Tunisia- The statements of Tunisian President Kais Saied, in which he described his opponents as “traitors”, sparked a wave of sharp criticism from the opposition, which considered it a distortion of his political opponents, incitement against them, and mobilizing the judiciary against them, ahead of the start of the third session of appeal in what is known as the “Conspiracy against State Security 1” case, tomorrow, Thursday.
The tone of objection did not come only from the street or the opposition, but also reached the parliament loyal to the president, where representatives directed sharp criticism at the deterioration of economic and social conditions and the decline of freedoms, and one of them went on to say that the president has become isolated from reality and unable to achieve any achievement.
Saied had said during his meeting with Prime Minister Sarah Al-Zaafarani Al-Zanzri, the day before yesterday, Tuesday, that some parties bear responsibility for their corruption and past practices, considering that “the court of history has decided its position, and there is no consolation for traitors and no turning back.”
While the level of political and social tension in Tunisia is rising, according to what some observers believe, opening the fate of the country to many variables, others consider that what is happening is nothing but a new phase of the usual tension and attraction between the authority and its opponents.
Popular congestion
Last Saturday, the Tunisian capital witnessed a massive march under the slogan “Against Injustice,” in which various political and civil parties participated. It was preceded by a remarkable wave of protests that included the sectors of doctors, pharmacists, and journalists. The people of Gabès Governorate also came out to demand the dismantling of contaminated chemical units, in addition to the movements of the families of political detainees, which reflects growing social and political tension.
The demonstrators raised slogans demanding an end to political trials, and an end to what they described as the policy of revenge and harassment against opponents and activists, in a move that restored momentum to the protests, prompting President Kais Saied to accuse the opposition of inflaming the situation.
This period is witnessing increased contacts between major organizations such as the Labor Union, the Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights, and the Bar Association, in light of the renewed trials of a number of activists and the expansion of the scope of judicial prosecutions, which prompted these organizations to unite their efforts to defend freedoms.
These movements are intensifying, especially with the continued trial of dozens of opponents in cases described as political, as the third session of appeal is expected to be held tomorrow, Thursday, in what is known as the “Conspiracy against State Security 1” case, in which dozens of opponents were initially sentenced to between 4 and 66 years.
In the midst of this scene, the movements of the European Union Ambassador to Tunisia, Giuseppe Peroni, sparked anger among the authorities, after he met with the Secretary-General of the Labor Union, Noureddine Taboubi, two days ago, expressing his support for social dialogue and the role of the Union in protecting social peace. These movements were considered by the authority to be a violation of diplomatic norms.
In turn, President Saied summoned Ambassador Peroni yesterday, at the Carthage Palace, to inform him of a “strongly worded protest against what he considered non-compliance with the controls of diplomatic work and acting outside the official frameworks approved by diplomatic norms,” without mentioning the reason for the protest.
This comes at a time when the relationship between the authority and the Labor Union is experiencing an open crisis, especially after President Saied’s decision to raise the wages of the public and private sectors without involving the organization in any social negotiations, in an unprecedented step that the Union considered an exclusion of its historical role, and it was alone in making the decision in a delicate circumstance.
📍The meeting between the European Union Ambassador to Tunisia and the Secretary-General of the Tunisian General Labor Union was an opportunity to appreciate the role of… @UGTT_TN In supporting social dialogue and economic development in Tunisia, and emphasizing the need to strengthen partnership 🇪🇺🤝🇹🇳 to advance development, employment, scientific and technological research, and mobility. ✨📈 pic.twitter.com/tY4rAPLHDL
— EU in Tunisia (@UeTunisie) November 24, 2025
End of period
For his part, journalist and political analyst Ziad Al-Hani says that Tunisia “has entered the final turning point before change,” considering that “what is happening is no longer a passing phase of push and pull, but rather the beginning of a transformation imposed by the dynamics of the street and the accumulated social and political pressures.”
According to Al-Hani, the protests that the country witnessed in recent days – especially last Saturday’s march – “represent a defining moment, because for the first time they brought together a broad spectrum of parties, despite their differences, and united around the defense of citizenship and rights,” considering that this mobilization indicates the end of the period of silence.
Al-Hani asserts to Al-Jazeera Net that “the exclusion of the Labor Union from social negotiations constituted a process of slow strangulation of its historical role, which made it move forcefully in some events, such as the strike in the private sector in Sfax Governorate, as well as upcoming strikes in secondary education.”
He believes that “targeting civil society organizations and the media reinforces the indicators of the end of the single-government model and the closing of intermediate paths in the state,” noting that “factors such as accelerating economic and social deterioration, high prices, and the suffering of the citizen, no longer allow extending the period of tolerance for political extremism.”
For his part, the leader of the Democratic Movement, Hisham Al-Ajbouni, told Al Jazeera Net that “confusion has become clear within the circle of power and parliament loyal to the president,” referring to the sharp criticism directed by some representatives of the performance of President Saied and his government during the discussion of the draft state budget for the year 2026.
In his estimation, “There are signs of the end of a complete period of rule looming on the horizon, as the situation cannot continue as it is in light of the decline in all economic and social indicators,” and he considers that the president is trying to escape forward, by accusing the opposition of inflaming the situation and pinning his failure to manage the country on his opponents.
Al-Ajbouni believes that last Saturday’s march “constituted a qualitative transformation by unifying social and political demands, which disturbed the president and made his speech tense,” and he considered that his protest against the European Union ambassador aims to divert attention from the real crisis.
Demonizing and directing
Leader of the opposition Salvation Front, Shaima Issa, who was initially sentenced to 18 years in prison in the case of “conspiring against state security 1,” says that she cannot understand the president’s speeches or use them to anticipate what will happen later, considering that “what he is presenting is not a state speech but a series of convulsions.”
Shaima adds to Al Jazeera Net that “his speeches against his opponents who opposed his coup on July 25, 2021, before the judiciary sentenced or acquitted them, contain a scandalous directive to the judiciary.”
The leadership believes that “the president is dealing with the logic of someone who distributes indictments instead of guaranteeing the civil and political rights of Tunisians,” considering that “he is pursuing a trend based on demonizing all those who disagree with him, and spreading rhetoric of hatred and division, in which a climate of tyranny thrives.”
Amplify the protests
On the other hand, political activist Ahmed Al-Kahlawi believes that the country is in a state of stability, and that “the escalating criticism, especially from some representatives, are nothing but normal reactions to draw the government’s attention to some shortcomings.” He considered that the protest against the European ambassador goes to the heart of defending national sovereignty against any foreign interference.
He told Al Jazeera Net that “some parties are seeking to amplify the protests to show the country is on the brink of collapse,” expressing his support for the president’s position on the parties participating in the protest march last Saturday, which he said “are seeking to reposition themselves, even though they were the cause of the country’s conditions deteriorating after the revolution.”
He asserts that “the president has remained biased in favor of Tunisians, and that his criticism of the parties that ruled after the revolution is nothing but a position that holds them responsible for previous failures.” He believes that these messages aim to protect the people from the practices of those he considers the cause of the crises without them making reviews or offering apologies, as he puts it.