ABSTRACT
Tunisian civil society organisations and activism did not suddenly appear in 2010. Tunisia has a history and tradition of civil society activism that existed prior to the revolution and performed various social, economic, and political functions. Civil society’s autonomy and function were, however, significantly limited and shaped by the authoritarian governance structures in four periods of Tunisia’s history which impacted the development of civil society: Ottoman semi-autonomy, European colonialism, the independent nationalist regime, and Ben Ali’s false liberalisation. This demonstrates a consistent historical tradition of civil society activity in which organisations were able to operate despite limitations imposed by authoritarian rulers.
This chapter identifies that Tunisia has a history of dynamic civil society action but authoritarian government state structures and institutions have limited civil society from fulfilling a democratic function. Tunisia’s historical experience placed the country in a position that was more conducive to the successful completion of a democratic transition. This is because extensive building of state institutions would not be required and because a civil society, a crucial element to a democratic transition, had existed, survived, and developed from Beylical rule via French colonialism to the twenty-first century.
