July 30th, 2010 by Farid

An article in The Economist argues that “the government of Tunisia must do more to uphold human rights and the rule of law and to allow political pluralism if the country is to win ‘advanced-partner status’” with the European Union (EU). The piece points out that the current president, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, has served five terms in office, while according to Amnesty International, the government infiltrates opposition groups and “stifles open politics.” In addition, Tunisia enjoys only very limited freedom of press, as the state filters internet content and jails independent journalists. Reacting to these trends, the U.S. State Department said that it was “deeply concerned about the decline of political freedoms.” However, Europe — with its close ties with Tunisia — has yet to say a work about these patterns, according to the article.

Posted in Civil Society, Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Tunisia, US foreign policy |