The National quotes Rafik Hariri Center Nonresident Senior Fellow Mohsin Khan and Rafik Hariri Center Resident Senior Fellow Karim Mezran on economic reform in a post-revolution Tunisia:
The problem, of course, is that the new compact is as much a betrayal of the Tunisian revolution as if the country had descended into chaos or reverted to authoritarian rule. The uprising was for bread and freedom, economic reasons just as much as political grievances and yet, each of Tunisia’s five transitional governments since 2011 has dealt with just the politics.
This is dangerous for Tunisia’s transition because it undermines the people’s faith in the benefits of democracy. Last month, Mohsin Khan and Karim Mezran of Washington’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East described Tunisia as “the last remaining chance for a successful democratic and economic transition in the Middle East” and warned that “if Tunisia’s economy does not improve soon, the transition will surely unravel”.