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Assignment: Tunisia’s democratic dream

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Tunisians with Tunisian flags protesting against the constitutional referendum

20/07/2023 GMT

Tunisia’s democratic dream

BBC World Service - Assignment, Tunisia’s democratic dream

Is Tunisia’s democracy being dismantled by its president?

Is Tunisia’s democracy being dismantled by a president who claims he’s saving it from anarchy? With parliament dissolved and opponents jailed, what is the future for the country?

Tunisia’s democracy is being dismantled by a president who claims he’s saving it from anarchy. Parliament has been dissolved, scores of judges sacked and opponents jailed. Once Tunisia - the north African country of just 12 million people squeezed between it’s much bigger neighbours Libya and Algeria -  was a beacon of democracy. It was the first Arab country to overthrow it’s dictator Ben Ali in 2011 during what became known as the Arab Spring. Now a new authoritarian leader, Kais Saied, dominates the country. Tunisia faces numerous problems, from soaring prices and shortages of some basic foods - to thousands of migrants – many Tunisians - trying to flee across the Mediterranean to Europe.

Mike Thomson meets the sister of an activist who was imprisoned, an aspiring kickboxer who wants to settle abroad, a sub-Saharan migrant who’s lost his job and his home and a rapper, whose music helped inspire that 2011 revolution. What future faces Tunisia – democracy or dictatorship?

Presenter: Mike Thomson
Producer: Bob Howard
Mixed by Rod Farquhar
Production coordinator: Helena Warwick-Cross
Series Editor: Penny Murphy

(Image: Tunisians with Tunisian flags protesting against the constitutional referendum. Credit: Mohamed Messara/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

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