News Outlets Discover Tunisia's Autocrat Problem, Years Late
The New Arab reports that Tunisians are stepping up protests against President Kais Saied's intensifying crackdown on opposition, leading to the jailing of prominent figures. This 'crackdown,' which began with Saied seizing executive power in 2021, dissolving parliament, and rewriting the constitution, wasn't exactly a well-kept secret. Western media largely framed his initial moves as an
'anti-corruption' drive or a 'corrective' to a struggling democracy, rather than the power grab it clearly was. Funny how the 'democratic backsliding' only becomes a crisis once public resistance is undeniable. One might recall similar deferential treatment for other strongmen when their actions aligned with Western interests, only for the 'concern' to mount as control solidified. The media
narrative shifts from 'stabilizer' to 'tyrant' with remarkable ease, often years too late. Perhaps if they reported on the signs of authoritarianism as they happened, instead of waiting for mass arrests to validate their 'concerns,' we wouldn't need protests to expose what was plain sight. Or is it just harder to look critically when that leader is fighting 'terrorism' in the neighborhood?