Tunisia: Kaïs Saïed triumphs with 89% of the vote... but at what price?

Tunisian President Kais Saied sweeps the board with 89% of the vote in the presidential election. But low voter turnout and a gloomy mood raise questions about the legitimacy of this triumphant success.

A resounding victory in a half-empty ballot box

Kaïs Saïed, still in the lead with massive support from his supporters, won the elections with a landslide 89.2%. However, this resounding success was achieved with a disastrous turnout: only 27.7% of Tunisians bothered to go to the polls. The enthusiasm of the first presidential elections seems far behind, giving way to a certain disillusionment.

The celebrations that followed Saied’s victory were much more subdued than in previous years. Fans, honking horns in the streets, seemed mostly happy to see a familiar face leading a country in crisis. “We hope he can really change things,” said Layla Baccouchi, a fervent supporter who came to celebrate with her children. But behind the façade of enthusiasm, there were critical voices. The country, which has seen its parliament suspended and a constitutional revision strengthen presidential power, is plagued by persistent economic and political instability.

A mandate under high tension

Since taking power in 2019, Kaïs Saïed has ruled with an iron fist, which has divided public opinion. His reforms, including the suspension of parliament and the concentration of powers in his hands, worry defenders of democracy, while reassuring a part of the population, tired of incessant political quarrels. This second term therefore promises to be as controversial as the first. Questions about the economic future and civil liberties persist.