TUNISIA: A POLITICAL ECONOMY IN TRANSITION

17 September 2015
Tunisia
This event discussed contemporary Tunisian political economy, focusing on post-uprising economic reforms and the ongoing political struggles over their form and content. The first segment consisted of a general chronology of economic reforms in Tunisia after the revolution. It situated those reforms in a regional context, especially the Deauville compact--a multilateral initiative launched at the G8 meeting in May 2011 which sought to put in place a series of action to reinforce “good governance.” It also discussed the political role of technical assistance, as well as the way the debt mechanism functions in Tunisia. Finally, it discussed the links between the legislative and executive branches, as well as their respective roles within the putting forward of economic proposals and their interactions with the international financial institutions.
The second more specific panel discussed changing investment laws and especially the new investment code. The latter allows for considerably expanded latitude for foreign corporations to invest in Tunisia. It also discussed the World Bank-imposed educational reforms, which are part of a broader project of WB-imposed economic restructuring. The presentations discussed the broader context within which the WB is trying to push agreements on Tunisia in exchange for needed loan funds. It then discussed the specific reforms the WB is pushing in the educational sector. Specifically, the WB is aiming to privatize higher education through a system of public-private partnerships. It is also seeking to change the curriculum, especially in economics. They are seeking to remove parts of the curriculum concerned with economic thought and theory, and then to divide it into technical skills: marketing and commerce. The goal is to strengthen the current emphasis in Tunisia on “innovation,” and not give the public the skills to interpret economic policies. Similarly within political science, they want to take out portions of the curriculum treating public finance, public policy, and the World Bank.
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Highlights

Organizers
ASI
TOE

Papers & Presentations
Corina Mullins
Introduction à l'économie politique

Jihad Chandoui
Le partenariat de Deauville, à l'origine des politiques économiques de la transition den Tunisie

Sabra Chraifa
Le mécanisme de la dette:
Instrument de la politique économique

"Rapports de pouvoirs et impacts sure les politiques économiques en Tunisie durant la transition"

Layla Riahi
Les rapport de pouvoirs entre le légistlatif et l'exécutant dans les politiques économiques:
L'exemple des partenariats public-privé

Ouns Messadi
La diplomatie et les politiques économiques:
Quelle influence?

Ghassen Reguigui
Renforce le rôle des citoyens sur les politiques économiques