Tunisian President Kais Saied attends a talk on constitutional law during a state visit to Qatar at an event hosted by Lusail University, on November 16, 2020. (File photo: AFP)
The European Union called on Tunisia’s President Kais Saied on Tuesday to restore the country’s democratic order after he suspended parliament and took near-total control in July.
In a discussion in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell told MEPs, “The parliament cannot stay closed indefinitely.”
International pressure is on Saied to outline a clear path back to constitutional politics. He established a new government last week but offered no sign that he was ready to hand over power.
His intervention followed years of economic stagnation and political paralysis but it has cast into doubt the democratic gains made by Tunisians during the revolution that triggered the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011.
“It’s crucial for the country’s future and its domestic and international credibility that the President and the Tunisian authorities at all levels fully restore the constitutional and the institutional order, including the parliamentarian activity,” he said.
