Kais Saied has spoken about his vision of democracy. But not much is clear about his plans, particularly economic
On September 22nd Mr Saied said he would suspend much of the constitution and rule by decree. This codifies a power grab that began in July, when he assumed emergency powers. Parliament will remain frozen and its members denied their salaries. At some point, Mr Saied says, he will amend the constitution and change the political system. Until then it is less Jacobin, more Sun KingThe president’s actions have come in for criticism from prominent Tunisians and some Western governments.
No surprise, then, that so many Tunisians supported or tolerated Mr Saied’s actions in July. The democratic system set up after the 2011 revolution has failed to produce jobs. Growth has been below 3% since 2012. Last year, thanks to covid-19, the economy shrank by 8%. Unemployment is officially 18%. A weak dinar has contributed to high inflation .in 2010 to 88%. During the same period the dinar has lost half its value.
Yet two months after grabbing power Mr Saied has announced little in the way of an economic programme, apart from inchoate plans to fight corruption and use the proceeds to fund development. His strategy for lowering inflation is to ask businesses to offer discounts. Economics is not his strong suit, and he has had little help. On September 29th, after two months of delay, he appointed a prime minister, Najla Bouden Romdhane.