French President Emmanuel Macron met on Saturday with his Tunisian counterpart Kais Saied, calling on him to lead an "
inclusive
" transition, the Elysee Palace reported a week after a demonstration by opponents was brutally repressed in Tunis.
Read alsoIn Tunisia, the regime of Kaïs Saïed takes a safe turn
The two leaders "
discussed the situation in Tunisia
", and Emmanuel Macron "
welcomed the announcement of the transition timetable and encouraged President Saied to carry out the transition in the most inclusive framework possible
", according to the Elysée, which specifies that the Tunisian president "
is committed to respecting the rule of law and democratic freedoms
".
Since July 25, 2021, arguing of multiple blockages, Kais Saied has assumed full powers by suspending Parliament, dominated by the Islamist-inspired party Ennahdha, his pet peeve.
Since then, he has governed by decree despite protests from opponents and national and international NGOs.
On December 13, Kais Saied unveiled a roadmap to get out of the political crisis with a legislative election scheduled for December 2022, after revision of the electoral law, and a referendum in July 2022 to amend the Constitution, which he wants more "
presidential
", at the expense of Parliament.
On January 14, in scenes of violence that had not been seen in Tunis for ten years, the police charged the demonstrators with large reinforcements of water cannons and tear gas, and carried out dozens of arrests muscular.
Read alsoTunisia: demonstrations against President Kaïs Saïed
According to the Élysée, Emmanuel Macron “
also encouraged the Tunisian president to put in place a program of reforms necessary to deal with the economic crisis that Tunisia is experiencing.
He confirmed that France was as always ready to support Tunisia, and to accompany it in the implementation of these reforms
”.
