During a debate in the European Parliament on Wednesday 19 October, the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy, Olivér Várhelyi, welcomed the agreement between the Tunisian authorities and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to support economic growth, job creation and macroeconomic stability in Tunisia.
On 15 October, the financial institution and Tunis reached a preliminary agreement for a $1.9 billion loan over four years.
“The European Union stands ready to contribute to this programme and the overall stability of Tunisia, including through a rapid disbursement of the next tranche of our budget support of €40 million and consideration of new macrofinancial assistance”, the Commissioner announced.
As the country faces economic difficulties linked to food and energy insecurity, the EU is “determined” to continue supporting the country. “We remain ready to accompany them in the substantial and difficult, but necessary, structural reforms they will have to undertake”, Várhelyi promised.
The Commissioner also hoped that the people and the authorities would make the best choices for the future of Tunisia, “which can only be done through an inclusive dialogue and by relying on a broad consensus”.
Parliamentary elections are scheduled for 17 December to replace the parliament which was dissolved by the President in March. The opposition has already announced that it will boycott the elections. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)