Esther Lynch, the secretary general of the European Confederation of Unions, has 24 hours to leave Tunisia after “remarks which constitute a blatant interference in the internal affairs of Tunisia”, according to the presidency.
MO12345LEMONDE WITH AFP
The Tunisian President, Kaïs Saïed, ordered Esther Lynch’s expulsion on Saturday, February 18, the secretary general of the European Union Confederation, for declarations qualified by Tunis as “blatant interference”.
M Me Lynch, the highest placed European Union union manager, “took part in a demonstration organized by the Tunisian General Union of Labor (UGTT) and held Interview which constitute a blatant interference in the internal affairs of Tunisia “, according to a press release from the Tunisian presidency. The authorities give her twenty-four hours to leave Tunisia, where she is now considered “persona non grata”, according to the same source.
earlier in the day, the European union official actually took part in a demonstration that brought together thousands of trade unionists in the city of Sfax (Center-East), at the call of the powerful UGTT union center. Coming to bring “solidarity on the part of 45 million workers in Europe”, M lynch addressed the crowd united in this historic bastion of Tunisian unionism. “We tell governments: do not touch our unions, free our leaders,” she said.
The Tunisian government must “sit and negotiate with the UGTT to find a solution” to improve the current political and economic situation, she added. UGTT spokesperson Sami Tahri told private Mosaic FM radio that the statements of M me Lynch were a “defense of the right to unionize and not an interference in business from Tunisia “. “We condemn [his expulsion], which does not bring any honor to Tunisia,” he added.
sit-in and gatherings against the policy of Kaïs Saïed
The demonstration in Sfax on Saturday was organized at the same time as many others in several cities in the country in order to protest against the degradation of the economic situation and the Arrest of Anis Kaabi, head of the UGTT motorway branch. The latter is in pre -trial detention pending a trial whose date was set for February 23, for having launched a strike on tolls. The UGTT has announced sit-in and gatherings against Mr. Saïed’s policy, with a highlight a march in Tunis on March 11.
Tunisia has been stuck in a serious political and economic crisis since Mr. Saïed grabbed the powers in July 2021 by dismissing the Prime Minister and suspending Parliament, before dissolving it in March 2022. He then revised the Constitution to reduce the prerogatives of the Parliament and return to an ultra-approved residential system similar to that before the 2011 revolution and the fall of the dictator Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali.
His detractors accuse him of establishing a new autocracy in the country which was however the cradle of “Arab Spring”. In addition to political divisions, the country is experiencing serious economic difficulties – shortage of food products, high inflation …