Summary:

Statements during 27 July 2022 Senate Confirmation Hearings by Joey Hood, the current nominee for the US Ambassadorship to Tunisia, and subsequent 28 July 2022 statements by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken strongly confirmed the United States government’s commitment to upholding democracy and human rights in Tunisia. Mr. Hood went as far as to say that Tunisians have experienced an “alarming erosion of democratic norms and fundamental freedoms over the past year” while Mr. Blinken echoed these concerns, adding that the United States will “continue to us all tools at our disposal to support the Tunisian people in forging a democratic and accountable government.” These statements led to the Tunisian Foreign Ministry summoning the Acting US Charge D’Affaires in Tunisia, Natasha Franceschi, to formally express concern about “interference.”

Analysis:  

These statements from one of Tunisians key financial, military, and counterterrorism partners raised concern among a few from Tunisia’s political class, resulting in what appeared to be largely performative expressions of outrage. The measured response from the Tunisian side is indicative of the level of influence the US wields and likely will continue to wield with large-scale military and counterterrorism aid to Tunisia driving a relationship that both sides view as strategically valuable and, for the moment, irreplaceable.