Key facts
- President Kais Saied announced the dismissal of Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi.
- Parliament was suspended for 30 days.
- Saied assumed executive authority, stating his actions were constitutional emergency measures.
- Former Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi described being held as a "prisoner" at the presidential palace.
- Egypt and the UAE reportedly encouraged dismantling Tunisia's post-revolution political order.
Tunisia's democratic experiment, hailed as the Arab Spring's lone success, dramatically shifted towards one-man rule on July 25, 2021, when President Kais Saied announced he was dismissing Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and suspending parliament.
Leading up to the events, thousands protested across the country on Republic Day, expressing anger over the political class's perceived failure to deliver on the promises of the 2011 revolution, exacerbated by a severe COVID-19 outbreak and economic stagnation. Youth unemployment remained high, inflation eroded purchasing power, and stalled IMF negotiations highlighted political deadlock.
President Saied, a constitutional law professor elected in 2019 as an outsider, increasingly positioned parliament as the primary obstacle to national progress. His rhetoric grew confrontational, with frequent references to exceptional constitutional powers. The absence of a Constitutional Court, meant to arbitrate disputes between the presidency and parliament, further intensified political disagreements.
Saied invoked Article 80 of the constitution, which he argued allowed intervention during "imminent danger." His critics contended this required consultation with the prime minister and parliament speaker, and that parliament was constitutionally mandated to remain in session.
Following Saied's televised address announcing his decisions as constitutional emergency measures, former Prime Minister Mechichi stated he was effectively detained at the presidential palace. Multiple sources suggested that Egypt and the United Arab Emirates had been involved in encouraging the dismantling of Tunisia's post-revolution political system.