ABSTRACT

Since Independence there have been only two Presidents of Tunisia - Habib Bourguiba and Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. Even though the term 'le changement' is widely used in Tunisia to describe Ben Ali's succession, and even though Ben Ali did introduce some radical departures in policy, there has also been much continuity between the two Presidents. This chapter compares three aspects of each man's presidency: their impacts on Tunisian society, politics and the economy. There has been a tendency to 'celebrate' Bourguiba rather than criticise him—to emphasise his Code of Personal Status while downplaying the fact that he had political opponents imprisoned and sometimes murdered. While the economy has indeed recovered under Ben Ali, he has nevertheless pursued the strategic five-year development plans introduced by Ben Salah under Bourguiba. All of these factors - social discontent, political opposition, economic deterioration and the ascendancy of the powerful Ben Ali - coincided with Bourguiba's increasing frailty.