Tunisia
Institutional erosion
↓deterioration2026 development data - not published research
The score supports the assessment. It does not compute the status on its own.
Judicial independence has been materially weakened by executive intervention.
Journalists face harassment, prosecution and imprisonment.
Electoral institutions have lost independence and competitive conditions have degraded.
Civic groups and protest remain present but face escalating state pressure.
Executive power has displaced many of the institutional checks built after 2011.
Confidence: high. Confidence reflects evidence quality and assessment certainty, not democratic quality.
Direction analysis
The trajectory remains negative, although much of the major institutional break occurred earlier. The current phase is consolidation of executive dominance rather than a single new rupture.
What changed
Freedom House lowered Tunisia to 42/100 and documents continued weakening of the judiciary, electoral commission, information institutions, media freedom and opposition rights.
RETHINKK assessment
RETHINKK classifies Tunisia as severe institutional erosion with continuing deterioration. It remains distinct from fully closed autocracies because civic activity and protest have not been entirely extinguished.
Evidence
- Freedom HouseFreedom in the World 2026 - Tunisia2026-03-19 / 2026-08-30Source ->Supports: judicialIndependence, mediaFreedom, electoralIntegrity, civicSpace, checksAndBalances
- V-Dem InstituteDemocracy Report 2026: Unraveling The Democratic Era?2026-03-17 / 2026-08-30Source ->Supports: judicialIndependence, mediaFreedom, electoralIntegrity, civicSpace, checksAndBalances