Was There a Coup in Tunisia? Expert Fadil Aliriza Breaks it Down

Tunisia is where the Arab uprisings erupted in December 2010, spreading east and ushering in 10 years of change, chaos, and wars. It’s also the only “Arab Spring” country that could claim some success in transitioning to democracy. That’s why many were shocked to see Tunisia’s President Kais Saied oust the government and freeze parliament, using the army. Some Tunisians are celebrating what has been denounced as a coup by the ruling parties, and there are allegations of Emirati assistance.

Is this a minor constitutional crisis, an economic uprising, or a coup against a Muslim Brotherhood government just like Morsi’s in Egypt in 2013? To answer these questions and more, Rania Khalek was joined by Fadil Aliriza, a Tunisia-based researcher and journalist. He is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Meshkal, an independent Tunisian media outlet.

TIME CODES:

1:44 What did the Tunisian President do?
3:40 Is this a coup?
5:40 What is the role of security forces?
7:07 Why were people protesting?
11:53 Are there differences between the president and prime minister’s policies?
13:43 Protests against economic marginalization in the south
20:08 Has the center of Tunisia been favored at the expense of its periphery?
23:09 What happened to the post-2011 Regional Development Program to help the marginalized periphery?
25:33 Tunisia’s solidarity with Palestine
29:14 How much of Tunisia’s failure can be blamed on neoliberal policies and austerity measures?
34:01 Islamist vs secularist polarization as a distraction from class structure
36:05 Why did so many Tunisians join ISIS?
41:46 Is there any party that has a serious solution to the challenges most Tunisians face?
45:25 Why is the Tunisian political left weak?
51:10 Latest developments and predictions
55:06 Foreign meddling