“There is a criminal scheme to change the composition of Tunisia’s demographics and some people have received large sums of money to shelter sub-Saharan migrants,” Tunisian President Kais Saied told his security chiefs on Feb. 21. According to him, the latter must act against the “hordes” of people who would be smuggled into the country.
Although Saied proud say on the “African identity” of the North African country, the autocratic leader does not hide how he feels about sub-Saharan migrants. Partly as a result of those statements, they are no longer safe there. It is all the more striking that the EU is making a deal with this president to stop migrants.
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Specializing in constitutional law, Saied taught at the university level for several years, but never received his doctorate. The lawyer and professor first gained public attention after the 2011 revolution. Tunisia was the first country in the Middle East where young people took to the streets out of dissatisfaction with their then dictator as part of the ‘Arab Spring’. In 2013, Saied belonged to the Council of Elders, intended to advise the government on its democratic transition. As a constitutional law expert, Saied often appeared on television, especially on the drafting of the 2014 constitution.
It is precisely on that constitution that he bases himself when he assumes all power in 2021, two years after his election as president. In the event of “acute” danger, the new constitution gives him the authority to intervene. The corona pandemic and economic crisis in the country would justify his intervention. According to the constitution, Saied should hand over power to a government after thirty days at the latest, but he does not. He dissolves parliament, dismisses the government and introduces a new constitution.
Although Saied is proud of his country’s ‘African identity’, he does not hide his views on sub-Saharan migrants
How different was his attitude during the presidential election just a few years earlier. In addition to an inconspicuous, gray man, many consider the political newcomer to have no chance. Unlike his fellow candidates, he does not speak in the Tunisian dialect, but in formal classical Arabic, which sounds rather monotonous. His aloof demeanor earns him the nickname ‘Robocop’.
But without political experience, a major campaign or even a political party, he still wins the presidency of media mogul Nabil Karoui in 2019 with just over 72 percent of the vote. He presents himself as an independent social conservative: he does not want homosexuality to be removed from the criminal code, thinks that daughters should not have the same rights to an inheritance as sons, and is in favor of the death penalty. He also promises to tackle unemployment, one of the country’s biggest problems, during the election campaign.
Simple background
His humble background and anti-establishment attitude draw the attention of young people disillusioned with politicians. The Arab Spring seems like a failure, their lives have not improved since then. “The situation in which many politicians are embroiled in corruption scandals has helped this seemingly simple man,” said Selim Kharrat of the Tunisian NGO Al Bawsala. against news organization Al Jazeera. Saied’s “unadorned” profile contrasts with that of Karoui, also known as the Tunisian Berlusconi. Karoui spends part of the campaign time in jail for money laundering and tax evasion.
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Since becoming president, Saied has increasingly emerged as a classic autocratic leader. “He’s a dictator and all that [met de migratiedeal] he will be rewarded for demolishing Tunisian democracy,” said Yusra Ghannouchi, daughter of imprisoned opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi (81) at the end of June. NRC.
The new constitution makes him virtually inviolable as president. He also detains prominent political opponents, judges, trade unionists, journalists and influential business people. The once beloved president now rules with an iron hand, his popularity among the people is gone. Not only because of the repression, but also because of Tunisia’s great need for money. The financial compensation for the migration deal therefore suits Saied well.
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper on July 18, 2023.