The European Union and democratic transitions in Africa: Reflections on the Tunisian case
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Tunisia, which was associated from the outset in 1995 with the Barcelona Process, found itself a few years later at the initiative of a democratic process and presented itself as a model in the region and the only country where the democratic transition has proved solid. The study of Tunisia’s relations with Europe, as part of the latter’s support for its democratic transition, reveals the efforts made by the EU. This support has taken the form of several measures and partnership agreements, including the conclusion of a privileged partnership with Tunisia in November 2012. This partnership gave concrete form to the EU’s project to accompany the reforms involved in the democratic transition in order to achieve a deep and comprehensive free trade agreement (DCFTA). Those negotiations began in October 2015 to focus on closer economic integration between the EU and Tunisia and to further anchor Tunisia to the Union and establish state institutions within the framework of the rule of law and support democratization. Despite the efforts and actions undertaken in this direction, the European Partnership approach has not been a total success and has not only proved to be uneven, but it does not fully address the real challenges facing Tunisia, indicating the persistence of tensions between values and interests, which has led the various EU bodies (including the European Parliament) to come out in favor of more flexible and appropriate measures to support the young Tunisian democracy. The difficult period that Tunisia is going through, with internal tensions that have resulted in political blockages (the persistence of social demands, terrorist threats, and pending regional conflicts, particularly in Libya on the socioeconomic level) could have pushed the European partner to propose specific treatment and to adapt to Tunisia’s economic and political reality, because Tunisia’s historic democratic transition calls for a much more ambitious EU-Tunisia partnership, which goes beyond the usual measures and at least a relaxation of the reforms imposed. Reforms are purely based on a European approach and require major efforts to bring Tunisia closer to the acquis communautaire, modernize its institutions, and upgrade its infrastructure. The exceptional democratic transition in Tunisia requires exceptional treatment by the European Union in order to promote such processes in the region for the benefit of peace and security in this Euro-Mediterranean area.
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