Since the beginning of February, the EU’s revamped strategy to reduce the number of migrants arriving on European shores has suscitated fervent reactions from south to north of the Mediterranean. On February 3, European Council members met in La Valetta, Malta, where they signed a declaration committing to « step up our work with Libya as the main country of departure as well as with its North African and sub-Saharan neighbors. » On the heels of the summit, the Tunisian government has, more or less, followed the lead of its European partners, having been promised sizeable economic packages in exchange for cooperation in curbing the human flow across the Mediterranean.
In Jemna, a social experiment against State policies
The Association for the Protection of Jemna’s Oasis remains, since its creation in 2011, illegitimate in the eyes of the State. This month, the Ministry of State Properties and Land Affairs, which leased the land to private operators before 2011, issued a statement threatening to cancel the call for tenders. Jemna’s residents, however, are resisting the government’s sudden intervention.
EU “support” for Tunisia: loans and free trade to remedy terrorism
With each measure of “support” the EU has offered Tunisia—whether in the form of a sizable loan for security reforms, or a free trade agreement for economic growth—particular emphasis has been placed on the recent successes and imperative role of civil society in the country’s path to democracy. But if what Tunisian civil society demands is a shifting of the scales and relations based on reciprocity, is Europe really prepared to listen?
Le rôle majeur des médias pour faire prendre conscience des problèmes environnementaux en Tunisie
Le 13 avril dernier, dans le cadre du lancement du Réseau Tunisien de Reportage sur l’Environnement (TERN), s’est tenu un atelier destiné aux journalistes tunisiens intitulé « comment les medias peuvent jouer un rôle majeur pour faire prendre conscience des problèmes et succès environnementaux en Tunisie ».
Bizerte : Marina Cap 3000 ou les 3000 déboires d’un projet contesté
Petit comptoir fondé en 1100 avant JC par les Phéniciens, pointe de la Tunisie et pointe de l’Afrique, la ville de Bizerte a une position géostratégique unique et exceptionnelle. Or aujourd’hui un scandale couve dans la ville : le projet Marina Cap 3000.
Sustainably Combatting Unemployment with New Regional Development
The delicate social climate in most inner regions of Tunisia is a reminder of the tension that unemployment has created over the years. Gafsa, home to one of the largest employment producing companies in the region, the Gafsa Phosphate Company (Compagnie des Phosphates de Gafsa, CPG)