The populist coup in Tunisia

Tunisia's young and fragile democracy was shaken by this populist coup. What happens next boils down to defending oneself and democracy through peaceful means

More
The populist coup in Tunisia
Tunisia The fall of Arab world's last bastion

Tunisia: The fall of Arab world's last bastion

Tunisian President Kais Saied's dismissal of the country's prime minister was interpreted as a coup. The only way this process will not progress is if Saied gives constitutional power to the parliament

More

The wave of democratization, which began with the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia, took down the authoritarian leaders of Egypt, Libya and Yemen. Whereas the uprising in Bahrain was crushed thanks to Saudi Arabia’s military intervention, Iran and Russia ensured the survival of Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria.

The outrage over George Floyd’s death at the hands of a racist police officer, which triggered riots in 140 cities across the United States and forced President Donald Trump to threaten military action against protestors, highlighted the importance of "the streets." Attempts to reshape politics through street protests have repeatedly captured the world’s attention over the last three decades. The Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, along with other anti-communist uprisings across Eastern Europe, was hailed as a new wave of democratization. Although that revolution resulted in Czechoslovakia’s partition, most observers celebrated its peaceful nature.

With the U.S. warning of its withdrawal from the Middle East, the new balance of power in the world has begun to be established. The rapprochement between authoritarian Arab regimes and Europe alongside Saudi Arabia's search for convergence with Asian powers are just the consequences of it

The proposals from the opposition parties rest on the premise that something extraordinary is happening in the country today. But their argument is fatally flawed because the AK Party can score more points off extraordinary circumstances than the opposition.

Tunisia and Turkey: The Islamism Debate

To be clear, Ghannouchi's identification of Ennahda as a movement of Muslim democrats represents an alternative to violent groups, including al-Qaida and DAESH, which exert considerable influence over young people.

More
Tunisia and Turkey The Islamism Debate
Whose Model Which Turkey

Whose Model? Which Turkey?

Political demonstrations in Tunisia and Egypt have sparked a century old discussion: Is Turkey a model for the Middle East?

More

The election results indicate that various parties will seek to push the Ennahda Movement out of the government.

Tunisia and Morocco have improved their standards of democracy and positively responded to the demands of their people throughout the Arab Spring.