Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Tunisia caught between president and parliament as crisis deepens

Tunisia caught between president and parliament as crisis deepens

Both Tunisian parliament and President Saied are trying to exert authority, as Saied announces parliament’s dissolution.

The Tunisian President Kais Saied’s decision to dissolve parliament followed a day of political drama, and one that could define the outcome of Tunisia’s continuing political crisis.

The announcement on Wednesday followed a decision by the Tunisian parliament to reconvene virtually in defiance of Saied, who had suspended parliament last July, and a vote to end the president’s emergency rule.

Saied had done his best to stop that vote from taking place, blocking online video platforms Zoom and Microsoft Teams throughout Tunisia for a part of the day in a bid to prevent the MPs from voting on the motion.

The president then delivered an angry late-night address hours after the vote had taken place, accusing parliament of attempting to “stage a coup with foreign intervention”.

Saied went on to declare that he would not hold elections within three months following the current constitution. Instead, he would proceed with drafting a new constitution, which will be put to a referendum on July 25, and then hold elections in December, in which “conspirators will be forbidden from running”, a reference to opposition politicians.


Saied’s escalation reflected the significance of Wednesday’s parliamentary vote, which was the most serious challenge to Kais Saied since he sacked the government, suspended parliament and took emergency powers eight months ago.

At the time, Saied, who was elected in 2019, said that his measures were necessary to fight corruption. Although he received support from many Tunisians at the time, opposition has grown as he has seized more power.

The standoff between the president and parliament has left Tunisia in uncertain legal territory, with both sides claiming authority, and Saied in control of the country’s top judicial body.

“The parliamentary vote is historic because it removes the legal legitimacy from [Saied’s July 2021] coup, and delivers a clear message to the Tunisian people and Tunisia’s international partners that the parliament is intent on fulfilling its role in protecting the democratic gains of the 2011 revolution,” an anti-Saied Tunisian member of parliament, Issam Bargougi, told Al Jazeera, referencing the Arab Spring revolution that overthrew former President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali.

“The parliament is defending the state institutions, and asserting that it is the primary legislative body and has authority over the president, who has revolted against the Constitution,” Bargougi, who has been sentenced by a military court in absentia for opposing Saied’s power grab, added.

Saied under pressure


Wednesday’s vote came amid testing times for Saied, with the problems that plague the Tunisian economy showing few signs of abating.

Last week, Fitch Ratings, the American credit rating agency, downgraded Tunisia’s sovereign debt to CCC, a sign that the country’s economic outlook is poor.

Prices of basic goods have soared and bakeries across the country have announced closures.

Tunisia’s powerful UGTT trade union, which had backed Saied’s moves last July, has openly attacked the president and threatened strikes in protest against IMF-backed economic reforms, while its leader, Noureddine Tabboubi, has demanded clarity about Saied’s political plan.

Saied has also found himself under international pressure as former backers, such as the United States and the European Union, worry that he is moving Tunisia away from democracy.

“It is very possible that the international community, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and other international donors will seek to create greater distance between themselves and Kais Saied,” Khalid Hermasi, a Tunisian political commentator, told Al Jazeera.


Military and trade unions


Saied seemed likely to clamp down on opposition in the future; prominent supporters welcomed Saied’s actions and have called for him to suppress dissent.

“Ghannouchi’s parliament has been dissolved … the Muslim Brotherhood parliament has been dissolved, the parliament that attacks women has been dissolved,” said Abir Moussi, the head of the pro-Ben Ali Free Destourian Party, referring to Rachid Ghannouchi, the leader of the biggest party in parliament, Ennahdha, which had ties with the Muslim Brotherhood.

“The full force of the law will be brought to bear [on members of parliament who voted against Saied],” said Riyadh Jrad, a Tunisian media personality, in an appearance on local television.

Saied’s justice minister also launched an investigation into charges of “conspiracy against the state” against a number of members of parliament who voted in the parliamentary session. Ghannouchi, the parliament’s speaker, said that 20 members of parliament, including members of his party, had been summoned by Tunisia’s anti-terrorism unit for investigation.

Yet, the relevance of the vote may not be Saied’s to decide. Instead, Tunisia’s trade unions and army may intervene.

“We will seek to work with all the democratic forces in the country in order to force Kais Saied to recognise the decision made today,” said Bargougi. “The decision in parliament today will be delivered clearly to the leaders of the Tunisian army and the trade unions, and these powers will cease to lend their support to Kais Saied from now on.”

“[The vote] ensnared Kais Saied and put him in a difficult position, particularly with regards to his relationship with the military and security institutions,” said Hermasi. “The ball is in the court of the security forces, given that Article 18 of the Constitution permits the army to intervene in situations in which there is a clear threat to the state.”

While the army has the power to reopen the parliament building and restore access to its members, thereby ending Saied’s emergency rule, it is still unclear what its position will be.

The UGTT trade union leadership, despite its criticism of Saied, has still been broadly supportive of the president, which could carry him through despite the growing opposition.

“The decision to dissolve parliament came late, but it was necessary,” said Sami al-Tahiri, the UGTT secretary-general. “Parliament was already suspended and effectively dead. We honour the dead by burying them.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×