Rédaction Africa Links 24 with La Presse
Published on 2024-03-08 11:19:07
The latest survey from the Arab Barometer on the situation in Tunisia reveals the opinions of Tunisian men and women on a wide range of issues, including the economy, confidence in the government and its performance, international relations, gender equality, women’s rights, and the environment in a regional context marked by significant changes. La Presse publishes excerpts from this article.
Tunisia – According to the political barometer survey in Tunisia conducted on a sample of over 2,400 people at the end of 2023 by the most influential network for measuring public opinion in the Middle East and North Africa, Tunisians remain much more optimistic than before the election of President Kais Saied…
In this survey, some believe that promises to improve the economic situation have not been kept. As a result, one in ten people believe that the economic situation is good, a result that has not changed much since 2013. Economic optimism rates have also dropped by 14 points since 2021. During this period, hunger has increased significantly, with two-thirds of Tunisians saying they have not had food at least once in the last month, with the most common perception of the cause of food insecurity being poor government management of the issue.
The survey also reveals that perceptions of most political institutions were relatively negative, with just over a third expressing confidence in the government, while less than a quarter expressed confidence in Parliament. But confidence in President Saied remains strong. Three-quarters of those surveyed expressed confidence in their leader.
Despite the high level of confidence in the President, only half rate the government’s performance positively, a percentage that has dropped by eight points since 2021. The highest level of satisfaction with the government is recorded in the management of national defense and infrastructure issues. However, only a third of those surveyed expressed satisfaction with the level of healthcare or education.
In this regard, the government’s performance in economic action is judged to be inadequate, with less than a quarter of those surveyed satisfied with efforts to reduce the wealth gap, create job opportunities, and combat inflation.
Corruption also remains a major problem in the eyes of citizens, men, and women. Over 90% have stated that it is widely or moderately prevalent in public institutions, a percentage that has not changed in the past eight years. However, it is now believed much more than in the past that the government is making efforts to combat this phenomenon.
In fact, two-thirds of Tunisians believe that since 2021, the government has been seriously addressing this issue, a much higher score than in 2016 and 2019. Given the problems facing Tunisian citizens, it is not surprising that many are looking to leave the country. Thus, nearly half have stated that they are considering emigrating, especially among the youngest and most educated. Among those considering emigration, slightly less than half stated that they had started planning for it, and 4 out of 10 said they were considering leaving Tunisia even if visas were not granted to settle in another country.
Politically, Tunisians do not perceive a significant degradation of their rights. In this regard, 7 out of 10 believe they have the right to freedom of expression, a higher percentage than in 2019. Similarly, 56% of those surveyed have stated that freedom of association is guaranteed, a percentage that has slightly decreased since 2021, but significantly higher than in 2019.
Despite political changes, Tunisians remain cautiously committed to democracy. Thus, 8 out of 10 have highlighted that despite the problems, democracy remains their preferred political system. However, 7 out of 10 associate the state of democracy with poor economic results, instability, and indecision. In short, it remains an imperfect but desirable system. However, this perception of democracy may be due to how Tunisians define democracy: they consider it more related to achieving economic goals, equality before the law, and absence of corruption, rather than a democracy whose only concern would be to achieve free and fair elections.
In fact, Tunisians do not distinguish between democracy and dignity, and the latter was a fundamental demand during the 2011 protests that led to the fall of the regime of the late President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Therefore, Tunisians are more likely to support a regime capable of producing results rather than settling for a democracy that allows them to choose their leaders in periodic elections. Tunisians also prioritize equality between women and men in the private and public spheres. A vast majority affirms the need for women to have the same rights as men, with a trend favoring quotas for women in ministerial portfolios and parliamentary seats. But despite this inclination towards women’s rights, women’s participation in the workforce remains lower than men’s.
To grasp this contrast, Tunisians see many obstacles facing women, including lack of job opportunities and childcare services. But there are other factors that can explain this position, such as the fact that women face significant levels of harassment in the workplace.
Tunisians have also expressed deep concerns about their natural environment and climate change. But the greatest concern of citizens, both men and women, is about water resources. A clear majority is worried about the broader effects of climate change, including on physical and mental health. They have also expressed great concern about the impact of climate change on their daily lives. Regarding actors contributing to climate change, most people view corporate activity as a major cause, whether international or local companies. However, most also affirm that governments and citizens worldwide and in Tunisia play a role.
Perhaps more importantly, citizens, both men, and women, emphasize the need for companies, governments, and individuals to assume their responsibilities in the fight against climate change. Most citizens support measures to improve their environment and fight climate change, including penalizing polluters and gradually reducing the use of fossil fuels.
In terms of international relations, the war in Gaza has greatly affected the opinions of Tunisians. Before the Hamas attack on October 7, four out of ten Tunisians had a positive opinion of the United States. Then, after just three weeks of the Zionist aggression against Gaza, only 10% supported the United States.
The popularity of allies of the United States has also declined. That of France and Saudi Arabia, for example, has dropped by 14 points. On the other hand, there was increased support for Iran during the same three-week period of the war. At the same time, Tunisians do not seem to have changed their opinions much on China or Russia in the weeks following October 7.
Read the original article(French) on La Presse Tunisie
