ABSTRACT
In January 2011, Tunisia moved to the Arab centre-stage as a popular uprising forced the aging authoritarian president, Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, into exile and swept away the political and security structures on which he had relied. Enthused by the Tunisians’ apparent success in embarking at last upon a genuine and internally generated democratic transition, populations from Rabat to Bahrain, Tripoli to Sanaa, took to the streets demanding a similar lifting of the repressive hand in their own countries. The results have been varied but nowhere has the democratic process been propelled as far as it has in Tunisia. However, the first free and fair elections brought unexpected results and consolidation is still at risk, threatened not only by uncivil and anti-democratic forces but also by the profound economic turmoil that has accompanied the political uncertainties. The Tunisian journey of transition thus far provides us with insights into aspects of the body-politic which have been long suppressed but which are now resurfacing, unveiling the fragility of transition at a moment when the politics of identity prevail. This chapter does not focus on the electoral transformation in 2014 but instead examines the legacy of Ben Ali and the immediate aftermath of his downfall.
