On Wednesday, 12 July, French MEP Mounir Satouri (Greens/EFA) brought together a number of MEPs from other political groups and a civil society representative from the NGO EuroMed Rights, on the margins of the Strasbourg plenary session, to denounce the backslide in democracy in Tunisia as well as the arbitrary arrests of political opponents and the crackdown on judges.
As the European Commission prepares a financial agreement worth around €1 billion for Tunisia—part of which (€105 million) will go towards border management and measures to prevent migrants from leaving for the EU (see EUROPE 13199/15)—these MEPs have warned that the European Parliament will “not let” this type of agreement “pass” while “our opinion [is] sought” on these financial arrangements, as stated by the Frenchman, condemning the “extraordinary backslide” in human rights in the country since Kais Saied came to power.
Alongside him, the European Parliament’s special rapporteur on Tunisia, Michael Gahler (EPP, German), and the head of the European Parliament’s Maghreb delegation, Slovenian Matjaž Nemec (S&D), reported the same downward spiral and a return to “a Ben Ali situation” with arbitrary arrests and crackdowns as well as a disregard for the rule of law.
Criticising the EU, the German said, “When we [also] see [...] economic and social decline, [...] the European Union has let it happen and has actually continued business as usual as if there had not been a fundamental change” with Tunisia. The Slovenian added that the EU cannot be “complicit” in this backslide.
For her part, Karen Melchior (Renew Europe, Danish) called on the EU to do everything in its power to help the Tunisian people.
Also criticising the “passivity” of European institutions, Sara Prestianni from EuroMed Rights felt, “If it wants to maintain a reliable [...] partnership”, the EU must “clarify that respect for human rights is a central pillar in its relationship with Tunisia”.
Because, currently, it is not a safe country “for Tunisian citizens” or “for sub-Saharan migrants”. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)