Ever since the January 2011 “Dignity Revolution” in Tunisia, the Parliamentary Assembly has closely followed political and institutional transformations in this country, provided its backing to the democratic aspirations of the Tunisian people and offered its co-operation to place its experience of accompanying democratic transition at the disposal of Tunisia's institutions and civil society.
In this respect, the introduction by the President of the state of emergency on 25 July 2021, the suspension of parliament and the concentration of almost all legislative, executive and, in part, judicial powers in the hands of the President for an indefinite period of time are very worrying developments.
The Assembly should call upon all Tunisian stakeholders to engage in a genuine political process aimed at finding a way out of the current stalemate, restoring the functioning of democratic institutions, starting with the parliament, while ensuring accountability and delivering practical results to meet the legitimate expectations of the Tunisian people.
It should encourage the Tunisian authorities to pursue the path towards democracy, respect of human rights and the rule of law, fully availing themselves of the benefits of co-operation with the Council of Europe, and in particular the Venice Commission, an institution of which Tunisia is a full member, and which enjoys undisputed international recognition as an expert body in the field of constitutional and institutional reform and democracy building.
The Assembly should facilitate this process by establishing a structured dialogue with the Assembly of People’s Representatives of Tunisia, thus offering it an opportunity to participate in European parliamentary debate.