Five years after Saied’s power grab, Tunisia’s old grievances resurface
Summary
Tunisia is facing renewed public anger five years after President Kais Saied took control by suspending parliament and ruling by decree. People are protesting problems like job shortages, power cuts, and rising prices while political freedoms have decreased and many opposition figures have been jailed.Key Facts
- In 2011, Tunisians overthrew longtime leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in a revolution demanding jobs, freedom, and dignity.
- President Kais Saied suspended parliament and dismissed the government on July 25, 2021, citing a national crisis.
- Saied later dissolved parliament and introduced a new constitution in 2022 that gave the president more power.
- Since Saied’s takeover, several politicians, journalists, lawyers, and activists have been jailed after being accused of conspiring against the state.
- In April 2025, 37 people were sentenced to prison terms of 4 to 66 years in a case criticized as politically motivated by rights groups.
- On November 27, 2025, an appeals court upheld most of these convictions, sentencing 34 of the 37 defendants to 5 to 45 years.
- Public complaints in Tunisia include electricity and water cuts, medicine shortages, rising costs, and high unemployment, especially among young people.
- Political space for opposition and civil society has shrunk since Saied’s power grab.
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