A peaceful transition

On 24 November, another deadly terrorist attack – the third in a year – hit Tunisia, in addition to many attacks in the Mount Chaambi region and against the security forces. Grief, resilience and de?  ance are the bywords. The attribution of the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize to four Tunisians sparked little excitement in this tragic context, made worse by a deepening sense of economic and social gloom. Yet it is a prestigious distinction and, all things considered, honours an entire country, starting with civil society and its various facets. Four organisations, which seem to have no common ground at ?  rst glance, joined forces to propose a process that would usher Tunisia out of crisis. In October 2013, their efforts prompted a “national dialogue” to bring the chaotic transition to a close at last and provide the political leadership with a roadmap. Ouided Bouchamaoui, President of the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (Utica), Houcine Abassi, General Secretary of the all-powerful General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT), Abdessatar Ben Moussa, head of the Tunisian League of Human Rights (LTDH), and Mohamed Fadhel Mahfoudh, President of the Tunisian Bar Association, sat down around a table to iron out their differences. This unparalleled patriotic act led to the appointment of a government of “technocrats”, the adoption of a new Constitution (January 2014) and general elections (October 2014 and December 2014). Obviously, the Nobel Prize jury wanted not only to reward a process and an effective way of accomplishing things, but also to support Tunisia, the last bastion of the Arab Spring.