Tunisian lockdown set to expire amid mounting citizen frustration
Tunisia’s four-day national lockdown is set today to expire.
Following a record daily high of 3,074 confirmed COVID-19 cases last week, the Tunisian government implemented a four-day national lockdown, which included a fourteen-hour evening and overnight curfew and an interregional travel ban. Tunisia was one of the first MENA countries to successfully manage the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to the outbreak, the country was already struggling with economic issues deriving from unsustainable levels of public spending, income inequality, public debt and high youth unemployment. The pandemic has only exacerbated these issues, with Tunisia’s tourism industry especially hurt by the lockdown measures.
Frustrated by the continued economic hardship, protesters took to the streets last week to demand jobs and better access to public services. As the lockdown ends, protesters will likely restart violent demonstrations, and the government, fearing both a repeat of the Arab Spring protests and a widespread public health crisis, will likely respond with force. With COVID-19 continuing to complicate Tunisia’s economic recovery, protesters may become increasingly disillusioned in the government’s ability to bring relief, leading to an escalation in calls for an overhaul of the system and potentially greater risk of political instability.
Wake up smarter with an assessment of the stories that will make headlines in the next 24 hours. Download The Daily Brief.
