A comprehensive study released in August 2026, titled "Why Economic Reform Failed in Tunisia: Assessing Four Donors and a Country in Transition," sheds light on Tunisia's economic reform journey. Conducted by Sabina Henneberg, a renowned researcher specializing in North African affairs and international relations at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, the study evaluates the role of international donors in supporting Tunisia's transition between 2011 and 2021.
The study focuses on four key international donors: the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which represent the Western perspective on supporting Tunisia during this period. The research highlights that the revolution led to significant economic losses in the early years, heavily impacting the country's growth and stability prospects. According to expert Ridha Chkoundali, the study provides a critical analysis of a decade of economic reforms in Tunisia.
The transition in Tunisia, following the 2011 uprisings, was seen as a prime example of democratic transition in the Middle East, with a consensual constitution, free elections, and independent institutions. However, deep-seated economic crises persisted and were not addressed with the same rigor as political change. The collapse of the democratic experiment on July 25, 2021, exposed a harsh reality: economic reforms failed to support democracy and improve citizens' daily lives.
The study's author offers several recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of international aid in transition contexts. These include adopting a long-term vision, with donors planning interventions over 10-20 years to support economic transformations. The study also emphasizes the need for realism, clarity, and the absence of complacency, avoiding the labeling of transitioning countries as "successes" simply because they avoid civil war.
Furthermore, the study suggests modifying communication strategies with local populations to convince them of the benefits of reforms through targeted campaigns, preventing the demonization of reforms as "imperialist plots." It also recommends strengthening conditions intelligently, applying strict conditions from the early stages of transition, particularly during the formation of the first governments.
Ridha Chkoundali views the study as an important analytical and documentary resource, tracing a decade of economic development and external aid in Tunisia between 2011 and 2021. His central idea is to deconstruct the "paradox of democracy stuck in bread," showing that nascent democratic regimes collapse when they fail to meet aspirations for living conditions due to stalled structural reforms, lack of social consensus, and resistance from dominant interests.
However, Chkoundali also offers a critical perspective, suggesting that the study may reflect a biased view of IMF prescriptions, attributing the failure of reforms to unions and the street while ignoring the destruction of the middle class. The study has been criticized for falling into the trap of democratic formalism, overlooking the toughening of external loan conditions imposed by the IMF, which often enshrine dependence at the expense of national sovereignty and autonomous development.
Key points
- The study emphasizes the need for a long-term vision in international aid, with donors planning interventions over 10-20 years to support economic transformations.
- The research highlights the importance of realism, clarity, and the absence of complacency in assessing transitioning countries.
- The study recommends modifying communication strategies with local populations to convince them of the benefits of reforms.
