Slaheddine Selmi, Secretary General of the Tunisian General Labor Union UGTT, delivered a strong speech on Friday, July 24, 2026, ahead of Republic Day. He stated that promises of development, anti-corruption efforts, and improved living conditions over the past five years have been replaced by a widespread crisis. Selmi urged a review of public policies and a return to dialogue, emphasizing that Republic Day should reaffirm foundational principles like freedoms, justice, balance of powers, and the role of independent national organizations. He noted that the current reality for Tunisians, marked by declining purchasing power, rising cost of living, and deteriorating public services in health, education, transport, electricity, water, medicine, and social security, is contrary to initial promises. Selmi criticized the centralized decision-making, marginalization of national organizations and civil society, and lack of dialogue, which he believes have heightened tensions and eroded trust. He called for authorities to revise public policies, boost investment, and protect public enterprises, reiterating the union's opposition to any privatization. Selmi also defended public sector employees, stating they are not responsible for service dysfunctions as they do not set policies or budgets. He outlined UGTT's vision, which includes dialogue, social welfare protection, public enterprise recovery, social security reform, equitable tax justice, anti-corruption measures, productive inv
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Tunisia and the United States are working to strengthen their strategic defense partnership ahead of the Tunisian-American joint military commission, scheduled for the first week of September in the United States. On Friday, July 24, 2026, Tunisia's Minister of National Defense, Khaled Shili, spoke by phone with US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Daniel Zimmerman. Their discussions focused on the current state of bilateral military cooperation, prospects for its enhancement, and preparations for the upcoming joint military commission meeting. Khaled Shili highlighted the historical friendly relations between Tunisia and the United States, praising the level of military cooperation and the results of their strategic partnership, which he described as being based on trust, mutual respect, and common interest. The Minister expressed Tunisia's confidence in the work of the upcoming joint military commission, believing it will be an opportunity to assess achievements in bilateral cooperation and set priorities for the next phase to elevate the partnership. Tunisia aims to expand cooperation into areas such as strengthening operational capabilities of armed forces, developing military training programs, and intensifying collaboration in emerging fields like cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, maritime security, border surveillance, and technology transfer. Khaled Shili also emphasized Tunisia's ambition to become a regional hub for mili
Italy has dispatched a Canadair water bomber aircraft to Tunisia to assist in fighting ongoing wildfires across several regions. The deployment, announced by the Italian Embassy in Tunisia on Thursday, July 24, 2026, is coordinated by the Italian government through its Civil Protection Department and falls under the European Civil Protection Mechanism. The aircraft, belonging to the Italian National Fire Brigade Corps, is activated as a rescEU-IT resource, part of the European Union's capabilities for natural disaster response in member states and partner countries. This intervention aims to bolster Tunisia's firefighting efforts, particularly in hard-to-reach areas, as the country faces high temperatures and winds that exacerbate fire spread. The mission highlights cooperation between Tunisia, Italy, and the European Union in disaster management, coordinated with Italian institutions including the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in conjunction with the European Commission. The deployment also underscores the role of the rescEU initiative in strengthening European disaster response capabilities, especially for large-scale fires increasingly common due to climate change.
Tunisia's tourism sector is experiencing significant difficulties due to repeated electricity cuts during the summer season, impacting hotel operations and raising concerns about the country's image as a tourist destination. Hédi Hamdi, a specialized press editor and tourism expert, highlighted the alarming situation on LinkedIn. Hotels are dealing with increased customer complaints and a rise in requests for tourist repatriation. Tour operators are reportedly seeking explanations from Tunisian professionals, with some considering changes to their programs if the situation persists. The reputation of establishments on specialized platforms is also deteriorating due to negative reviews related to power outages, potentially affecting future bookings. Operationally, hoteliers face soaring costs for generator rentals, which are essential for maintaining basic services. The power cuts also disrupt the cold chain, leading to food spoilage and potential shortages, as suppliers are also affected. This crisis comes as Tunisian tourism was already experiencing a slowdown in bookings, partly due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Hamdi stated that the sector is once again "against the wall," facing an uncertain outcome. Professionals are concerned about the duration and financial cost of this energy crisis, its impact on Tunisia's image in key markets, and the potential for these disruptions to become recurrent in future summer seasons, jeopardizing efforts to revive tourism.