The Tunisian Youth in a Whirlwind of Uncertainty

However, it is important to clarify that "youth" is a concept. Youth represent a heterogeneous group of people who share similar transitional situations. They go through a range of life shifts, from the completion of their educational journey, through an often-lengthy period of unemployment and self-searching, and ending with the beginning of their professional careers.

The FES MENA Youth Study

The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) views young people as a key factor in initiating change in the world of politics and society. After a first study on Youth in the Middle East and North Africa region conducted in 2016, a second large quantitative survey was carried out in twelve countries of the region in 2021, including Tunisia with 1002 young Tunisian men and women, aged between 16 and 30 years.

The collected results from 200 questions were presented to Imed Melliti, Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Tunis El-Manar, to be interpreted and placed in the current Tunisian context.

Depoliticized youth?

According to Melliti, 83 percent of young people have little or no interest in politics, rejecting voting and involvement in political parties in favor of unconventional forms of political expression and collective action. This lack of interest is linked to the low credibility of political actors, says Mr. Melliti. Nearly half of the interviewees associate politics with corruption. Based on these findings, initiated by various previous studies and confirmed by the FES analysis, the researchers were stimulated to question the forms of political action available to young people after the 2011 revolution in Tunisia, including involvement in non-institutionalized forms of engagement and enthusiasm for occasional protest actions, and engaging in forms of resistance described as "infra-political."

Institutional Disappointment

The majority of young people in Tunisia are critical towards the country's political situation and disapprove the political institutions owing to their disappointment regarding their functioning and performance. This disappointment has discouraged them from taking an active interest and seeking information about the political scene. They no longer consider television to be a reliable and primary source of information, as was the case over the past five years, but instead turn to information shared on social networks. This trend of using information released on social media is certainly interesting, yet also alarming in the sense that fake news is quite widespread and is spread much faster than reliable and verified information.

In his analysis, Prof. Melliti demonstrates that the data collected shows that the political engagement of young people in Tunisia is moving away from traditional forms such as voting and joining Political Parties. Instead, they engage in individualized actions such as boycotts, social media mobilization, leafleting, and signing petitions. Political parties and religious institutions have become unpopular, which was not the case in the early years after the revolution. This change is attributed to the inability of political elites and organizations to deliver on the promises of the revolution, which has reduced the credibility of organized action and sharpened the focus on self-interest rather than the collective interest.

Dissatisfaction with politics has led Tunisian youth to prefer a strongman leadership over a democratic system. They want a "return to order" after having experienced a democratic system led by incompetence and bad governance. Behind the frustration of the youth is a glimmer of hope, which is expressed in the desire of more than 50 percent of respondents that the government play a greater role in the economy and society.

Uncertainty and economic instability

The insecure political situation affects the economic and social life of young people. In terms of employment, less than one-third of young people are gainfully employed. Informal employment dominates the labor market, especially for youth from marginalized neighborhoods. This context has favored the importance of financial transfers between young people and their parents.

The family's central role

Despite the uncertainty and instability, the findings of the young surveyed show that the family remains an important institution that the overwhelming majority of respondent’s trust, while only 12 percent said they could be happy alone. Despite that fact, the attitude of Tunisian youth tends to change, which can be explained by the individualistic tendencies that are now gaining ground.

Imed Melliti's analysis reveals that financial security is the most prominent factor in determining job satisfaction among young people, especially those from rural or disadvantaged areas. In rural zones, the less educated are less satisfied with their job situation. In addition, young people's satisfaction with their family's economic situation has decreased significantly since 2016 (Gertel/Hexel 2019). Furthermore, Tunisian youth perceive their situation differently, with some refusing to feel frustrated, while others expressing frustration and a sense of deprivation. The results of the questionnaire suggested that more than 80 percent of youth identified themselves as middle class, and only 10 percent identified themselves as "poor," with significant variations between genders.

The young people's perspective toward their future

When it comes to their personal lives, a large proportion of Tunisian youth are optimistic, but are somewhat less optimistic about the future of society as a whole. Social and economic success, financial autonomy, a stable family life, and a healthy environment are priorities for most youth. Despite the materialistic and hedonistic goals, many attach great importance to religion and belief in God. Moreover, marriage is seen as a significant component of success, especially among women.

Economic instability, mismanagement of public institutions, financial crisis, and environmental problems are daily concerns for youth. Climate change is particularly alarming for rural youth.

Mobility and the desire to emigrate

With so much anxiety, a lot of young people are willing to leave their families for better career opportunities and are eager to marry someone of a different religion or with an older spouse. However, they are reluctant to accept jobs that are below their qualifications.

A significant number of them, especially those whose families include migrants, aspire to live abroad, and migration projects are at the heart of their ambitions. Young people's desire to migrate is a widespread concern, with different degrees of certainty and importance attached to this idea. Males express greater interest in migration than females, and there is a notable difference between rural and urban youth, with the latter being more likely to want to migrate. It is also notable that less educated youth are more confident in their plans to migrate. Some are actively pursuing the possibility of migration.

Why analyze the Tunisian youth?

This study provides interesting insights into the needs of a frustrated youth and pushes us to think outside the box. The results should raise awareness among political elites to urgently review their strategy and actively involve youth in decision making. Youth ideas may be untested, risky, or new to current decision makers, but they would allow the seeds of change to grow in the existing political landscape, which will inevitably affect the social and economic situation. Between the desire to emigrate and the attachment to family ties, Tunisian youth are looking for an opportunity to be truly listened to and to be taken seriously in their country to fulfill their potential while living in a favorable environment.

Tunisian youth are sparkling with ideas, confused and critical of their daily lives, and optimistic about their future. They represent a significant intellectual wealth that is slowly but firmly carving out its destiny in a country that has always resisted and shown the will to move forward.

To read the study: https://mena.fes.de/fr/projets/etude-jeunesse