‘There Is No Hope Left’: Five Charts Show Tunisia’s Descent
- Arab Spring’s birthplace wracked by political, economic crisis
- Parliamentary runoff takes place Sunday amid widespread apathy
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When Tunisian President Kais Saied visited a cafe in a working-class district of the capital recently, a group of young men served a terse dose of realism. “There is no hope left,” one said.
Such sentiments aren’t unusual in Tunisia, where many are frustrated by both a slide in living standards since the 2011 Arab Spring revolts and food shortages in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A potential bailout from the International Monetary Fund may be accompanied by cuts in government spending and further economic hardship, though it’s not clear how quickly funds will trickle in.