Eleven weeks after Tunisia’s president Kais Saied first concentrated power in his own hands, with an announcement that he intends to ignore parts of the constitution as he overhauls the country’s political system, a new government made up of technocrats not affiliated with political parties has been formed by decree.
Afforded considerably reduced prerogatives, it is set to commence work without an exit strategy from the economic and political crisis that has aggravated inequity and exclusion. The new government’s brief declaration of intent reiterated the overused statements made by all previous cabinets around a fight against corruption and revitalising the economy. However, there is no plan on the issues that matter, particularly unemployment and regional inequality.
Since he first dissolved Parliament on 25 July, Saied has constantly stressed his loyalty to ‘the suffering people’, while castigating those who have ‘starved them’. However, he has yet to take a decision in their favour or signal any break with the economic and social policies implemented by all successive governments since the fall of former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.
