The causes of Tunisia's social unrest after July 2021.

What is it about?

On July 25, 2021, President Kais Saied suspended parliament and dissolved the Hichem Mechichi government, escalating social unrest in Tunisia. This paper examines three causes of the unrest: first, the contentious political climate created by Saied's decisions; second, the deterioration of the economic situation following the appointment of an incompetent government led by Najla Bouden in September 2021; and third, the unprecedented protests in response to the government's failure to honor previously signed agreements with public sector employees. I employ resource mobilization theory to explain the unprecedented protests and the government's use of force to put them down.

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Why is it important?

I provide a thorough analysis of why Tunisia's social and economic problems are primarily the result of a chaotic political environment created by President Saied's populist choices, which has resulted in an unprecedented clash with the General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT), civil society organizations, and, most importantly, opposition parties. One significant finding in this paper is that social unrest in Tunisia worsened when the Bouden government took office in September 2021. Faced with a mounting budget deficit and stringent IMF financing requirements, the government has far too frequently addressed the underlying causes of the country's economic decline by improvising quick fixes for the budget deficit, sparking large-scale protests that are frequently met with police crackdowns.

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