Mediterranean under siege: Tunisian protest on Austerity Measures
Tunisians are witnessing a deja vu of geopolitics. Under which the in the ghost of Ben Ali administration is waving upon them. Then the self-immolation of a street vendor over oppression and economic slowdown which resulted into massive unemployment sparked an uprising that became the Arab spring, changing all the aspects of geopolitics in the Middle East and African Nations (MENA), it all started with the fall of the Tunisian regime of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.
President George W. Bush meets with Tunisian President Zine Al-Abidine Ben Ali in the Oval Office Wednesday, February 18, 2004.
White House Photo by Paul Morse
Today Ben Ali is no more, though his ghost is still haunting the streets of Tunis where the Tunisian masses have taken to the streets on governments strong austerity measure and skyrocketing prices of daily products. According to the reports, at least one died and the number of detainees reaches the three digits. Also, reports are coming where several injured and admitted into health care centres.
After the Arab spring, this African Nation set an example for its sister democracies. One could term Tunisia small and lack of natural and human resources. but in the process of building democratic institutions and adopting a liberal constitution Tunisian Civil society won a Nobel peace prize. But even the Nobel or Democratic institutions failed to shape its degrading economy. Unemployment was rising like it was in the days before Arab Spring. Amid all the negatives, there took place the unfortunate backlash in its tourism industry which was the Key to the Tunisian Economy. This was the disaster which derailed the Tunisian economy and forced it to borrow $2 Billion from the International Monetary Funds, in results for which obnoxious price hikes and bitter financial doses pushed to its population.
Tunisian quartet in file photo from 2013: Image BBC
Tunisian Prime Minister blamed the left coalition for inciting violence, here but the points remained to its previous level where the Ben Ali administration left Tunisia, it reached at the same place after the 7-year glam show, similar to a calendar where after seven days there are repetitive occurrence of days,some are quite tough and some are festive in nature, even it could be worth a Nobel, for proving the western model of democracy right? Tunisians were not ready for this liberal market, instead, a binding market in cooperation with the powers another side of Mediterranean would’ve been a better reward for accepting the western style democracy.
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*Irfan Ansari is a member of The Kootneeti – Middle East Monitor who is closely observing the Middle East and Mediterranean issues. He has experienced intense research in the Arab Spring and the Middle Eastern Wars
