The president of Tunisia is the head of state and leads the country along with the prime minister. However, the president serves a five-year term and is elected by the people.
Seven men have held the position since 1957, and the current president is Kais Saied, who has been in office since October 23, 2019.
Habib Bourguiba was Tunisia’s first and longest-serving president, holding power for over 30 years until his removal in 1987.
Mohamed Ennaceur had the shortest presidency, serving for only 90 days. Beji Caid Essebsi was the only president to die in office, while two others were removed from power.
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Complete List Of Tunisia Presidents From 1957 Till Date
No | Name | Took Office | Left Office | Political Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Habib Bourguiba | 25 July 1957 | 7 November 1987 | Neo-Destour |
2 | Zine El Abidine Ben Ali | 7 November 1987 | 14 January 2011 | Socialist Destourian Party (SDP) |
3 | Fouad Mebazaa | 15 January 2011 | 13 December 2011 | Democratic Constitutional Rally (DCR) |
4 | Moncef Marzouki | 13 December 2011 | 31 December 2014 | Congress for the Republic (CFR) |
5 | Beji Caid Essebsi | 31 December 2014 | 25 July 2019 | Nidaa Tounes |
6 | Mohamed Ennaceur | 25 July 2019 | 23 October 2019 | Nidaa Tounes |
7 | Kais Saied | 23 October 2019 | Present | Independent |
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Who Was The First President Of Tunisia?
Habib Bourguiba was the first president of Tunisia. He was born on August 3, 1903, in Monastir, Tunisia, when the country was under French control.
Bourguiba’s early education took place at the Sadiki primary school in Tunis. Later, he graduated from high school in 1924 and went to France to study law and political science at the Sorbonne.
After returning to Tunisia in 1927, Bourguiba became active in politics. He first joined the Destour party to achieve independence from French rule, but he thought the party was too traditional.
In 1934, he created the New Destour party, where he served as Secretary-General. His political activities often involved conflict with the French authorities, which led to his imprisonment several times between 1934 and 1942.
Despite these challenges, Bourguiba never gave up his fight for Tunisia’s freedom. After World War II, Bourguiba advocated for an armed struggle to end French colonial rule. His efforts paid off when Tunisia gained its independence on March 20, 1956.
He was appointed Prime Minister and introduced major reforms, including a secular education system and the groundbreaking Code of Personal Status, which greatly improved women’s rights.
In 1957, Tunisia became a republic, and Bourguiba was named its first president. However, his rule became increasingly authoritarian, and in 1975, he declared himself “President for Life.”
In 1987, Bourguiba was removed from power due to health concerns. Unfortunately, he passed away on April 6, 2000.
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Who Is The Current President Of Tunisia?
Kais Saied is the current president of Tunisia, having taken office on October 23, 2019. He is prominent in Tunisian politics and has a background in law.
Saied was born on February 22, 1958, in Béni Khiar, a town near Nabeul, Tunisia. Coming from a middle-class family, he spent much of his career teaching and practicing law.
Saied attended Sadiki College in Tunis for high school and later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Tunis University in 1980. He also obtained a law degree from the International Institute of Humanitarian Law in Sanremo, Italy.
Throughout his academic career, Saied served as a Secretary-General of the Tunisian Association of Constitutional Law and Dean of the Law Department at the University of Sousse.
In 2019, Saied ran as an independent candidate in Tunisia’s presidential election. His promises to fight corruption and reform the electoral system appealed to younger voters.
Despite his modest campaign, he won with 72.71% of the vote in the second round, defeating Nabil Karoui. After becoming president, Saied aimed to tackle Tunisia’s political and economic problems, focusing on national sovereignty and social justice.
Saied’s time as president has seen major changes in Tunisian politics. In July 2021, he invoked Article 80 of the constitution to suspend parliament and dismiss the prime minister, allowing him to rule by decree.
He later introduced a new constitution in 2022, which gave the president more power while reducing the role of parliament.
These actions faced criticism, with some accusing him of undermining the democratic gains made after the Arab Spring.
Saied’s leadership has raised concerns about human rights, as organizations like Amnesty International have reported a decline in freedoms under his rule.
Critics argue that his actions limit democracy, with increasing restrictions on freedom of speech and political opposition.
Regardless of these controversies, Saied remains a central figure in Tunisia’s ongoing political space. He is married to Ichraf Chebil Saied, a judge, and they have three children.
