Summary:

On 19 October 2023, the Tunisian parliament approved for its own Members of Parliament (MEPs) a 1,000 TND per month bonus to cover transport and lodging costs, raising concerns about such an action in a time of scarcity and economic hardship for many Tunisians.

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The bonus is designed to be in place for a three-month period, covering expenses for the period during which MEPs will undertake the task of finalizing the 2024 finance law. However, critics have raised concerns about how this would actually raise the transportation and housing costs of the MEPs. Others have questioned whether the temporary increase will quietly be extended into the future.

Separately, on 24 October 2023, a committee of the parliament approved a draft law that would criminalize the normalization of relations with Israel.

The bill would prohibit “trade, commercial and cultural activities, services, military or intelligence” activities between Tunisia and the state of Israel. Penalties can reach life imprisonment for violation of the law if enacted.

Outlook:  

The parliament has widely been dismissed, particularly by foreign critics, as lacking independence from Tunisia’s executive branch. However, the body maintains a high level of power in the Tunisian to system to adopt new laws with potentially sweeping impact.

The approval of bonuses for MEPs risks further alienating the parliament from the populace they represent and eroding confidence in the body’s ability to credible represent the will of the people. As many Tunisians struggle to make ends meet, the reputational damage to the parliament alone caused by the self-approved bonuses is of significant concern.

Efforts to criminalize normalization with Israel are consistent with the current sentiment across Tunisian and the broader Arab world. This symbolic gesture is likely to resonate with many Tunisians at this particular moment as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues.

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