Tunisia | openDemocracy

“Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.”

- Bertrand Russell

Rough times in Tunisia: weak leaders vs. empowered fundamentalists

Meriem Dhaouadi 23 September 2012

Tunisian leaders must quickly and boldly address the problem of fundamentalism through building more robust democratic institutions, debate forums and a national dialogue.

Kate, hate, and “brutal display”

Amyn B. Sajoo 20 September 2012

The idea that any public interest is served by these choices is absurd, no matter which side of the Mediterranean one is perched.

Tunisian Constitutional Assembly violates its own transparency

Kacem Jlidi 16 September 2012

The activists’ decision to take legal action against the Assembly came after months of concentrated efforts to push them to be more open in their proceedings.

Another ugly movie shot in ‘moderate’ Tunisia

Meriem Dhaouadi 16 September 2012

In Tunisia, the violent protest that took place after the Friday prayer near the US embassy resulted in four deaths with several seriously injured.

Looking for dignity elsewhere: Tunisian youth fleeing the birthplace of the Arab spring

Meriem Dhaouadi 9 September 2012

Frustration in Tunisia is growing especially among the youth who remain marginalized even though they were the ones who ignited change.

The failure of democracy under Islamism

Samir Yousif 7 September 2012

The fall of autocratic regimes in the Arab world have led to the inevitable rise to power of Islamist groups who have had no real competition. These groups however are ill-equipped to tackle the economic, social and political problems that these countries face today.

The power of a blank page

Kacem Jlidi 2 September 2012

There is a palpable dissatisfaction towards both the Tunisian Government and the National Constitutional Assembly: protests, marches, sit-ins, campaigns etc.

Crackdown on free media in Tunisia

Meriem Dhaouadi 2 September 2012

Stifling the media can lead to the emergence of robust new media, like those that accelerated the end of some of the most autocratic Arab dictators.

In the Tunisian elite we don’t trust

Meriem Dhaouadi 26 August 2012

Offended by the people‘s choice in the recent elections, Tunisia’s elite have now declared war on the people and their political rivals.

Another Revolution in Tunisia is inevitable

Meriem Dhaouadi 19 August 2012

The Association of Religion and Tolerance has offended the sensitivities of the ultra-conservative Muslims whose ears have recently become accustomed to an intolerant discourse imported from the Gulf and orchestrated in order to generate hatred and violence in Tunisia.

Assange and the hidden influence of the US

Kacem Jlidi 19 August 2012

In response to the UK’s threat to raid the embassy, Nawaat, Tunisian leading collective blog tweeted: ‘If the UK storm Ecuador embassy we will storm UK embassy in #Tunisia for violating Vienna convention @wikileaks #assange #tnassenge’

Fallen analogies

Mona Chalabi 17 August 2012

Why a widespread analogy is harmful to fragile post-Arab Spring states and civil societies.

New Tunisian Salafist Party: a threat to democratic transition?

Anne Wolf 14 August 2012

Jabhat al-Islah denounces violence and might have the potential to embed Tunisia's Salafist movement in the political process

Tunisia’s Pirate Party

Meriem Dhaouadi 13 August 2012

The Tunisian Pirate Party combines cyber-revolution with egalitarian politics, a mix that you will not come across elsewhere in over one hundred classical parties that sprung up lately in Tunisia.

Not good timing for financial compensation to political prisoners in Tunisia

Meriem Dhaouadi 5 August 2012

Last week, Tunisia’s minister of finance, Houcien Dimassi, abruptly resigned from his post refusing to approve a bill that would cost the national budget more than a billion dollars just to curry favour with the voters

This week's editor

Heather McRobie is a regular contributor to 50.50

Europe from the bottom up

European Union stars in Paris. Flickr/notarim. Some rights reserved.

A new Europe can only come from the bottom up
Etienne Balibar

A social Europe must be a political Europe
Bo Stråth

As Europe is provincialized: a reply to Etienne Balibar
Sandro Mezzadra

European debate

A republican call for a basic income
Daniel Raventos and Julie Wark

Nuclear non-proliferation

Women and the Arab Spring

oDRussia at journalismfestival .com

Mali - the plot thickens

Remote control war

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