Introduction

Tunisia made history in January 2011 by becoming the first country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to overthrow its autocratic regime through a widespread and peaceful popular uprising. Since 25 July 2021, Tunisia has embarked on a new political phase characterised by a comprehensive reform process and the adoption of a new constitution. The new constitution introduces a presidential system of government, a bicameral legislative system (consisting of an upper and a lower house), and a new electoral law.

The elections for the Assembly of People's Representatives (APR) (the lower house) were conducted in two rounds: the first took place in December 2022 and the second in January 2023 (the next elections are scheduled for late 2027). The new parliament's inaugural session was held on 13 March 2023. As stipulated by the constitution, the elections of the second representative chamber, known as the Council of Regions and Districts (the upper house), were held on 24 December 2023. Over the past decade, Tunisia's economic transition has been highly complex, characterised by nearly stagnant economic growth and a deteriorating social landscape.

The World Bank (2020) reports that ‘Tunisia's economic performance decelerated after 2011, resulting in a lost decade of growth, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit in 2020. Gross domestic product (GDP) growth declined to 1.7% on average between 2011 and 2019’. Tunisia adopted a proactive approach to mitigating the impact of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The country implemented general confinement measures, effectively controlling the pressure on its health system. Additionally, actions were taken to ensure essential continued to function.