Hundreds of Tunisians came out to the streets of the capital, Tunis, on July 25, 2025, to celebrate the fourth anniversary of President Kais Saied sweeping power consolidation. The day is now regarded as a sad reminder that the country is backing off democracy, once the Republic Day, a day of national unity. Demonstrators packed the Habib Bourguiba artery waving the photographs of imprisoned oppositionists such as Rached Ghannouchi and Abir Moussi denouncing the government for using the justice system as a repressive tool of opposition.
The suspension of parliament, the removal of the prime minister and the rule-by-decree takeover in 2021 by President Saied were at first justified by his advocates as a legitimate reaction to political failure and economic stagnation. But soon the moves were criticised as a blatant power play compromising the status of Tunisia as the only democratic success story of the Arab spring.
Political Repression And The Rise Of Authoritarianism
Dismantling Institutional Checks
The Saied of the executive and legislative powers, which have been wielded undoubtedly by the administration since the starting, has left the judicial system and other independent institutions undermined systematically. In 2022, the Supreme Judicial Council was disbanded, and more than 50 judges fired. These are all seen as actions trying to deactivate court supervision and smack on one-man rule.
Suppression Of Opposition Voices
More than 80 of them (opposition leaders, journalists, lawyers, and actors of civil society organizations) are under arrest on account of extended laws against terrorism and conspiracy. Opponents believe those legislative acts are being used to jail offenders trying to arouse ordinary politics. Among others, contested by lawyers are Sonia Dahmani, the leader of the Ennahda party, Rached Ghannouchi, and Abir Moussi, the leader of the Free Destourian Party. The 15 women or more among the targets have been punished by imprisonment, which is a factor raising concern about undoing the progressive gender norms in Tunisia.
The prosecutions, said the government, are legal and form part of the anti-corruption campaign. But rights groups and families of those who have been detained speak of a fog of legal process and the atmosphere of intimidation and loss of independence of judges which has crushed out other voices and clobbered the arena of public opinion.
Economic Hardship Fuels Public Discontent
Economic worsenings are added to the political crisis in Tunisia. Inflation, constant unemployment and scarcity of basic foodstuffs like bread, cooking oil and fuel have put lots of pressure on households. As he continues to face corruption in his administration by not implementing everything he promised to correct, many of his citizens that initially rallied behind him are suffering every day.
The protesters are chanting such slogans as the Republic is a giant prison and the people want the overthrow of the regime as they directly connect the political oppression to their dissatisfying levels of quality of life. This slogan reflects the mood of the people: in Tunisia, people are stuck between tyranny and economic fall.
The Role Of Opposition And Civil Society In Resistance
Fragmented But Vocal Dissent
A nuisance group like the National Salvation Front opposition coalition has kept holding demonstrations in the streets and demanding the state to free political detainees. Other leaders, such as Samir Dilo, support the arguments that state that the revolution in Tunisia is being countered and that the acclaimed powers of the president Saied are eradicating the constitutional rule.
Families Of Prisoners And Grassroots Mobilization
Family members of the jailed rulers have become activists, raising the voice of their relatives and pioneering awareness raising. Detained activist Noureddine Bhiri’s wife and opposition organizer Monia Ibrahim have emerged as outspoken activists calling out against injustice and change of the system. The persistence of civil society despite the repression highlights the strong longing of the many Tunisians to the restoration of pluralistic democracy.
The Erosion Of Tunisia’s Arab Spring Legacy
Tunisia was at one time the hope of the democratic promise in the region facing the challenge of extended autocracy. This revolution which started in Sidi Bouzid in 2010 sparked off movements all through the Arab world. But nowadays that is threatened all over again as Tunis becomes a consultation with international human rights ideals and regional democratic ideas.
The past few years have witnessed the reversal of free press rights, use of the military courts against civilians, and the use of expansive conspiracy laws against dissenters as claimed by groups such as Amnesty International and human rights watch. To add, external judicial oversight mechanisms are closed which reduces the plane towards redress.
Challenges For Political Stability And Reform
Elections And Democratic Legitimacy
The administration of Saied has proposed the re-election under a new restructured constitutional order which makes the presidential powers more powerful. The framework has been decreed unacceptable by the opposition leaders and they believe that any election done under such restrictions will corroborate dictatorship.
Authoritarian concentration of power and economic crisis together with the limitations of the freedom of speech and assembly are a mortal threat to the political reconciliation and reformation of the institutions. These elections could exacerbate and not solve the existent crisis unless there is substantial involvement of dissenting voices.
Civic Fatigue And Risk Of Escalation
The massive disappointment of young people and disenfranchised extremes puts social angst and extremist ranks at risk. Whenever lacking an opportunity in the economy and political participation, destabilization might be caused by frustration. The relationship between repression and resistance will determine the future history of the country in the most unpredictable manner.
Authoritarian Drift Amid Global Scrutiny
Tunisia’s trajectory has drawn growing concern from international observers. This person has spoken on the topic: Human rights advocate Ken Roth recently highlighted that Tunisia’s situation
“exemplifies the dangers when democratic gains are reversed and political repression masquerades as law and order, with a populace yearning for liberty and justice”
Hundreds of Tunisian activists protested against President Kais Saied, denouncing his rule as an "authoritarian regime" that has turned the country into an “open-air prison.” https://t.co/LDNOLnaVf5
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) July 26, 2025
The quote encapsulates a global perception that Tunisia’s leadership is retreating from democratic commitments, replacing pluralism with repression. For Tunisia’s international partners, these developments complicate engagement strategies that once prioritized support for democratic transition and economic recovery.
Toward Civic Renewal And Inclusive Governance
Tunisia’s crisis exposes the fragility of democratic transitions, particularly in societies struggling with economic distress and political fragmentation. The protests that surged through Tunis in July 2025 reflect not only resistance to authoritarianism but also a yearning for dignity, justice, and participatory governance.
Efforts to rebuild democracy will require more than external pressure. They must emerge from renewed domestic consensus, supported by civil society and backed by robust institutions. As Tunisia moves forward, the path to stability lies not in the silencing of opposition but in the creation of space for inclusive political dialogue, institutional reform, and civic empowerment.
