Peripheral Vision: How Europe can help preserve Tunisia’s fragile democracy

Summary:

+ Six years since the revolution, the success of democracy in Tunisia depends on those parts of the country where the popular uprising began: its 'periphery', whose regions lag far behind the country’s economically more developed coast;

+ Tunisia’s periphery regions suffer from weak economic growth and high levels of poverty and unemployment – a legacy of decades of underinvestment;

+ Regional conflict, terrorism and organised crime have led the government to crack down on security threats in the periphery regions. This has disrupted the informal and illegal economic networks on which much of the population relies and caused it to lose faith in the government;

+ Tunisia has enjoyed extensive support from international partners since 2011 – money is not the problem. Instead, the country must strengthen its regional governance and address fragmentation at the heart of government;

+ Europeans can radically alter the terms of debate by offering Tunisia membership of the European Economic Area, galvanising change in support of its journey towards democracy and stability.

This feature reviews Tunisia's democratic transition since the Jasmine Revolution in 2011. It reflects on the role of civil society in upholding support to the principles leading to democracy and stability, as well as on the challenges facing the government across the country.

Finally, the Brief also highlights the potential for the role to be played by the European Union in making sure that support for democracy in Tunisia continues.

ECFR: Policy Brief: Peripheral Vision: How Europe can help preserve Tunisia’s fragile democracy [PDF - Alternative Link] http://www.ecfr.eu/page/-/ECFR202_PERIPHERAL_VISION2.pdf

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