Tunisia’s President Kais Saïed has taken the oath of office for his second presidential term, marking a significant moment in the nation’s political landscape. Explore the details of the swearing-in ceremony and his plans for Tunisia.
Tunisian President Kais Saied has begun his second term in office after a protracted period of crackdowns and numerous arrests targeting his political adversaries.
Just weeks after being re-elected with 90.7% of the vote, this 66-year-old former law professor advocated for a “cultural revolution” to combat unemployment, terrorism, and corruption during his investiture speech.
“The objective is to create a nation where every individual can live with dignity,” Saied stated in an address to the members of Tunisia’s parliament.
Mr. Saied was re-elected on October 7 following a tumultuous first term, during which he suspended the country’s parliament, redrafted its post-Arab Spring constitution, and imprisoned numerous critics from politics, media, business sectors, and civil society.
He defended certain crackdowns as essential for fighting corruption and state adversaries, employing populism to resonate with Tunisians who were disenchanted by the path taken by his predecessors following the nationwide protests that resulted in Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s removal from power in 2011.
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He promised to address “thieves and traitors who are being paid by foreign entities” and accused “counter-revolutionary forces” of hindering his attempts to aid Tunisia’s struggling economy during his first term.
“The task was challenging, fraught with significant dangers,” he explained. “The old regime’s weapons were like vipers, slithering everywhere. You could hear their sinister hissing even when they remained unseen.”
Despite Mr. Saied’s declaration of his dedication to upholding freedoms, numerous journalists were barred from reporting on his swearing-in ceremony on Monday. This action prompted a reprimand from the National Union of Tunisian Journalists, who issued a press release that day expressing “strong condemnation of the ongoing blackout policy and restrictions imposed on journalistic work.”
