Nostalgia for Security and Rejection of Repression: Embracing Freedom of Expression: Analyzing Nostalgia for Pre-Revolutionary Tunisia among Tunisia’s Urban Middle Class

On July 25, 2021, President Kais Saied proclaimed a state of emergency in Tunisia, justifying this through an “extensive” reading of Article 80 of the constitution that enabled him to rule by decree, to eliminate corruption. While condemned as a coup d’état by Saied’s political opponents – notably, those suspected by Saied to be corrupt – and by many western media, the decision was applauded by the majority of Tunisians. Strikingly, Zogby Research Services’ polls found that more than 70% of the surveyed Tunisians expressed they were “better off” before the so-called Arab Spring. What explains this apparent nostalgia? This thesis investigates what explains the nostalgia for pre-revolutionary Tunisia, focusing specifically on the urban middle class. It finds that there is nostalgia for some aspects of pre-revolutionary Tunisia, in terms of economic and personal security. However, despite negative perceptions of post-revolutionary politics, Tunisian urban middle class members are not...Show moreOn July 25, 2021, President Kais Saied proclaimed a state of emergency in Tunisia, justifying this through an “extensive” reading of Article 80 of the constitution that enabled him to rule by decree, to eliminate corruption. While condemned as a coup d’état by Saied’s political opponents – notably, those suspected by Saied to be corrupt – and by many western media, the decision was applauded by the majority of Tunisians. Strikingly, Zogby Research Services’ polls found that more than 70% of the surveyed Tunisians expressed they were “better off” before the so-called Arab Spring. What explains this apparent nostalgia? This thesis investigates what explains the nostalgia for pre-revolutionary Tunisia, focusing specifically on the urban middle class. It finds that there is nostalgia for some aspects of pre-revolutionary Tunisia, in terms of economic and personal security. However, despite negative perceptions of post-revolutionary politics, Tunisian urban middle class members are not nostalgic for the entire pre-revolutionary regime, as they value freedom of expression too much to go back to political repression. Thus, they are unhappy with the increasingly authoritarian turn Saied’s rule has taken.Show less

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Nostalgia for Security and Rejection of Repression: Embracing Freedom of Expression: Analyzing Nostalgia for Pre-Revolutionary Tunisia among Tunisia’s Urban Middle Class