Crisis Chronology

TUNISIA

08/02/2023

Saied fires prime minister Najla Bouden without explanation and replaces her with central bank executive Ahmed al-Hachani.

05/15/2023

Gannouchi sentenced to a year in prison.

04/23/2023

Following a speech in 2/23 in which Saied espoused a theory that European nations were using African migrants to Tunisia to destroy its culture and ruin its economy, there has been a crackdown on illegal immigrants and a wave of racist violence, human rights violations, evictions, dismissals, and media attacks.

04/21/2023

Opposition leader Gannouchi is arrested, officially due to a video in which he warned about the potential for civil war in Tunisia if political groups were excluded.

03/05/2023

Opposition defies a bad on protests, and a substantial crowd breaks through barriers to the center of the city. They call for Saied’s resignation and the release of recently elected political figures.

02/14/2023

More opposition figures are government critics are arrested in the early morning.

02/13/2023

Noureddine Bhiri, a senior Ennahda leader, was taken into custody by armed police at his home in the capital, Tunis, late Monday on suspicion of being part of a “conspiracy against the country’s security,” according to his lawyer. Other opposition figures were arrested over the previous several days, in a powerful crackdown on the opposition.

01/29/2023

Second round of voting for legislature.

12/23/2022

Trade union UGTT calls for second round of voting to be delayed, fearing unrest after historically low turnout in the first round.

12/20/2022

Court orders arrest of former prime minister Ali Larayedh, vice-president of Ennahdha, in relation to a case involving Ennahdha officials sending Tunisians to fight in Syria.

12/17/2022

Parliamentary elections. Most races were not decided, so 133 districts will vote again in runoffs on 1/20/23. Turnout was 8.8%

12/10/2022

Protests against upcoming parliamentary elections on 12/17. The opposition says they are illegitimate.

12/03/2022

UGTT says it will oppose Saied’s reforms and economic plans and will “defend freedom whatever the cost.”

10/15/2022

Protestors led by the National Salvation Front denounce Saied’s “coup” and call for his resignation.

09/26/2022

Protests in Tunis about food shortages, inflation, and political stalemate.

09/19/2022

Police interrogate former prime minister Ali Laarayedh. Other opposition figures are scheduled for interrogation.

09/09/2022

Main opposition group the National Salvation Front says it will boycott the legislative elections in December.

07/27/2022

The new constitution is overwhelmingly approved, although turnout is about 30% officially.

07/25/2022

Voting on referendum on new constitution. The opposition is boycotting the vote, and there is some discontent with Saied’s autocratic moves. The new constitution will essentially give the president full control of the legislature and the courts. Turnout is likely to be low. Saied has promised legislative elections within six months if the constitution is approved.

07/20/2022

Gannouchi is released after being detained for questioning.

07/06/2022

Court orders the bank accounts of Ennadha leader Gannouchi and several others to be frozen.

06/19/2022

Judges extend their strike for another week.

06/16/2022

UGTT stages nationwide strike to protest government’s proposed wage freezes and subsidy cuts, part of an agreement with the World Monetary Fund.

06/07/2022

Legal expert in charge of the committee rewriting the constitution says that references to Islam will be eliminated in the new constitution.

06/04/2022

Judiciary goes on strike to protest the firing of judges.

06/04/2022

Police block protestors from marching on the headquarters of the electoral board.

06/01/2022

Government fires 57 judges, accusing them of corruption and protecting terrorists.

05/23/2022

Trade Union UGTT rejects Saied’s call for discussions meant to result in a new constitution.

04/26/2022

Opposition groups led by Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, form a new alliance, the National Salvation Front. It includes five political parties, including Ennadha, and five civil groups.

04/10/2022

More protests against Saied’s government.

04/01/2022

Rached Ghannouchi, head of the Ennahdha is detained for questioning by the security police.

03/30/2022

After speaker of parliament schedules a virtual meeting ahead of an in-person session, Saied dissolves parliament.

03/21/2022

Government says that online national consultation will be reviewed and the national dialogue will take place subsequently. A referendum on proposed changes will be held 7/25/22.

03/20/2022

Ecowas negotiator Goodluck Johnathan leaves Mali without an agreement about the duration of a transition to a civilian government and open elections.

03/13/2022

Substantial protest by secularist, rightist Free Constitutional Party against Saied, adding to opposition by Ennadha.

03/07/2022

Members of the new Temporary Supreme Judiciary Council are sworn in. Nine of its twenty-one members are appointed by the head of state and the other twelve are seated due to their existing positions, which serve at the pleasure of the head of state.

03/01/2022

Both inside the government and outside, opposition to Saied is growing. One of his closest advisors recently quit, and his national consultation is moving haltingly. Former Speaker of Parliament Rached Ghannouchi is believed to be preparing to a national alliance against Saied.

02/08/2022

Government says that the Supreme Judicial Council will only be reformed, not dissolved.

02/08/2022

Government says that the Supreme Judicial Council will only be reformed, not dissolved.

02/06/2022

Saied dissolves Supreme Judicial Council, which oversees the integrity of the judiciary, saying it is corrupt and a “thing of the past.” The head of the council says the action is illegal.

02/06/2022

Saied dissolves Supreme Judicial Council, which oversees the integrity of the judiciary, saying it is corrupt and a “thing of the past.” The head of the council says the action is illegal.

02/04/2022

Interior minister says that Bhiri is suspected of terrorism.

02/03/2022

Bhiri, now on a hunger strike, said to be taken to the hospital in critical condition by opposition group Citizens against the Coup.

01/31/2022

Ennahda leader and former justice minister Nourredine Bhiri is arrested and taken to an undisclosed location without charges.

01/15/2022

Protests against Saied’s rule on the anniversary of the fall of Zine El-Abadine Ben Ali, which marked the most successful result of the Arab Spring. They are repressed after new orders relative to COVID-19 were issued the day before.

01/05/2022

Bhiri said to be in critical condition. Saied says that members of the judiciary, without directly referring to Bhiri, are linked to “criminal gangs.”

01/01/2022

Government begins national consultation on constitutional reform, beginning with public input through an electronic platform beginning 1/15. The referendum is scheduled for 7/25/22.

12/14/2021

Saied extends suspension of parliament until elections on 12/17/22 and sets a 7/25/22 election for constitutional reforms. He also announces a nationwide “consultation” about the reforms from 1/22 to 3/22.

11/14/2021

General Labor Union calls for reinstatement of parliament and new legislative elections.

11/04/2021

Court issues international arrest warrant for former president Moncef Marzouki, currently in France.

10/11/2021

Saied approves Romdhane’s government.

10/06/2021

Government closes TV station allied with Ennadha, saying that it was not licensed. In 7/21, the government closed the Al-Jazeera broadcast.

09/29/2021

Saied names prime minister

Saied names Najla Bouden Romdhane, an engineer who worked at the World Bank, to be prime minister. She is the first woman to hold the office.

09/29/2021

Opposition parties the Democratic Current party, Ettakatol (FDTL), the Republican Party and Afek Tounes announce the formation of the coalition to rein in Saied by all peaceful means of protest.

09/29/2021

Ennadha calls for parliament to resume meeting.

09/27/2021

Protests against Saied growing.

09/22/2021

Saied issues a series of proclamations that allow him to rule by decree and ignore parts of the constitution.

09/20/2021

Saied says he will appoint a PM, but retain all the emergency measures that have been put in place. He will also create a new electoral law.

09/11/2021

Saied says that a new government will be formed soon and suggests a possible reform of the constitution.

08/30/2021

Tunisian former presidential candidate Nabil Karoui and his brother arrested at the Algerian border. Karoui is being prosecuted for money laundering and tax fraud.

08/24/2021

Parliament suspended

Saied extends suspension of parliament “until further notice.”

08/10/2021

Egypt expresses support for Saied. The government prevents twelve officials from travel, due to suspicion of corruption.

08/09/2021

Largest trade union expresses “full confidence” in Saied and calls on him to appoint a full government and a prime minister of his choosing.

08/07/2021

Member of Ennadha is placed under house arrest for “abuse of authority.”

08/04/2021

Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi now calls the current situation “a stage in the democratic transition.”

07/30/2021

Saied appoints former security chief to be interior minister.

07/29/2021

Saied issues orders removing a long list of government officials and removes immunity granted to parliamentarians.

07/27/2021

Saied announces curfew and ban on gatherings of more than three people.

07/26/2021

Ennadha calls Saied’s moves a coup. Fighting between soldiers and protestors outside parliament. A former constitutional law professor, Saied says he's within his constitutional powers to govern by decree until he appoints a new prime minister.

07/25/2021

Saied dismisses government

Saied dismisses prime minister Hichem Mechichi and suspends parliament for 30 days. Troops surround the legislature.

07/24/2021

COVID-19 surges. France donates a million doses of vaccine.

06/16/2021

Protests against police brutality spreading.

06/09/2021

Protests break out in a Tunis neighborhood after a man dies in police custody.

01/23/2021

Protests continue.

01/19/2021

Protests continue.

01/18/2021

Large protests on the anniversary of the revolution. However, there is little organization and the police and security forces and repressing them strongly. More than six hundred are arrested.

11/09/2020

Government reinforces measures to control COVID-19 pandemic as cases surge.

11/04/2020

Budget deficit reaches a record. Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi on Tuesday calling on the Central Bank to finance the deficit.

09/30/2020

Tunisia signs ten-year military cooperation agreement with US.

03/06/2020

Suicide bomber detonates near US embassy.

03/02/2020

Tunisia confirms its first case of COVID-19

02/16/2020

As Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh is about to announce a new government, Ennadha withdraws from the coalition. Ennadha has the most seats but wants a unity government with the party of Nabil Karoui, which is the second-largest party in parliament. A new government must be formed by 3/15.

01/21/2020

Saied picks former finance minister Elyes Fakhfakh to be prime minister. Parliament will have to approve the choice.

01/01/2020

Jemli submits a government for parliamentary approval. The cabinet members are largely independents and technocrats.

12/29/2019

Protests break out in Jilma after a man sets himself on fire.

11/29/2019

Protests break out in Jilma after a man sets himself on fire.

11/16/2019

Agricultural engineer Habib Jemli, nominated by Ennadha, asked to form a government by Pres Saied.

11/13/2019

Ennadha elects its member Rachid Gannouchi to be speaker of parliament with the backing of rival party Heart of Tunisia. Ennadha won only 52 of 217 seats, but was the largest party.

10/13/2019

Saied elected president

In election today, Saied wins runoff with 77% of the vote.

10/09/2019

Karoui is released from prison by an appeals court, allowing him to campaign. He will still be tried at a later date.

10/06/2019

Voting in Tunisia for parliament. Ennahdha and Karoui’s Qalb Tunis are the major parties.

10/03/2019

Government sets 10/13 for run-off. If Karoui wins, it is not clear what will happen, whether he can be sworn in in prison instead of parliament or whether his election provides the president’s constitutional protection from prosecution.

09/17/2019

With about half the vote counted, independent candidate and law professor Kais Saied has about 18% of the vote, Karoui about 16%, and Ennahdha’s Abdelfattah Mourou about 13%. A runoff between the two candidates with the most votes will be held either 10/6 or 10/13. With about half the vote counted, independent candidate and law professor Kais Saied has about 18% of the vote, Karoui about 16%, and Ennahdha’s Abdelfattah Mourou about 13%. A runoff between the two candidates with the most votes will be held either 10/6 or 10/13. Saied is seen as a constitutional conservative who defends the death penalty, would criminalize homosexuality and advocates a sexual assault law that punishes unmarried couples who engage in public displays of affection.

09/15/2019

Election in Tunisia

09/15/2019

Turnout is about 45% in national elections.

09/11/2019

Court of Appeal dismisses Karoui’s request to be released from prison.

09/11/2019

Karoui begins hunger strike.

09/03/2019

As presidential campaign begins, court rules that it is not “competent” to free leading opposition leader Nabil Karoui but the election commission says he is free to campaign as long as he is not convicted.

08/22/2019

Nabil Karoui, founder of the Heart of Tunisia party and leading in polls for the 9/15 presidential election, is arrested as he returns to Tunisia. He was charged with money laundering in July after he announced his candidacy. Karoui is a wealthy media owner who supported Essebsi in the past and is leading in polls.

08/22/2019

Three media outlets, including Karoui’s Nessma TV, are barred from reporting on the campaign because they do not have licenses.

08/14/2019

Electoral commission approves twenty-six candidates for presidential campaign, including Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, former Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa, vice-president of the moderate Islamist party Ennahda Abdel Fattah Mourou, and Defence Minister Abdelkarim Zbidi, former President Moncef Marzouki, and media tycoon Nabil Karoui.

07/25/2019

Essebsi dies

Essebsi dies. Speaker of parliament Mohammed Ennaceur assumes the duties of the presidency for a period of 45 to 90 days until elections. Prime minister remains Youssef Chahed.

07/01/2019

Essebsi released from hospital in “normal health.”

06/28/2019

Essebsi is taken ill and rushed to the hospital. He is 92 years old.

06/02/2019

Tahya Tounes party, founded this year, elects Prime Minister Youssef Chahed as its president.

04/06/2019

Essebsi says he will not run for a second term.

03/31/2019

Government raises fuel prices by 4%.

03/06/2019

Government announces that parliamentary elections will be held 10/6/19 and presidential election will be held 11/10/19. If no presidential candidate wins a majority, a second round will be held within two weeks. The economy is slow and the UGTT trade union has held multiple strikes. The Constitutional Court, which would decide on election challenges, has not been formed.

12/24/2018

Protests erupt after journalist sets himself on fire in Kasserine, home of the self-immolation that sparked the Arab Spring. The journalist, Abdel Zorgui, was protesting the lack of progress since the revolution.

09/25/2018

Ennada voices support for Essebsi after the president criticizes the party for support Chahed as prime minister.

07/15/2018

President Beji Caid Essebsi says that Prime Minister Youssef Chahed should either step down or call for a vote of confidence with the goal of ending the ongoing stalemate in government. Chahed has clashed with Essebsi’s son, Hafedh Caid Essebsi, who is head of the ruling Nidaa Tounes party.

01/14/2018

Demonstrations and protests continue.

01/13/2018

After meeting with politicians, union leaders, and employers over protests, Essebsi announces an additional $70 million in aid for poor families. Opposition parties reject this as inadequate.

01/08/2018

Protests against rising prices and new austerity measures become violent.

11/21/2017

Under pressure from the International Monetary Fund, PM Chahed announces plan to continue with austerity program, raising taxes and laying off government employees. Its tourism sector is still hurt by 2015 terrorist attacks.

11/20/2017

Tunisia strengthening its security, but economy remains uncertain.