Yesterday, Monday, September 21, a conference was held at the Automobile Club of Monaco, organized by the “Monaco-Tunisia” association and the “Anna Lindh Foundation – Monaco Network.” The speaker present was a brilliant man, Mr. Shiran Ben Abderrazak, a graduate of EHESS (School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences), who is also a specialist in the Tunisian political system, author, and cultural operator.
Mr. Shiran has extensively studied the situation in Tunisia, the country of his origin, and has co-authored “El Kasbah, Fragment of a Revolution” as editor-in-chief. This book, published in 2014, summarizes the three years following January 14, 2011, the date of the victory of the Tunisian revolution marked by the departure of its President, Ben Ali, to Saudi Arabia. He has been, since this year, the director of Dar Eyquem, a cultural institution dedicated to the performing arts located in Hammamet.
The conference aimed to reflect on the four years following the Tunisian revolution in order to shed light on the events that took place and the “success” or lack thereof of the democratic model implemented since.
Mr. Shiran reflected on the political system Tunisia had before its revolution, including the centralized, clientelist, and police state. These were three elements that could no longer endure for the country’s progress, just as the regime’s hold on people based on fear and apprehension needed to evolve by reforming the constitution with democracy (Tunisia is the first Arab country to adopt it) and the renewal of political members.
The people have somewhat calmed over time with the positive results of the reforms, however, there are always Tunisians who are not satisfied with the current state of affairs. As Mr. Shiran indicated, major projects are underway concerning justice, the education system which has somewhat deteriorated, and security concerns following the attacks the country has endured.
This event is organized with the support of:
– Tunisair Airline
– Honorary Consulate of Tunisia in Monaco
– Anna Lindh Foundation Monaco Network
– Monaco Mediterranean Foundation
– Automobile Club of Monaco
