Abstract

After having witnessed the beginning of the Arab Spring in December 2010, and the ouster of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011, Tunisia went through a period of intense political turbulence, including a rapid succession of governments and a paralyzing political gridlock in the summer of 2013. The Tunisian national dialogue quartet, which represented the major stakeholders in civil society and is the recipient of the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize, paved the way for a technocratic government that helped bring the country’s democratic transition back on track. After discussing the conditions that led to these developments, this presentation will focus on how the technocratic government managed the challenges of organizing the country’s first fully democratic presidential and legislative elections, re-establishing security, and restoring economic fundamentals. Finally, the presentation will discuss the prospects for democratic and economic development in Tunisia, one year after the appointment of the government that resulted from the 2014 elections.

 

Speaker Bio

Kamel Ben Naceur is the Director for Sustainability, Technology, and Outlooks at the International Energy Agency and previously served as Minister of Industry, Energy and Mines of Tunisia in a government that was tasked in 2014 with leading the country’s first fully democratic elections and resorting its economic fundamentals. He has more than thirty-four years of experience and knowledge in the energy and industry sectors around the world in both public and private service. Mr. Ben Naceur served in various leading positions at the energy multinational Schlumberger, including Chief Economist in Paris, President of the Schlumberger technology organization in Rio de Janeiro, and Senior Advisor and Vice President for technology. He has served on several boards of international businesses and organizations, and is the co-author of thirteen books and more than 120 articles. A French-Tunisian dual national, Mr. Ben Naceur is a graduate of Ecole Polytechnique and Ecole Normale Supérieure of France, with an Agrégation de Mathématiques.