Tunisia today (1957 - now)
A giant task awaited the newly installed regime. Everything had to be built or rebuilt. The administration and the army no longer existed : they had disappeared along with the French. The agriculture needed to be decolonised, the land had to be retrieved and evacuated, the industry asked for urgent impulses, the education and justice system, as well as the diplomacy were in serious need of reorganisation, ... The new republic spared no effort to become a modern State. In August 1956, the Code of Pesonal Status abolished polygamy and gave women equal civil rights.
In order to fight illiteracy (at the eve of the independence very few Tunisians could read or write), one third of the national budget was devoted to education. Tunisia also put a lot of effort in the education of young people, on their way to become highly qualified professionals. The nation counted on these youngsters to fulfil all of its dreams and wishes.
Ever since the beginning, the republic has had a strong socialist tendency. In 1970, however, collectivism was almost completely set aside. A more liberal formula was developed that allowed private enterprise to co-exist with public or state companies and other co-operations.
In the mid sixties, the Tunisian government started encouraging the tourism industry. Nowadays, tourism is one of the main providers of foreign income (next to the exportation of manpower). Light industry, small businesses and handicraft became more important, while heavy industry was abandoned because of the unbeatable competition of Europe in that sector. Agriculture was also strongly encouraged by the authorities, because Tunisia wanted to become self-sufficient for its food supply.
These republican years could have been even more successful if the government had not only concentrated on economic development and education matters, but on the other hand had also put more effort into a more just repartition of wealth and had conducted a more liberal and democratic policy.
On November 7, 1987, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who at that time was Prime Minister and the constitutionally ordained successor, became the Republic's second President. President Bourguiba had become unable, for health reasons, to continue assuming the duties of the office. When the second President of the still young Tunisian Republic addressed the nation, he proclaimed Tunisians to be ready for democracy and promised a Tunisia for all Tunisians. Political prisoners were set free, political exiles were invited to return to their country and press regulations were liberalised. The Constitution was amended to abolish the "presidency for life" principle. At the same time, Parliament became accessible to all political parties. On November 7, 1988, the National Pact was signed and adopted.