Inspired by Éric Zemmour and his dream of the “great replacement”, populist Tunisian President Kaïs Saeid has made a very European supremacist conspiracy his own, for a premeditated witch hunt against African migrants.
He only sees through these voluntary clumsiness his own interest in a Tunisia he has already reduced to crumbs. In the results of the races, here is the guy mired in a bad situation. He just pissed everyone off.
Let’s judge! the month of Ramadan started with high inflation, almost 10.4% in February and a high cost of living like never before. Tunisians are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet and the household basket is increasingly emptied of its basic substances. What better way to fix it? Attacking African migrants by blaming them for Tunisia’s misfortune.
IIt tries to scapegoat undocumented African migrants for all its failures and sacrifices African unity and solidarity. He persists in the idea of the absolutely unfounded accusation that migrants from sub-Saharan Africa arrive in Tunisia as part of a plot to change its demographics.
He tried to cover up an economic situation in the country so critical, that the European Union (EU) considered it an economy in the process of “collapse”, if the authorities failed to finalize an agreement with the Fund International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a loan of 1.9 billion dollars. Which is far from the case.
It is certain that this economic and social crisis worries the EU, a partner which happens to be essential to the survival of Tunisia. Also, it is naturally that its high representative the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell recently expressed concern in Brussels about the consequences of the deterioration of the political and economic situation in the country, “The situation in Tunisia is very dangerous”, he warned after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
Josep Borrell argued that “if Tunisia were to collapse, this risks triggering migratory flows towards the EU and causing instability in the MENA region. We want to avoid this situation”adding that “the EU could not help a country unable to sign an agreement with the IMF. President Kais Saeid must sign with the IMF and implement the agreement, otherwise the situation will be very serious for Tunisia”he insisted.
The catch is that the contradictory discourse of President Kaïs Saeid is badly perceived by the decision-makers and managers of the IMF, who ask him to clarify his position and his political line with regard to social and economic reforms. Indeed, the man gives a bad signal. On the one hand, internally, he favors a populist discourse by rejecting the IMF and on the other hand, he is asking for international aid. In short, for the IMF, you have to know what you want and above all present democratic, economic and social guarantees. However, in the case of one as well as the others, it is clear that there is an obvious bankruptcy. Difficult to reform in these cases.
But it’s not just the EU and Borrel that have attacked Tunisia. Speaking before the Senate in Washington, Antony J. Blinken expressed US concern about the situation in Tunisia after Kais Saeid seized full power. Also, it is quite logical that he joined the European cause, ” the most important thing that the Tunisian authorities can do in economic matters is to reach an agreement with the IMF. We strongly encourage them to do so because the risk is that the economy will collapse“, added the US Secretary of State.
The African Union (AU) is not to be outdone in this general fed up or this haro on Kais Saeid. The Institution quickly and strongly rebuked Saeid’s divisive comments and, in response to the government crackdown and resulting racist attacks on sub-Saharan nationals. She suddenly postponed indefinitely a conference she was to hold in Tunis in March. The AU accuses Saeid of trying to destroy this unity to distract the world’s attention from the many failures of his authoritarian, not to say dictatorial, regime.
It is that to grant himself all the powers, the man suspended Parliament, dismissed the Prime Minister, took executive control of the country and dismantled the independent institutions. He suppressed political opposition and other critics with incredible force, receiving condemnation from many of Tunisia’s international partners. Since assuming near-absolute power, he has not only destroyed Tunisia’s fledgling democracy and international standing, but has also failed to lift a dying economy and solve the myriad socio-economic problems facing its people. .
Perhaps Kais Saeid is counting again and again on the lame regime in Algiers to pull Tunisia out of this disastrous abyss. After all why not, since Tunisia seems to be one more wilaya under orders, in the hands of Algeria.