We are more than two weeks away from presenting the European Union (EU) proposed agreement to Tunisia. The Tunisian authorities have chosen not to communicate or provide details on the matter. We Tunisians get our information from the media and European leaders.
The agreement proposed by the EU was presented by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, following her meeting on 11 June 2023 with the President of the Republic, Kaïs Saïed. She was campaigning for those who organized the meeting, Italian Council President Giorgia Meloni and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, whose presence we always find unjustified. Ms Meloni had traveled to Tunisia a week earlier to convince Mr Saïed of the need to meet the President of the European Commission.
The Italians have been concentrating on the situation in Tunisia since the beginning of the year. They warned of a deterioration in the country’s economic situation or even its collapse. We then learned from statements by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani that Italy was trying to convince the EU of the need for financial intervention in Tunisia. The latter even recently spoke to the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, about the situation in Tunisia.
Of course, Tunisia was content to remain silent during these months! We understood long ago that Prime Minister Najla Bouden refused any contact with the press. Since her appointment on October 11, 2021, she has still not commented to the Tunisian media. The appointment of Nabil Ammar as foreign minister in February 2023 has not changed the situation. The continuation of the cooperation between Tunisia and the EU is only possible through the statements of foreign officials and the revelations of the European media.
The agreement between the EU and Tunisia is the perfect example of this, as Tunisia limited itself to the presentation by Ms. von der Leyen. According to the EU ambassador to Tunisia, Marcus Cornaro, the agreement includes support of 900 million euros and a donation of 150 million euros. In a media statement on June 12, 2023, he indicated that it could see the light of day provided Tunisia reaches an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It was therefore an additional aid in the event of adoption by the Tunisian authorities from this donor. It should be noted that the agreement with the IMF, which has been under negotiation since December 2021, has not been presented by the Tunisian authorities. It is still a mysterious document that citizens have still not been able to see.
The 900 million euros will be used as funds to support the economy and the Tunisian economic fabric. When presenting the program, Ursula von der Leyen pointed out that it encompasses several axes, including the energy transition, digitization and digitization of processes, and Tunisian-European economic cooperation. EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy, Olivér Várhely, was due to speak after Ursula von der Leyen’s visit to Tunisia. He was responsible for the implementation of the agreement.
Nevertheless, on June 27, 2023, we learned from statements by European heads of state and government (and again not by Tunisians) that aid could come without going through the IMF box. According to Italian media, the European Union is ready to intervene financially in Tunisia, even if there is no agreement with the IMF. It is once again Antonio Tajani and the European press agencies who bring us this revelation. According to a publication by the Italian news agency Aki on June 27, 2023, Antonio Tajani indicated that the signing of an agreement between the EU and Tunisia should take place in the coming days.
This hypothesis was indirectly confirmed by the statements of the spokeswoman for the European Commission, Ana Pisonero. In her statement, she confirmed that EU Commissioner Olivér Várhely was responsible for the negotiations on behalf of the European Union. She indicated that the closing of the agreement would not occur until Monday, July 3, 2023. Currently, the exchanges have been suspended not because of a disagreement but because of the Eid holiday. So, would Tunisian decision-makers have preferred their vacation to concluding a financial deal with the EU? Or else the government is still hesitating or seems to be putting a little pressure on the old continent to urge the union to increase the amount mobilized for Tunisia! In any case, we learn from the Nova agency, citing a European source, that Tunisia had asked for more time to analyze the text of the contract.
This hypothesis could turn out to be true, since Tunisia has already used this technique. This was argued by former MP and activist Majdi Karbai. In a Facebook post on June 27, 2023, he pointed out that in the past Tunisia had requested drones of different sizes, helicopters, boats and an amount of up to 200 million euros, half of which would be used to fund the army. This is equipment and means aimed at increasing border controls and preventing irregular migrants from entering Europe.
Majdi Karbai reminded that the agreement on the migration issue is far from being an agreement on combating trafficking in human beings. He also assured that the slogans invoking the sovereignty of the Tunisian state and people were used by the President of the Republic, Kaïs Saïed, to put pressure on the EU. “It’s simply about raising the bar,” as we say in Tunisia. He wants more money and equipment,” the former elected official wrote. He believed that the anti-migrant demonstration on June 25, 2023 in Sfax was part of this blackmail policy and that Tunisia was exploiting the migration issue to get money while Europeans were exploiting it abroad.
The question of the agreement between Tunisia and the EU has still not been clearly clarified on the Tunisian side. Europeans seem determined to make this happen. The Tunisian authorities, for their part, are pursuing a policy of silence. This determination not to announce or explain anything makes us reflect on the real motives of the Europeans and on the ambiguity of the Tunisian side. What is our government hiding from us? What would be this sensitive element that the government does not wish to disclose? Recall that Najla Bouden’s team opted for the same policy on structural reforms. It had decided, without prior notice, to abolish compensation and restructure public companies. The cancellation of the compensation was only officially announced when the Finance Act 2022 was presented. The Tunisians were faced with a fait accompli!
In addition, receiving funds and budget support is not enough. The search for a solution to this year’s budget deficit will be limited to ending the financial year 2023 with the certainty of avoiding the declaration of inability to meet its obligations to creditors. Unfortunately, this will not change the country’s socio-economic situation in any way. Without structural reforms subject to a national consensus, Tunisia has little chance of seeing the end of the tunnel. Fighting rising prices and ensuring the economy revives means more investment, creating wealth and stable jobs, and developing manufacturing and trade. Without this, the government will manage to pay salaries, but the private sector will certainly pay the price.
Sophie Ghoubantini