After its independence from French colonization on March 20, 1956, Tunisia was ruled for 55 years by two presidents, Bourguiba and Ben Ali, until the popular uprising of January 14, 2011.
The first president of Tunisia, Habib Bourguiba, ruled the country for three decades. However, the long reign of the “supreme fighter” came to an end on November 7, 1987, when his Prime Minister Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali deposed him for “medical reasons” (senility).
Ben Ali himself remained in power until he was forced to leave on January 14, 2011, under pressure from an exceptional popular uprising, marking the beginning of a “democratic transition” in Tunisia.
The elections of the National Constituent Assembly in October 2011 represent the first step in this democratic process.
The Tunisian movement of Islamic obedience “Ennahdha”, led by Rached Ghannouchi, came first in the election, winning 89 seats out of the 217 seats in the National Constituent Assembly.
The members of this Assembly, elected by the people, will be responsible for drafting a new Tunisian Constitution and ensuring a transition to a democratic system based on institutions and not on individuals.
On December 12, 2011, the members of the Constituent Assembly elected the leader of the Congress for the Republic, Moncef Marzouki, as the first president of post-revolution Tunisia.
The secretary general of “Ennahdha”, Hamadi Jebali, was appointed Prime Minister and formed a coalition government with the Congress for the Republic and Ettakatol (FDTL – Forum démocratique pour le travail et les libertés), which was sworn in before President Marzouki on December 24, 2011.
In 2013, Tunisia was shaken by two assassinations of opposition political leaders. Chokri Belaïd and Mohamed Brahimi were shot dead in front of their homes, respectively on February 6 and July 25. Each time, there were demonstrations throughout the country.
These political assassinations led to sharp tensions between the government and the opposition that led to a political crisis.
In August 2013, Béji Caïd Essebsi leader of the party “Nidaa Tounes” and Rached Ghannouchi leader of “Ennahdha” met at the Bristol in Paris. They reached a deal, among other things, for the removal of Moncef Marzouki, the lifting of the exclusion of former Ben Ali regime members and the removal of the age limit for presidential candidates, to allow Essebsi to take over the presidency of the country.
In addition, the Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT, trade union) will form, at the end of October 2013, with the employers’ association (Utica – The Tunisian Union of Industry, Commerce and Crafts), the Order of Lawyers and the Tunisian League for Human Rights a “Quartet” of mediation between the different political sensitivities and impose a national dialogue.
The “Quartet” is trying to impose on the Constituent Assembly a roadmap to complete the Constitution and move towards elections.
Mission accomplished. On January 26, 2014, the Constituent Assembly adopted a new Constitution, the second in Tunisia, and the government of Mehdi Jomâa – composed of technocrats – was installed three days later.
In October 2014, Tunisia held legislative elections, the first poll of the II Republic. The Assembly of the Representatives of the People (ARP) is elected and the party “Nidaa Tounes” wins the most seats in the ARP.
On December 21, 2014, Béji Caïd Essebsi, a veteran of Tunisian politics, won the first free presidential election in the history of Tunisia, four years after the revolution. This election marks an important step in the democratic process.
However, Tunisia remains facing several challenges such as high unemployment, economic problems and terrorist threats. In 2015, deadly terrorist attacks at the Bardo Museum (Tunis), in a tourist resort (Sousse), and targeting the presidential guard in the capital, had serious economic repercussions, particularly on the tourism sector.
Despite the economic difficulties and security threats, Tunisia has managed to maintain its democratic course.
**The Quartet of the National Dialogue won the Nobel Peace Prize on October 9, 2015, a prestigious award that crowns its efforts in favor of the
