On the eve of the January 14, 2011 revolution, Tunisia was neither an ideal democracy nor the economic “dragon” of the southern Mediterranean that official propaganda portrayed it as. Public and individual freedoms were restricted, clientelism was widespread, development was unequal and unbalanced, and the regime controlled everyday life with an iron grip.
The “Tunisian model” was marked by serious imbalances, many of which helped spur the revolution. Regional and social disparities in the distribution of wealth and opportunities…
