ABSTRACT
This chapter brings to light the fundamental continuities and changes in state-society’s power relations in Tunisia from the years of French colonial domination until the revolution. The chapter is divided into two main sections. The first part describes in depth the mechanisms of co-optation of civil society actors under the authoritarian regimes of Habib Bourguiba (1956–1987) and Zine-El Abidine Ben Ali (1987–2011), highlighting the role of associations as tools of state control over Tunisian society. The second part highlights the main legal transformations introduced after 2011 that made it easier for new associations to register legally. The rise of thousands of social solidarity and development associations went hand in hand with the state’s continued disengagement from the socioeconomic sphere.
