what really happened to the country that led us to this moment. Lastly the country's economy was never good after the revolution and people crossing the Mediterranean to Europe is something has no relation to Kais Said, it was happening during Ben Ali time, after Ben Ali Time, Before 25th of July and surely will continue to happen in the near and far future. I really hope that the situation changes to the better till then we can only hope.

[@rahmachan9712]

We're so doomed here in Tunisia, many conflicts, high poverty levels, many of basic food items are missing in the markets and now the budget law made it worse.. Thanks Kaïs for making this country more hated than before for its people and the foreigns.

[@riadhkhallout4791]

Tunisia ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@specteur2754]

I am from Tunisia and we live in severe racism. There is a class of people who rule the country and work to marginalize different regions of the country. They all work under French colonialism and force us to study French instead of English. French colonialism is the cause of dictatorship, it was President Sarkozy of France who contributed to the destruction of Libya and France began to lose its influence in Arfikia, Tunisia at the gate of France towards Africa

[@oussamaml4161]

I'm Tunisian I'm 25, I lived through the dictatorship of ben ali for around 14 years and I've lived what happens after it. I have very little concern about politics, because corruption is in our culture/blood. The reason elections have very low attendance is not because of calls to boycott it, it's just because people here realized what I understood as a child, politics have never served our people right and it's pointless to participate in debates let alone go vote.

[@freeaigle7548]

Why not another of Algéria 📚📌

[@JonathanHerz]

Imagine how bad your country must be that you would risk your life to move to Italy

[@afefchedly8353]

Le 25/7 la Tunisie a fait son entrée effective en dictature, preuve qu'au petit matin du 26/7 il y a eu kidnapping d'un membre d'un parti d'opposition ds sa voiture avec sa femme (qui a été frappé)et devant sa maison, il a été conduit ds une demeure abandonné en pleine forêt ds le nord du pays où il y a passé plus d'un mois sans aucune nvlle pour sa famille ! Si on appelle ça des pratiques de démocratie peut-être devrais-je changer de continent ?