The book by Ghazi Ben Ahmed, “Echoes of Tunisia: Populism, Transition, and Hopes for Democracy,” offers a powerful analysis of the political and socio-economic crisis in Tunisia, exploring its origins and its repercussions on Europe. As the populist president Kais Saied strengthens his authoritarian power, this situation extends far beyond Tunisia’s borders, leading to an intensification of migration flows to Europe and fueling populist and far-right rhetoric.

The book also highlights the critical role of European policies, particularly Italian ones, in consolidating this authoritarian regime, an issue made even more crucial with the arrival of a new European executive. It also emphasizes the lack of a long-term vision from the European Union for Tunisia, as well as the recycling of existing policies, which often limit the potential of relations between the two shores.

By revealing these interconnections, this book invites readers to reflect on the future of Euro-Mediterranean relations and the impact of these political choices on the stability of Europe and its southern neighborhood. It thus hopes to inspire a better understanding and enhanced cooperation between Tunisia and the European Union, for the mutual benefit of all parties involved.

Ghazi Ben Ahmed’s book “Echoes of Tunisia: Populism, Transition, and Hopes for Democracy” helps to understand the impact of events in Tunisia on the European continent and underscores the urgency of adopting a more comprehensive and nuanced view of the shared challenges between the North and the South.

Ghazi Ben Ahmed holds a PhD in economics from the University of Montpellier I. He leads the think tank Mediterranean Development Initiative (MDI) based in Tunis and Brussels. He is a scientific collaborator at the Observatory of Arab and Muslim Worlds (OMAM/ULB). He is the author of a recently published book by Éditions l’Harmattan (“Echoes of Tunisia: Populism, Transition, and Hopes for Democracy”). His research interests mainly focus on Euro-Mediterranean relations, ALECA agreements, migration agreements, European cooperation, and the rise of far-right movements in Europe.

Wednesday, December 11th, from 12 PM to 2 PM

Commission Room
ULB – Building DE1 – Level 4 – Room R.4.110
Avenue Antoine Depage 1
1000 Brussels

Registration is recommended via jihane.sfeir@ulb.be

L’article Presentation of the book “Echoes of Tunisia: Populism, Transition, and Hopes for Democracy” est apparu en premier sur mdi-international.

On 12 October, you will have the opportunity to to attend, free of charge, a series of conferences on a wide variety of topics relating to the Mediterranean ecosystem. For example :

• Achieving Europe’s energy transformation and autonomy in SouthEast Europe: Τhe balance of powers.
• A critical decision for the future of the Union: What future for the Western Balkans.
• Serbia – Kosovo | Finding a way forward under the EU’s guidance.
• EU Green Shipping: Towards a fair contribution to the EU’s climate neutrality targets.

 Mediterranean Development Initiative will be represented by Ghazi Ben Ahmed for the development of the following theme: 

“European Pact on Migration and Asylum: Last Chance or Lost Opportunity?”

➡ Negotiations between EU Institutions on a comprehensive reform of the EU Asylum and Migration legislation have been ongoing for years, bringing uncertainty especially to countries on the EU’s border. Can the EU muster the will to close this important chapter of EU legislation before the next European elections?

Our representative will be accompanied during the discussion by Beate Gminder (Director General for Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission), Dimitris Kairidis (Minister of Migration and Asylum, Hellenic Republic), Esther Poso Vera (Head of Unit for Asylum, DG Home Affairs, European Commission) and Gerlinda Niehus (NATO).

More information on the program? Click here to find out more.
Want to notify us of your participation? RSVP on our LinkedIn event!

L’article The European migration pact by the Delphi economic forum est apparu en premier sur mdi-international.

Each year, the ancient city of Delphi brings together top leaders to develop dialogue, inspire change and turn words into action.

The Forum brings together politicians, business people, academics, and other opinion leaders to address emerging challenges such as sustainable growth on behalf of the entire Eastern Mediterranean.

This year, the Mediterranean Development Initiative (MDI) will not miss the opportunity and will attend in the presence of its Chairman and Founder; Ghazi ben Ahmed.

“The world is experiencing change at a speed and intensity that is unprecedented. Countries, institutions and policy makers across the globe find themselves constantly challenged by the consequences of these changes. Comprehending and responding to this ongoing and dynamic process requires careful pacing of reforms and policy consistency” according to the official website of the Delphi Economic Forum.

The forum will take place from 26 to 29 April.

Credit : Official website of the Delphi Economic Forum

L’article Our participation at the Delphi forum in Greece est apparu en premier sur mdi-international.

The Mediterranean Development Initiative is pleased to invite you to the first round table organised by the Belgian Chapter on Tuesday 11 April. From 5 to 7.30 pm, we will discuss the transitions in the Arab world following their respective springs. The conference will be conducted entirely in French.

“To make an overall assessment of the Arab Spring, since its genesis in 2011, does not really make sense, as the situations are so contrasted in the Mashreq as in the Maghreb. Until a few months ago, the relative success of the transition in Tunisia and the endless tragedy in Syria demonstrated this. But we must be careful not to make a simplistic judgement on the failure of the Arab Spring,

The forces behind the Arab revolutions have not disappeared, despite the disillusionment, because they are so deeply rooted in society. Even if they have not led to stable political solutions, these movements, driven by the younger generations, will eventually mark the gradual end of the monolithic authoritarian model in its various religious, civil or military versions. The movement towards more democracy, the rule of law, pluralism, the fight against corruption and the cash economy is inevitable, but will take time to materialise.

Both the Tunisian lurch and the Syrian crisis, the subject of this round table, are equations with several unknowns. This will be an opportunity to discuss and better understand the situation, its evolution in the short and medium term and possibly to consider ways out of the crisis, in particular by mentioning the potential role of the European Union.”

The speakers will be Salam Kawakibi (Director of the Centre Arabe de Recherche et d’Etudes Politiques de Paris CAREP and specialist on the Syrian issue), Adrianus Koetsenruijter (Moderator & former Head of the EU Delegation to Tunisia) and Ghazi ben Ahmed (President and Founder of the MDI and specialist on the Tunisian issue).

Admission is free and can be done either through eventbrite by clicking here or by email (meddevini@gmail.com).

L’article Our first round table in Belgium on transition in Arab countries est apparu en premier sur mdi-international.

This Erasmus plus exchange program is part of the agreement signed by MDI, the University of Sfax and the Technopole of Sfax on the one hand, and the University of Applied Sciences of Turku and the Technopole of Turku.

L’article Arrival of our students in the city of Turku, Finland est apparu en premier sur mdi-international.

Amine Chouaieb (Chifco), Jazem Halioui (WebRadar) and Fedy Ben Rjeb (ODIS).

Up to three entrepreneurs from Tunisia will join other startups in Helsinki in late November to accelerate their impact business ideas, engage with the Nordic startup community and make a life-lasting connections with the major culmination at Slush 2016. We are excited to launch the second edition of GIA.

Slush Global Impact Accelerator is a program created in collaboration with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and multiple global partners. The purpose of GIA is to create a leading global program to support startups that are looking to solve some of the most pressing global challenges and to contribute to the discussion on impact investing.

It is organized, for the first time in Tunisia, jointly by MDI, CJD and Seedstard Tunisia.

Image credit : Slush

L’article Congratulations to the winners of Slush16 GIA Tunisia est apparu en premier sur mdi-international.

As part of the project “Ambitious Africa”, the Tunisian think tank MDI is pleased to invite you to the to the digital event that will take place on Thursday, April 30, 2020 from 9am. “Ambitious Africa” is a project whose objective is to enable the creation of strong and sustainable links between the Nordic countries and Africa.

It will be officially launched on May 26th. In the meantime, several projects will be organized online and they aim at creating networks and launching real projects.

The Tunisian national day scheduled for April 30 is coordinated by the Mediterranean Development Initiative “MDI” and its Youth Platform, in cooperation with CONECT International (the Confederation of Citizen Enterprises of Tunisia). This day is open to all those who have a project and are looking for an investor, a partner or for building a network. English is the language of communication.

The National Day of Tunisia is to exploit the main Nordic assets of education entrepreneurship and entertainment in close collaboration with various African countries to increase global welfare.

Register on the following link: https://tunisia.dealroomevents.com/

Image Credit : Ambitious Africa

L’article Integrating Olympism, ICT, and Education for SDG Implementation and Global Progress est apparu en premier sur mdi-international.

We would like to warmly thank her Excellency the Ambassador of Poland in Tunisia, Ms. Lidia Wieczorkiewicz, and our partner SOFRECOM.

Tunisia has a creative potential that can allow it to become a gaming hub and creating jobs for young people. It will maybe, one day, push them to launch their own project.

The example of Poland and its creative industry is a source of inspiration for our young people.

As part of our Digital Dreamers program, we will send several young people completing internships in gaming companies in Poland.

L’article Awards for the \”Digital Dreamers” challenge have been distributed! est apparu en premier sur mdi-international.

Our founder Ghazi ben Ahmed participated in the Paris Peace Forum and spoke about the future of his native country, Tunisia.

“Tunisia is symbolic of many of the crises currently facing the world. The country suffered considerably during the pandemic, and had the highest death toll in Africa. In 2020, Tunisia plunged into its worst recession since independence in 1956. The economic consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine continue to reverberate, with Tunisia among the countries most vulnerable to the fallout. The debt-ridden country is experiencing a sharp rise in food and fuel prices. Shops are no longer able to stock basic goods and protests are on the rise. More and more Tunisians say they see no future in the country and are seeking to emigrate to Europe. Although Tunisia has just signed an agreement with the International Monetary Fund to avoid the prospect of default, the economic situation has not stabilised.

In this context, Tunisia’s status as the only democracy to emerge from the Arab Spring is under threat. Recent political developments, notably the new constitution which gives increased powers to the president, could complicate the situation. To discuss the future of Tunisia, a country at the centre of various intertwined crises, this roundtable brings together a range of civil society representatives, economic experts, French representatives and the media.”

Credit : Paris Peace Forum

L’article MDI participation at the Paris Peace Forum 2022 est apparu en premier sur mdi-international.

For Mr. Ciolos, these negotiations are a moment of truth during which Tunisia sets the choices of sectors and the pace of negotiations, which requires good preparation with impact studies on society and the territory.

For this expert in agriculture, the aim is to answer the following questions: what model of agriculture should Tunisia aim for in 15 or 20 years’ time? Which sectors and structures should be protected? What kind of financial assistance should be requested for 5 or 10 years? What are the target markets for Tunisian products?

Mr. Dacian Ciolos was a member of the European Commission from 2010 to 2014, being Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development.

On 17 November 2015, he became Prime Minister, heading a technocratic government, replacing Victor Ponta. He left office on 4 January 2017, after the Social Democratic Party won the parliamentary elections.

Mr. Ciolos returned to the political scene with a new political party, Romania Together.

L’article Dacian Ciolos was in Tunis for the first time to talk about Agriculture and Aleca in a round table est apparu en premier sur mdi-international.