Tunisia: A New Beginning...or Merely a New Leader?

The Tunisian uprising of January 2011 started a chain reaction of collective political violence that ignited the Arab world. Tunisia is the northernmost country in Africa, it was commonly known as the most European country of North Africa, with a relatively large middle class and luxurious Mediterranean beaches. Tunisia was dominated by the authoritarian government of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali for twenty-three years preceding his exile to Saudi Arabia on January 14, 2011. The civilians of Tunisia tolerated Ben Ali’s authoritarian regime which suppressed them economically, socially, and politically. Tunisians believed that the Jasmine Revolution would lead the nation to a new beginning, encompassed with a government that would grant the civil liberties that were previously deprived. Presently, the future of Tunisia remains uncertain. To foretell whether the historical uprising will lead to a new beginning or merely a new leader many aspects of the country must be studied, such as, the history of Tunisia, the factors that initiated the protests, and the developments that have taken place since the revolution.

First, the history of Tunisia must be reviewed to fully understand the present state of the nation. Taoufik Djebali notes, “For historical and geographical reasons, Tunisia seems to be the most ethnically homogenous country of the Maghreb.” (Djebali, 2005:152) The majority of modern Tunisians are considered Arab-Berber, and speak Tunisian Arabic. In 1987, Ben Ali became the second president of Tunisia, he procured the position by a constitutional coup against eighty-four year old Habib Bourguiba. Ironically, Ben Ali’s coup was intended to lead to a more democratic nation. Larbi Sadiki noted, “It can be said that man...

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... Tunisia as a whole; it indirectly generated what is now historically known as the Arab Spring. In conclusion, I believe that the Jasmine Revolution will induce Tunisia to become a successful democratic Arab nation.

References

Marzouki, Moncez. 2011. Springtime: The New Student Rebellions. Verso Publishing.

Sadiki, Larbi. 2002. “Bin Ali’s Tunisia: Democracy by non-democratic means.” British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 29, no.1 (May): 57-58.

Pickett, Holly. 2011. “Unrest in the Arab World: Tunisia.” The New York Times. (October 28).

Schraeder, Peter and Hamadi Redissi. 2011. “Ben Ali’s Fall.” Journal of Democracy, 22 no.3 (July): 6-19.

Economist Intelligence Unit. 2011. Tunisia: Country Outlook. The Economist Intelligence Unit ViewsWire. (February).

Djebali, Taoufik. 2005. Race and Nation: Ethnic Systems in the Modern World.

Routledge Publishing.