Forward Thinking hold meetings in Tunisia following parliamentary and presidential elections, 23rd-28th November 2014

Forward Thinking travelled to Tunisia following parliamentary and presidential elections (1st round) in the country, to hold a series of bilateral meetings and roundtable workshops with participants who have been involved in our dialogue process. Across the course of our visit we held three roundtable meetings: one with newly elected members of parliament, a second with a group of youth leaders, and a final roundtable with senior political leaders from across the political spectrum.The overwhelming sentiment from political leaders that we engaged with, was that the electoral process, to date, should be seen as a success. The fact that both parliamentary elections and the first round of presidential elections were inclusive and that the results were largely uncontested, was felt to represent a significant milestone in the country’s transition. However, it was also acknowledged that this achievement should not be overstated and that numerous challenges remained that could disrupt this progress. There was a particular concern that tensions could increase over the course of the second round of the presidential elections, particularly if the candidates adopted a negative discourse rather than campaigning on their different visions and programmes for the country.Additionally, all agreed that even if stability in the political sphere was maintained, the country still faced a number a pressing challenges (such as slow economic growth, terrorism, and the continued frustration of the country's young people) that would severely test the new government.