Islamists in Tunisia and the Economic and Political Challenges of State Building

This paper highlights how the arrival of Tunisian Islamists to power was a momentous event in the country’s contemporary history. Having been deprived of power since the establishment of Tunisia’s “Independent State,” the 2011 revolution has given them the opportunity to once again be part of the social and civic fabric of Tunisia and become active actors in its political scene. The elections held on October 23, 2011 constituted a unique democratic experiment in having the Ennahda Movement represent Tunisian society after they won the majority of seats in the Constituent Assembly. This majority enabled the movement to form a government that can lead during this critical transitional period, but it also prompts a number of questions. For instance, what are the most important political and economic challenges facing the Islamists in state building? Has the Ennahda Movement changed their point of view theoretically and structurally with its progression from being an opposition party? Has the movement worked toward making democracy a strategic choice? How have the Islamists dealt with the post-dictatorship era developments and realities, and have they been successful in achieving the expectations of Tunisians? In an effort to examine the process of political and economic state building in Tunisia, this paper attempts to offer an understanding to the key elements in question.

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This paper highlights how the arrival of Tunisian Islamists to power was a momentous event in the country’s contemporary history. Having been deprived of power since the establishment of Tunisia’s “Independent State,” the 2011 revolution has given them the opportunity to once again be part of the social and civic fabric of Tunisia and become active actors in its political scene. The elections held on October 23, 2011 constituted a unique democratic experiment in having the Ennahda Movement represent Tunisian society after they won the majority of seats in the Constituent Assembly. This majority enabled the movement to form a government that can lead during this critical transitional period, but it also prompts a number of questions. For instance, what are the most important political and economic challenges facing the Islamists in state building? Has the Ennahda Movement changed their point of view theoretically and structurally with its progression from being an opposition party? Has the movement worked toward making democracy a strategic choice? How have the Islamists dealt with the post-dictatorship era developments and realities, and have they been successful in achieving the expectations of Tunisians? In an effort to examine the process of political and economic state building in Tunisia, this paper attempts to offer an understanding to the key elements in question.

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