Tunisia Is Heading Down The Wrong Path And Its Economic Situation Is Getting Worse

Introduction

In December 2010, the drama began in Tunisia. This was the start of the Tunisian revolution, known as “The Jasmine revolution.” It all commenced when a young man, selling fruits and vegetables at the market, named Mouhamed Ali Bouazizi set his body on fire. A few days later, demonstrations began on December 17, 2010 and spread throughout the country, causing President Ben Ali to flee to Saudi Arabia, accompanied by his family. Due to the huge number of protests in the country, the Tunisian population hoped to change the economic and political situation in Tunisia. Unfortunately, 10 years later, the country is still in a catastrophic state and suffering from an economic crisis (Jounaïdi).

An economic fall

Following the revolution, Tunisia’s manufacturing sector faced a number of challenges. Political instability, strikes and demonstrations disrupted the country’s industrial production and foreign investment, resulting in a significant drop in employment and GDP growth. In addition, strikes and labor disputes have disrupted production lines in the manufacturing industry, while uncertainty over government policies has discouraged foreign investors (Tunisia Economic Snapshot).

According to data from Tera Finances, Tunisia’s Gross Domestic Product “(GDP)” has been declining since the revolution. From the figure below, “since 2010, the economy has fallen by 1.9% and reached negative growth of 8.8%, ten years after the revolution and also following the Covid 19 pandemic which strongly disrupted the economy of the country”(Ilboursa).

            Rate of growth change in % at constant prices of living of the previous year

A study was carried out in Tunisia by the Afrobarometer team in Tunisia announcing that 72% of Tunisians say that the country is heading in “the wrong direction.” In addition, 97% of them consider that the management of the country’s economy is a very urgent problem and needs to be solved very quickly (Saad 2-4). Moreover, several problems are multiplying, such as shortages of drinking water as well as the lack of several medical treatments and materials.