Coalition for Change (Tunisia)
Generated by GPT-5-miniExpansion Funnel Raw 63 → Dedup 28 → NER 28 → Enqueued 26
| Coalition for Change (Tunisia) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Coalition for Change |
| Native name | Coalition pour le Changement |
| Leader | Habib Jemli |
| Founded | 2021 |
| Ideology | Centrist reformism |
| Position | Centre |
| Headquarters | Tunis |
| Country | Tunisia |
Coalition for Change (Tunisia) is a Tunisian political alliance formed in the aftermath of the 2019–2021 political realignments that followed the 2019 Tunisian presidential election, the 2019 Tunisian parliamentary election, and the 2021 presidential interventions by Kais Saied. The coalition brought together figures associated with former administrations, regional notables from Sfax, Sousse, and Kairouan, and activists linked to post‑revolutionary networks such as the Jasmine Revolution and the National Dialogue Quartet. It positioned itself as a centrist bloc aimed at institutional reform, economic stabilization, and negotiating with both secularists from Nidaa Tounes and Islamists from Ennahda Movement.
Background and Formation
The coalition emerged amid political turbulence that included the Tunisian Revolution aftermath, the dissolution of coalition arrangements like the one led by Habib Essid, and disputes over the Constitution of Tunisia (2014). Founding meetings took place after high‑profile resignations such as that of Youssef Chahed from earlier party formations and a series of municipal realignments involving leaders from Popular Front (Tunisia), Free Destourian Party, and splinters of Nidaa Tounes. International actors and institutions, including delegations from the European Union and observers linked to the United Nations Mission in Tunisia, monitored early negotiations that referenced models from the Italian Pact for Italy and the German Grand Coalition as comparative templates.
Member Parties and Leadership
Prominent participants included figures associated with parties and movements such as the Tunisia Forward current, former ministers from cabinets of Beji Caid Essebsi, activists tied to the Tunisian General Labour Union, and regional lists from Ben Arous and Gabès. Leadership names publicly associated with the coalition have included technocrats who served under Hamadi Jebali and Mehdi Jomaa, municipal leaders from Ariana, and former diplomats with links to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Tunisia). The coalition sought to unify municipal caucuses, parliamentary groups formerly aligned with Heart of Tunisia, and civic associations that had cooperated with the National Union of Tunisian Journalists on governance reform.
Political Platform and Ideology
The coalition articulated a platform blending centrist reformism, administrative decentralization, and market‑oriented social policies drawing on policy debates from the International Monetary Fund programs and the World Bank Tunisia strategy. It advocated constitutional amendments referencing clauses from the Constitution of Tunisia (2014) while proposing changes resonant with debates in the Assembly of the Representatives of the People. The platform addressed economic recovery proposals similar to those debated around the Tunisian Dinar stabilization, tax reforms discussed in the Ministry of Finance (Tunisia), and investment frameworks modeled on agreements with the African Development Bank. On social issues the coalition referenced precedents set by rulings of the Tunisian Court of Cassation and reforms promoted by the Higher Institute of Administrative Sciences.
Electoral Strategy and Campaigns
Electoral tactics combined coalition lists for legislative contests, targeted appeals in constituencies such as Tunis Governorate, Nabeul Governorate, and Medenine Governorate, and media outreach leveraging outlets comparable to Mosaique FM, Tunisian National Television, and major dailies like La Presse de Tunisie. Campaign advisors included strategists formerly associated with campaigns of Moncef Marzouki and communication professionals who had worked with the Arab Maghreb Union‑adjacent initiatives. The coalition experimented with municipal coalitions in Sidi Bouzid and alliance pacts for runoff negotiations similar to arrangements seen in French municipal elections and coalition bargaining in the Israeli Knesset.
Role in Tunisian Politics and Impact
The coalition influenced parliamentary bargaining in the Assembly of the Representatives of the People on debates over emergency powers invoked by Kais Saied, and it participated in interparty talks with Ennahda Movement and Tahya Tounes on forming consensus committees. In municipal governance it played roles in mayoral selections in Bizerte and policy committees addressing infrastructure projects cofunded by the European Investment Bank and the African Union. The alliance contributed to policy discourse on international agreements including protocols with the European Union–Tunisia Association Agreement and engaged with civil society groups like Attessia Foundation and Al Bawsala on transparency measures.
Criticisms and Controversies
Critics linked the coalition to political fragmentation that recalled splits in Nidaa Tounes and accused it of opportunistic alliances similar to those that preceded the fall of cabinets such as the one led by Youssef Chahed. Opposition figures from Ennahda Movement and activists from the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights raised concerns about ties between some members and business interests formerly implicated in debates before the State Litigation Authority and audits by the Court of Accounts (Tunisia). Human rights organizations compared aspects of the coalition's proposed security measures to previous contentious legislation debated after the 2015 Sousse attacks, while journalists reported internal disputes echoing factionalism seen in the histories of parties like Democratic Constitutional Rally.