Recovery Distant as Tunisia’s Economy Struggles under Debt

Although her research focuses on post-revolution Egypt, the same point could be made for Tunisia.

The years following the Arab Spring revolutions have been economically difficult and politically unstable, but Kinninmont writes that despite the hardships, these countries have the opportunity to redistribute economic wealth and make good the promises of the revolution.

Relieving some of the debt found to be illegitimate or restructuring debt payments could free up Arab Spring economies like Tunisia. They could support their own small- and medium-sized businesses, investing in their own country rather than catering to foreign debts, says Smida.

And even beyond the economic potential of waiving some of the debt, opening a discussion about the illegitimate portions of Tunisia’s debt would send a strong message of support to the citizens who fought hard to establish democracy.

“The best investment you can make in Tunisia is in the Tunisian people,” says Smida, “and that will have to come mostly from the Tunisians themselves. If you don’t free them to do what they want to do, they cannot get on their feet.”

Sources:

The IMF
Tunisia: Lack of Trust and Murderous Rivalries
Tunisia’s New Prime Minister
CIA Factbook on Tunisia

Photos courtesy of Marek Aureliusz Szlak