Context: A brief chronology of political transition

Abstract

Tunisia’s political journey since the ouster of president Ben Ali has taken a decidedly democratic direction. Nudged on by constant public pressure, progress at establishing a legitimate and recognisably democratic political system has been impressive, despite deep periodic crisis. Still, it goes without saying that Tunisia’s political transition during the period of research (from 2011 until 2013) has been a highly divisive and contested process on a socio-political and normative level – a process that has been intimately tied to the question of how to deal with the past.