1. The Tunisian Economy and the
Democratic Transition
Zouhair Ben Larbi, Sami Ben Mansour (Tunisia)
The Economic Implications of the Arab Spring : Opportunities
and Challenges for Free Markets Policies
Beirut (Lebanon), October 19 to 22, 2011

2. The tunisian economy and the democratic transition
Tunisian Revolution : How everything started ..
 An unemployed young man with a vegetable
trolley sends Ben Ali to KSA without a trolley
 Popular revolution unifying all currents
under a unique motto : Freedom & Dignity
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3. The tunisian economy and the democratic transition
Obstacles to the Private initiative and
Investment
 Predation Economy
 Mafia Phenomena
 Nepotism
 Failure to comply with law
 Unpredictable Judiciary system
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4. The tunisian economy and the democratic transition
Obstacles to private initiative and investment
(2)
 Endemic corruption within public administration and
business
 Unequal development
 Substantial bureaucracy
 General Business Climate was viciated
 200 000 job opportunities lost between 1995-2010
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5. The tunisian economy and the democratic transition
Economic transition
 Entrepreneurship stand by
 Stagnation & contaction of the economic
activity
 Budget deficit + Commercial exchange
overdraft
 Decrease of : - Production
- Investment
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- Currency reserve

6. The tunisian economy and the democratic transition
Development conditions of entrepreneurship
in the new Tunisian Democracy
 Private companies are the N° 1 Job creator
 Economic rehabilitation
 Integration perspectives Tunisia / Libya
 Renewal of the Patronat
 Encouragement of domestic investment
 Economic development favorised by
international financial institutions
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7. The tunisian economy and the democratic transition
23 october : New Constitution to build-up
Democraty
A democratic state : Transparency
A state under the rule of law : clear rules and
an independant justice
 Fight against corruption
 End of the grip of the Mafias on the
economy
 Liberation of private initiative
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8. References
 Baccar Gherib, Ayssen Makni, « Economie
politique de la transition démocratique »,
Observatoire tunisien de la transition
démocratique, October 2011
« Democratic Transition / défis socio-
economic challenges : experiences
international, success and retained
outcome", International Round Table of the
UNDP, June 3rd 2011
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