Thousands of protesters rallied in Tunis on Saturday to mark five years since President Kais Saied suspended parliament and seized emergency powers. Demonstrators decried economic mismanagement, the suppression of political dissent, and a severe infrastructure crisis, while calling for the president to resign and for the restoration of democratic governance.
Protests and the Legacy of the “July 25 Path”
On July 25, 2026, central Tunis became the site of a significant display of public opposition to President Kais Saied’s administration. Thousands marched down Habib Bourguiba Avenue—a site historically associated with the 2011 revolution—to protest the five-year anniversary of the president’s 2021 decision to suspend parliament and rule by decree.
The demonstration, organized by the Nafas umbrella initiative, brought together political parties and independent figures who view Saied’s tenure as a dismantling of Tunisia’s democratic transition. Protesters chanted slogans including the people want the fall of the regime
and freedom, work and national dignity
—phrases that echoed the language used during the 2011 ousting of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Participants carried banners rejecting what the president terms the July 25 path
and highlighted the status of numerous opposition figures now held in detention.
“We took to the streets today to hold the system of governance to account and to expose its failures, because it is our role as political and civil forces,”
Wissam Sghaier, spokesman for the Jomhouri opposition party
Wissam Sghaier, spokesman for the Jomhouri opposition party, added that if the authorities fabricate cases and accuse them for this reason, they are ready to pay the price, noting that prisons are welcome for their imprisoned friends and comrades.
Infrastructure Collapse and the Power Crisis
The anniversary protests occurred against the backdrop of a deepening infrastructure emergency. Tunisia has faced severe power and water shortages during an intense heatwave, which the Organisation of Young Doctors in Tunisia reports has resulted in between 150 and 200 deaths over the past week. While government authorities have not verified these figures, local media accounts have linked several fatalities to the failure of home medical equipment, such as oxygen devices, during prolonged outages.
The state electricity and gas company, STEG, has implemented controlled outages, which Director General Faysal Tarifa described as a preventive measure
to avoid a total collapse of the national grid. According to the company, national consumption reached a record 6,000 megawatts on Tuesday, driven by what Tarifa called excessive use of air conditioning.
During a rare public acknowledgement of the crisis on Saturday, President Saied characterized the frequency of the outages as not normal
and stated that those responsible must assume their responsibility,
though he did not announce specific measures to resolve the situation.
Consolidation of Power Since 2021
The political climate in Tunisia has shifted drastically since July 25, 2021, when Saied invoked Article 80 of the 2014 constitution to dismiss Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and freeze parliament. What began as a 30-day suspension of legislative powers evolved into a political restructuring that culminated in a 2022 referendum for a new constitution. This document established a presidential system, significantly weakening the role of parliament and centralizing executive authority under the presidency.
The government’s judicial approach has also drawn international scrutiny. Since 2022, Saied has dismissed dozens of judges and dissolved the High Judicial Council, actions that critics and human rights organizations describe as an assault on judicial independence. Many prominent political figures remain imprisoned, including the 85-year-old former parliament speaker Rached Ghannouchi, who was sentenced in June to life plus 30 years on terrorism charges. Supporters of the president maintain that these measures are necessary to combat corruption and end the institutional deadlock that preceded 2021.
As the country moves past the five-year mark, the division between the government and its opposition remains stark. For supporters, the current administration is working to overcome all obstacles and inherited and fabricated difficulties,
as President Saied stated in a December 2025 address. For the protesters on Habib Bourguiba Avenue, however, the anniversary serves as a grim reminder of the erosion of the freedoms established in 2011.
Samir Dilou, a former government minister and member of Ennahda, summarized the sentiment of the opposition regarding the date’s historical shift: July 25 used to mark the Republic’s founding. Now, it marks its dismantling. Absolute power is absolute corruption.
Worth a look
- France and Spain Wildfires Force 200,000 to Evacuate Amid Extreme Heat
- Andy Burnham Reduces VAT on Households’ Electricity
- Democrats Accuse Trump Administration of Abuse of Power (archyde.com)
- Australia’s Eleanor Patterson returns to Glasgow Commonwealth Games 12 years after a surprise gold medal win as a shy teenager (archynewsy.com)
