The Tunisian Change

On November 7, 2007, it was precisely 20 years ago that “the change” took place. Today, one month later, the streets of Tunis are still colored red with tens of thousands of the nation’s flags and images of President Zine al-Abedine Ben Ali, while you cannot open a magazine without reading about the incredible progress the country made under the inspiring guidance of its great leader. So, the national press agency reported that on the 20th anniversary of “the change” 3,000 intellectuals, members of civil society and jurists had signed a declaration praising the gains the country had achieved, while emphasizing that these could not have been achieved without the will and “perseverance” of the Tunisian President. Réalités Magazine put a heavily retouched photo of the president on the cover with the headline: “The new face of Tunisia.” This kind of journalism can hardly do any good for the country,