CAN TUNISIA’S DEMOCRATIZATION PROCESS BE AN EXAMPLE FOR COUNTRIES IN THE MENA REGION? (original) (raw)
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In recent years, the world has witnessed a dramatic change in Middle Eastern political landscape with the collapse of several long-serving dictators from Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Libya. They were the former presidents of these countries who, in the unfolding of history, had been ousted by their own people from a massive revolution known as the Arab Spring. This event has raised a question among political scientists; whether it is a sign of the coming wave or the new wave of democratization. Therefore, this dissertation aims to identify the extent of the correlation between the countries involved in the Arab Spring, specifically the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions, with the new wave of democratization. By revisiting the previous wave of democratization, this article will view closely the extent to which the factors that contributed to the Tunisian Jasmine Revolution and the Egyptian 25 January Revolution could serve as the new wave of democratization..
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Democracy with Tunisian Characteristics
Democratic consolidation is the process by which a newly established democratic regime becomes sufficiently durable that a return to nondemocratic rule is no longer likely. Study of this field is particularly of import when considering the varied outcomes of the so-called “Fourth Wave of Democratization” that occurred during the Arab Spring. The author will examine the reasons behind the success of the one state to democratize in the wake of this upheaval: Tunisia. Utilizing three theoretical models to examine various socioeconomic, cultural, and political indicators in the Tunisian state, this thesis will show the role that key elites play in facilitating the transition from autocratic to democratic rule.
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Owing to its macroeconomic achievements, for decades Tunisia projected an image of stability to the world and distinguished itself from other Arab countries for its progress in the areas of economic growth, health, education and women’s rights. This widely held view of apparent stability was shattered on January 14, when President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali fled the country after high levels of unemployment and inequalities resulted in widespread chaos and social unrest. Events in Tunisia raise sharp questions regarding the country’s current situation and its future prospects and, more generally, the often taken-forgranted sustainability of many regimes of the Middle East and the policies of the European Union towards the region.
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