President Kais Saied Rejects Foreign Pressure Over Tunisia’s Political Crisis

Facing increasing pressure from Western governments urging him to restore constitutional order after seizing power in July, Tunisia’s President Kais Saied said on Friday, September 10, that the North African country would not tolerate interference from foreign countries.” The sovereignty of the Tunisian state and the choices of its people were not discussed with international partners … and will not be the subject of negotiations with any party,” the president said in a statement, according to Reuters.

Saied, who was elected president in 2019, froze Tunisia’s parliament on July 25, fired the prime minister, and assumed control of the government. The sudden intervention has been characterized as a coup by his opponents, but President Saied claimed it was necessary to prevent the collapse of the country.

Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy official, told the Tunisian president that Europe is concerned about preserving democracy gains in Tunisia.

Ambassadors from the Group of Seven (G7) also urged Saied this week to appoint a new prime minister and restore a parliamentary system where an elected parliament plays an important role.

Saied has still yet to appoint a new government or make broader statements about his long-term plans more than six weeks after his power grab.

Since the 2011 revolution that put Tunisia on a promising democratization path, Western democracies have been instrumental in supporting Tunisian public finances.

But with the country having been thrust into a constitutional crisis by President Saied’s intervention, many observers have raised concerns about the future of Tunisian democracy.

In addition to anti-government protests and worsening COVID-induced social and political crises, Saied said his intervention was in accordance with the constitution and prompted by a national emergency to save the country from an unending cycle of political paralysis. 

He assured that there would be no infringement of rights, but critics have since pointed out that the arrest of opposition figures in recent weeks stands in stark contrast to the president’s promise of upholding the constitution. .