Policy paper „Policies of the New Tunisian Dictatorship“

Date of publication: October 17, 2025

Research intern Richard Klauber from the Prague Center for Middle Eastern Relations (PCMR) at CEVRO University has published a policy paper entitled “Policies of the New Tunisian Dictatorship.”

The policy paper describes the rise of an inconspicuous political outsider who ultimately ended the already unstable democracy created by the Arab Spring. Unlike other dictators, Kais Saied is not popular, nor does he try to be. His rise was unique in that his transition to dictatorship was very slow, and unlike other well-known dictators, the beginning of his rule was accompanied by an economic crisis that still persists in Tunisia.

However, Saied’s support is stable, mainly due to the apathy of Tunisians towards political events and a divided opposition that prefers to boycott elections rather than participate in them. Foreign influences in Tunisia are only marginal, but there are a few global and regional actors who have an interest in influencing this new political structure, both domestically (in the form of support for opposition forces) and in terms of foreign policy (in the form of loans and cooperation on migration).