Ennahda movement
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Arab Spring ten years on
Tunisia is paralysed by a political culture of consensus
Recent unrest shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who's followed Tunisia's trajectory. The image of the North African country as the only "survivor" of the uprisings in the region is misleading, writes Sarah Mersch
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Democratic transition in crisis?
Building Tunisia from the ground up
While Tunisians remain committed to democracy, they are feeling the painful lack of economic and political progress. Much has been achieved in the way of personal freedoms, but some major reforms are needed if everyone is to lead a dignified life. By Jake Walles
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Suicide on the rise in Tunisia
A last desperate stand
Tunisia is considered a paragon of the Arab Spring. Despite democratic reforms, however, a mood of political frustration and economic despair still prevails, particularly among young people. Since 2011 the country has seen an increase in the number of suicides – an act some see as a form of political protest. By Hannah El-Hitami
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Interview with the Moroccan thinker Hassan Aourid
Democracy cannot be stopped
Hassan Aourid is one of the most important political and intellectual figures in Morocco. In interview with Ismail Azzam for Qantara, Aourid outlines his vision of the decline of political Islam and the future of democracy and human rights in the Maghreb
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Polling in the Maghreb
Presidential run-off in Tunisia, but will anyone vote?
Tunisia’s parliamentary elections on 6 October – the penultimate poll before Sunday’s presidential run-off – delivered a very fragmented result without a clear majority. Whoever emerges as victor will face a tough task, fighting widespread voter fatigue and disillusionment with the political establishment. By Alessandra Bajec
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Indigenous rights in the Maghreb
An uphill struggle for Tunisiaʹs Amazigh
The Amazigh claim that the regimes of Bourguiba and Ben Ali stole their finest asset, namely their culture. Is Tunisiaʹs Jasmine revolution on the way to restoring their rights? By Lina Shanak
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Domestic power struggle in Tunisia
A faltering democracy
The most promising democratic experiment in the Arab world can still avert political disaster, but Tunisia urgently needs outside help in view of the ongoing trench warfare within the government, writes Youssef Cherif in his essay
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Souad Abderrahim: Mayor of Tunis
The "Sheikha", the city and its problems
Souad Abderrahim is the first freely elected female mayor of an Arab capital. Her opponents regard her as being in the pocket of the moderate Islamists. She herself prefers to stay out of politics. By Nader Alsarras
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Eight years after the Jasmine Revolution
Young Tunisians see red
Inspired by Franceʹs "gilets jaunes", the Tunisian "red vest" movement reflects the widespread discontent in the North African country, where protests against spiralling living costs, unemployment, mismanagement and corruption are once again on the increase. By Alessandra Bajec
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Essebsi breaks with Ennahda
Farewell to Tunisia's "national consensus"
The decision by Caid Essebsi to end five years of consensus politics is likely to heighten sociopolitical tensions in the North African state and deepen a burgeoning economic crisis. Tunisian journalist Ismail Dbara analyses the reasons for the break-up and the consequences for democratisation within the country
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Tunisʹ first female mayor
Abderrahim runs the gauntlet for Tunisian women
While most residents of Tunis support a woman as mayor, a sizeable minority does not, which may present obstacles for the newly-elected Souad Abderrahim. By Sharan Grewal and Matthew Cebul
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The right not to fast during Ramadan
Tunisians call on the Constitution
Tunisiaʹs Constitution of 2014 may guarantee freedom of conscience and belief, but the country has not resolved the debate surrounding the non-observance of Ramadan in public. Ismail Dbara reports from Tunis