I’ve just returned from Tunisia where Mohammed Bouazizi, a young man from the small town of Sidi Bouzid, set himself on fire on 17 December 2010 following problems with local officials over his selling fruit from a roadside stand. This tragic event precipitated events across the country that became known as the ‘Arab Spring’, the catalyst for uprisings across north Africa and the Middle East.
Tunisia has a population of 10.7 million, of which 23 per cent are aged under 14 and only eight per cent over the age of 65. Unemployment had been high for a long period, even among the growing number of young people with higher education. Despite new freedoms of expression in Tunisia since the revolution and the departure of the despised Ben Ali, there are increasing demands, especially from young people and women, for more freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
The election held on 23 October 2011 for a Constituent Assembly established an interim government with the job of writing a new constitution, but now two years on from that vote, there is serious concern that the delay in implementing this mandate is damaging progress towards democratic elections.
The interim government is led by the moderate Ennahda Movement and Prime Minister Hammad Jebail, who have formed a coalition with two smaller parties, the centre-left Congress for the Republic and the social democratic party Ettakatol, Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties.
The trade union movement in Tunisia, which has far more political influence that trade unions in Europe, is also playing a key role in negotiating between different parties against widespread criticism that more should be expected from the winning Islamist party.
Lack of freedom
Many women were active in the uprisings, but old patriarchal structures still exist, and women’s organisations in Tunisia are complaining about the lack of inclusion of women in the key decisions about the country’s future.
On a similar note, after the uprisings Tunisia made some progress in terms of freedom of expression and freedom of information, but this has not prevented an increased number of attacks against and arrests of journalists and human rights activists.
The arrest of the TV cameraman who filmed a man throwing an egg at Tunisia’s minister of culture was a glaring example of the ineptitude of the authorities, who claimed he was harming public morals. The cameraman was effectively detained for doing his job, a decision that was damaging for the reputation of Tunisia and its claims to promote media freedom.
Moreover, the independence of the broadcast media has been called into question following the unplanned proliferation of new radio stations and TV channels across the country, many of which are owned by pro-government Ennahda supporters, resulting in censorship coming from the party in power and its allies.
The attitude of the government is often to regard opposition and criticism of the government by the media as being “against Tunisia” – which, of course, it is not. It is called democracy.
Banned debate
It was a great privilege to meet students at the University of Tunis El Manar, but it was alarming to learn from a range of students their concern that they had been denied the chance to set up a student debating society.
The senior member of staff present responded to this criticism by saying (unconvincingly, I thought) that there is a shortage of accommodation and no rooms available for student activities such as debating societies.
A university that bans a student debating society, and especially when the nation is credited with being the birthplace of the Arab Spring and the flagship of democracy in north Africa and the Middle East, needs to be asking itself about its educational and civic responsibilities.
Although progress has been made in Tunisia since the revolution, the maximum participation of women and young people and freedom of expression and of the media are essential to achieving the aspirations of the Arab Spring.
Michael McGowan is a former MEP and President of the Development Committee of the European Parliament.
