December 17, 2023, will mark the 13th anniversary of the Tunisian revolution while many Tunisians say “still waiting for the realization of their aspirations” claimed on January 14, 2011, namely “a dignified life”, “zero corruption”, “clean cities where it is pleasant to live”…
Far from these expectations, the Tunisian today finds himself confronted with a multitude of problems and a notable deterioration in his purchasing power, a fact which has widened the socio-economic gaps between a wealthy class and a poor class that is earning a living. day by day.
This year the celebration of the revolution is taking place, in fact, in a context marked by an increase in inflation and shortages in the main consumer products, notably milk, sugar, bread, coffee…
A context that hardly lends itself to celebrations, according to Karima, a saleswoman in a ready-to-wear store, who says she is “tired and not at all concerned by the revolution”.
“The revolution means nothing to me, nothing has improved since then, on the contrary, we are only going backward, and at all levels, poverty has worsened, garbage is everywhere and the Tunisians can no longer cope. get out of it,” she told Anadolu.
“I can’t even eat enough anymore, I’ve been looking for a packet of milk for two weeks, the same goes for coffee, we have to wait in endless lines to get it and people come to talk to me about revolution,” continues Karima.
For her there is only “the work revolution that counts” “It’s my work that counts, I have to work to be able to live without anyone’s assistance and without reaching out, that’s what counts, living with dignity thanks to my work,” she adds.
Rym shares Karima’s opinion, she also believes that nothing has improved since the 2011 revolution.
“We are only going backward, I have not seen any improvement, especially the standard of living, salaries are the same and the Tunisian is struggling to get by,” she emphasizes.
When we questioned her, Samia was hurrying to return to her office after buying bread “Otherwise she won’t find any in the evening”.
Also believing that the revolution has not yet succeeded or made it possible to satisfy the expectations of the Tunisian people, Samia says she is nevertheless optimistic about the future, welcoming the freedom acquired since the revolution.
“Sooner or later we will have a better Tunisia, I am confident in the future, what is certain is that our children will benefit from what we have started and from the Tunisia we dreamed of,” adds Samia.
In the meantime, like many Tunisians, she deplores the “difficult life, skyrocketing prices, slow-moving administration of failing municipalities…”.
Mondher, a waiter in a café on Avenue Habib Bourguiba in Tunis, believes for his part that we must take a step back and be patient because “a process of revolution cannot be accomplished in such a short time”.
“We must be patient and things will certainly get better,” he declares, assuring “we are on the right path but we must know that the path to revolution is not easy, nor impossible to achieve. elsewhere.
“Will is the secret of success; people must be aware, work and be patient,”, underlines Mondher.
President Kaïs Saïed, who considers that the 2010-2011 uprising should be celebrated on the day of the immolation of street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi and not on the fall of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, has chosen the date of December 17 for the festivities.
This new date is now a public holiday throughout the country.
