Tunisia, until recently a symbol of the Arab Spring, is now causing headaches for EU leaders who fear its economic and social collapse will lead to new flows of migrants into Europe.
Hundreds of supporters of President Kais Saied showed support for him in Tunis on Monday (March 21) following a crackdown on opponents accused of treason and corruption, rejecting so-called foreign interference. rallied to do so.
“The people want this country to be cleansed!” they chanted on a main street in central Tunis. The rebels have frequently held protests against Saied, regularly drawing crowds of thousands, but his own supporters rarely take to the streets.
authoritarian tendencies
Elected in 2019, Said seized most power in 2021 by shutting down the elected parliament and replacing the government, before moving to rule by decree and rewriting the constitution.
Critics say Mr Said has dismantled the democracy and freedoms won in the 2011 revolutions that sparked the Arab Spring.
He countered that he was saving Tunisia from chaos.
In recent weeks, police have launched a crackdown on rebels accusing him of a coup, detaining politicians, trade union officials, judges, prominent businessmen and the head of an independent radio station.
Saied has denied launching a coup, saying his actions were legal and necessary to save Tunisia from years of turmoil, and denounced the opposition as traitors, criminals and terrorists.
He denounced expressions of concern about his move by the United States and the European Parliament, calling it foreign interference and an attack on Tunisia’s sovereignty.
Part of the evidence presented in recent weeks against people arrested on charges of conspiracy against national security and held in pretrial detention was that they had met with French or American diplomats.
“We support Mr. Said’s campaign against the traitors, the corrupt, those who have ruined the country over the past decade, and against external interference,” said Lobna Suisi, one of the demonstrators.
“We want Said to continue the war without mercy,” she added.
EU concerns
EU foreign ministers discussed the situation in Tunisia on Monday, largely led by Italy, which is concerned about a wave of migrants hitting the country’s shores.
More broadly, diplomats are concerned that pollution could lead to instability in the Mediterranean.
Ministers expressed their intention to support the Tunisian people, but stressed the urgency of addressing the country’s issues of rule of law and respect for human rights. The two leaders reiterated that it is essential for Tunisia’s leadership to advance structural reforms and complete the programs already agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Monday that Italy wants the IMF to lift a block on a $1.9 billion loan to Tunisia, but without the cash the country will become unstable and a new wave of migrants will head to Europe. He said he was concerned about this.
Tunisia’s bailout talks with the IMF have been stalled for months, with the United States and others demanding wide-ranging reforms from Mr. Said to free up funds.
Mr. Said has never publicly supported the IMF agreement, and donors fear that he will eventually reverse the reforms after the money arrives, or that they will take the resulting economic pain away from them. I’m worried that people will blame me.
However, Tajani met with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and urged her to show flexibility to avoid a possible financial collapse.
The minister spoke about the issue with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers scheduled for Friday, and also raised the issue with his Slovenian and Croatian counterparts.
“Immigrant invasion”
One official said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was also “on call” and warned that Italy would face a “migrant intrusion” in the coming months if Tunisia did not receive the funds.
Italy has accepted 20,046 boat migrants so far in 2023, a record number, surpassing the previous high of arrivals set in 2016, when 181,436 people landed in vulnerable fleets. There is a momentum to update.
Of the migrants arriving in Italy this year, 12,000 departed from Tunisia, compared with 1,300 in the same period in 2022, according to unofficial UN data. This is a reversal of the previous pattern, in which Libya was the main starting point for migrants.
“Uncontrolled and irregular migration can only be reduced by improving the conditions of security and economic stability,” Tajani said, adding that Italy would expand training opportunities for Tunisians as an alternative to migration. He added that he is considering it.
“I was pushed out”
But the situation is complicated, with Rome officials admitting that the majority of people leaving Tunisia this year are sub-Saharan Africans who have decided to head to Europe following a crackdown on outsiders. He said that.
In comments widely criticized by rights groups and the African Union, Mr Said said last month that illegal immigration of sub-Saharan Africans was a plot aimed at changing Tunisia’s demographics. He ordered security forces to expel migrants living in Tunisia illegally.
This is forcing people to flee the country, even if they previously had no intention of crossing into dangerous Europe, a senior UN official said.
Among those arriving in Italy this year, the top country of origin was Ivory Coast (3,223), followed by Guinea (2,906). U.N. officials said most of them departed from Tunisia. By comparison, 1,535 Tunisians have visited Italy so far this year.
“The stability and prosperity of Tunisia, with respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, is crucial for the stability of the entire Mediterranean region,” Tajani said.
Meloni took office in October promising to reduce the flow of illegal immigrants, but the numbers have only increased since then.
The issue became more sensitive after at least 86 migrants drowned in a shipwreck off southern Italy late last month, sparking accusations that not enough was done to save them. However, the government denies this accusation.
(Edited by Georgi Gotev)