Tunisia measures its new Constitution

A return to rigid surveillance of the Web sparks doubts about newfound liberties ex.

With the approval of its new Constitution early this year, Tunisia can claim to have emerged from what commentators both north and south of the Mediterranean have begun calling the ‘Arab Winter’ – since that business with the ‘Arab Spring’ on the whole worked out poorly.

More than two years in the making, the document is the product of a painstakingly slow political progress, with elections announced several times and always postponed.

It is also the result of extraordinary compromises, such as the stepping down of the ruling Ennahda (Renaissance) Party late in 2013 in favour of a non-political transitional government that arguably speeded up the drafting process. Another factor was the unprecedented unity among political parties – and forbearance by Tunisians – ensuring that events such as the assassinations of nationalist politician Mohamed Brahmi and of secular left-wing politician Chokri Belaid last year did not trigger further violence.

If you want to read it all, purchase the entire issue in pdf for just three euro