Tunisian President Kais Saied has decided to end Prime Minister Najla Bouden’s duties, in an act that has sparked questions and speculation as to her motives. The move comes amid political and economic crisis in Tunisia, where the president has ruled the country by decree since his 2021 coup.
Najla Bouden was appointed Prime Minister by Kaïs Saïed in October 2021, shortly after he took full power. No clear explanation has been given for his dismissal, but it is widely suspected of being linked to the bread crisis that is rocking the country. Indeed, disagreements between the presidency and the government over the bread subsidy policy have reportedly emerged in recent times.
The president appointed Ahmed Hachani to succeed Najla Bouden. Little known to the general public, Ahmed Hachani is a trained lawyer who has mainly worked at the Tunisian Central Bank. His political positions remain unclear, although posts on his Facebook profile suggest anti-Islamist leanings and his attachment to Esperance Sportif de Tunis, one of the country’s leading football clubs.
It should be stressed that the powers of the new Prime Minister will be very limited, because the new Tunisian constitution does not require the vote of confidence of Parliament to appoint the head of government. Thus, the executive retains much of the decision-making power.
Tunisia is currently going through a deep political and economic crisis. The country is heavily indebted, with low growth, growing poverty and high unemployment. The situation is all the more worrying as the legislative elections at the end of 2022 were marked by a very low turnout, boycotts by opposition parties and lack of voter confidence.
In addition, President Saïed has repeatedly ordered the dismissal of ministers without giving clear reasons, and numerous arrests have taken place, targeting political opponents and personalities, on charges of plotting against state security, described as “terrorists” by the president. These actions have been strongly criticized by human rights organizations, which denounce a lack of evidence and violations of fundamental freedoms.
In this turbulent context, it is essential to closely follow the evolution of the situation in Tunisia and to understand the political and economic repercussions of these recent events