Tunisia - everyday life with the crisis

Many people spend the day on the street or in cafés because unemployment in Tunisia is high. That hasn’t changed since the fall of long-time dictator Ben Ali. The hopes of many Tunisians that the economic situation would improve following the "Jasmine Revolution" have not been fulfilled. Many blame the ruling party, Ennahda.

Cactus figs sale - for a whole range of people in Tunis, this is the only employment. The meager earnings are barely enough to survive. Tunisia is in a deep economic and political crisis, and stall holders such as this feel it very strongly.

All roads lead to Bardo Square - at least for the opponents of the Tunisian government. Night after night they gather there and demand the resignation of the political leadership. Since the murder of opposition politician Mohamed Brahmi at the end of July, the gap between supporters of the government and the opposition has increased.

"The government must resign," the demonstrators shout. They accuse the largest government party Ennahda, inter alia, of not acting decisively enough against radical Islamists. These are suspected of being behind the murder of Brahmi. Many Tunisians, however, believe that the Islamist Ennahda party was responsible.

They have had enough of the ruling party: roughly one third of the members of the Constituent Assembly are boycotting their own institution. President Mustapha Ben Jaafar has temporarily suspended the work of the Constituent Assembly, which acts as Parliament. The democratization process in Tunisia is on hold.

Unlike Egypt, Tunisia is dominated not by violence but by political stalemate. The government and opposition regard each other with suspicion. The country is struggling with enormous problems. Widespread poverty and terrorism are among them.

Tourist information centers across the country are deserted. While staff say that the situation has improved somewhat in recent months, the industry is still suffering greatly from the unrest in the country.

Tunisia has a lot to offer tourists and the capital was slowly establishing itself as a venue for international conferences. But attacks on Mohamed Brahmi and opposition leader Chokri Belaid in February have repeatedly led to cancellations and a decrease in bookings.

Although the anti-government protests continue, it is quieter on the streets of Tunis now. Many Tunisians watch the escalation of violence in Egypt with concern. They hope for a peaceful resolution to the crisis in their own country - even though no one can say how this might be achieved.

The Arab country was long famous for its religious tolerance. But since Ben Ali's fall from power, attacks on minorities have increased. The small Jewish community in Tunis has been particularly threatened by Islamists. The result: many Jews are leaving their homes.

The country where the "Arab Spring" began is still far from a democracy. But even before the upheaval in January 2011, Tunisia was relatively progressive. A majority of the population hopes that the country continues to open itself – and does not sink into political chaos.