World powers have reacted cautiously to President Saied’s power grab, with only Turkey voicing strong opposition.
World powers react to Tunisia’s political turmoil, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads to India, and the World Trade Organization General Council convenes.
Tunisian President Kais Saied further consolidated power on Monday following the dismissal of Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi on Sunday as the country experiences its biggest political upheaval since the Arab Spring. Saied compounded Sunday’s announcement by confirming the removal of both the justice and defense ministers as world leaders largely held back judgment.
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Saied has cited recent widespread anti-government protests—driven by a broken economy and a struggling coronavirus response—as justification for the move.
The legitimacy of Saied’s decision depends on a generous reading of Article 80 in Tunisia’s constitution, which allows for the president to seize power temporarily in an emergency. However, the article also says the parliament speaker and prime minister must be consulted before any emergency powers are invoked.
No such consultation took place, according to Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi, who heads Ennahda, the biggest party in parliament. On Sunday, he labeled Saied’s actions “a coup against the revolution and constitution.”
The issue could be adjudicated by the country’s constitutional court—if such an institution existed. A constitutional court was mandated by Tunisia’s 2014 constitution but has been mired in arguments over who should sit on it.
International response. Global powers have adopted a cautious approach so far. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the United States was “concerned” but was waiting for a State Department determination on whether a coup had taken place.
Later on Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Saied. A readout said Blinken encouraged Saied to “adhere to the principles of democracy and human rights” in Tunisia. The European Union response was similarly vague, urging all sides to “restore order and return to dialogue.”
Omer Celik, a spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose Justice and Development Party (AKP) is allied with Ennahda, was more direct, calling the move “illegitimate.” “Those who inflict this evil on our brothers and sisters, the people of Tunisia, are harming their own country,” Celik added.
Civil society waits. The Tunisian General Labor Union, the million-member body also known as UGTT, has offered a measured reaction, calling for the constitution to be upheld and for “the continuation of the democratic path.” The UGTT has in recent years been instrumental in cooling tensions in Tunisia and was part of a group of civil society organizations awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015 for their efforts.
The way out of Tunisia’s economic crisis is no clearer following Saied’s actions. Government attempts to negotiate a $4 billion International Monetary Fund loan package have been resisted by UGTT and other unions over concerns that the austerity such a program would bring would be too much for the country to bear. [Foreign policy]
