2023-06-11 11:50:00
Europe at the bedside of Tunisia. The country led by Kais Saied received a visit this morning from Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Giorgia Meloni, the head of the Italian government and Mark Rutte, the Dutch Prime Minister. These three representatives were welcomed by the Tunisian Prime Minister, Najla Bouden, before going to meet the President, Kais Saied. No direct access is provided for the media.
Before they came, Brussels explained the visit as aimed at discussing “ of a cooperation agreement in the fields of economy, energy and migration ».
Faced with the Tunisian President, the European Union proposed ” a strengthening of the partnership ” with Tunisia through a program including possible long-term financial aid of 900 million euros and additional aid of 150 million to be injected ” immediately in the budget.
Ursula von der Leyen indicated that she had proposed a five-point programme, also including support for the fight once morest illegal immigration, to Kais Saied and hoped that an agreement would be signed between Tunisia and the EU by next European summit at the end of the month.
Tunisia’s economic situation worries
Brussels is showing, this Sunday, its support for Tunisia, which is experiencing economic difficulties and leaves the risk of an acceleration in the departure of migrants from its coasts in the event of an acceleration of the economic crisis.
The heavily indebted North African country (80% of GDP) is in difficult talks with the IMF for a new loan of nearly two billion dollars. The discussions are stumbling over President Saied’s refusal of reforms such as the restructuring of the hundred or so over-indebted public companies and the lifting of state subsidies for basic products such as fuel.
Last twist and very bad news for the country, in the night from Saturday to Sunday, the rating agency Fitch lowered Tunisia’s rating by one notch on Friday, from CCC+ to CCC-, because of delays in negotiations. to obtain a new loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
This downgrading of the country’s long-term debt rating reflects the uncertainty around the ability of the Tunisia to raise sufficient funds to meet its substantial financial needs Fitch explained in a statement. Tunisia was already one of the issuers presenting real risks of non-reimbursement, according to the institution. ” Our main scenario assumes an agreement between the Tunisia and the IMF by the end of the year, but this is much later than we previously expected and the risks remain high “, clarified Fitch. The agency recalls that the government’s budget depends on more than 5 billion dollars of external funds (10% of GDP) financing which will not be released until there is an agreement with the IMF.
Kais Saied threatens to let migrants who arrived in Tunisia pass to Europe
If the European representatives show themselves to be so attentive and caring towards the African country, it is above all with the aim of protecting their borders once morest Mediterranean immigration.
Saturday evening, during a surprise visit to Sfax, the second Tunisian city from which the majority of candidates for illegal emigration have left since the beginning of 2023, Kaïs Saied said he refused that his country ” be the guardian of borders ” from Europe. Except that certain portions of Tunisia are less than 150 km from the Italian island of Lampedusa and attempts at illegal migration by nationals of sub-Saharan Africa and many Tunisians are regularly recorded.
Taken by panic in the face of these declarations, the countries of the European Union (EU) concluded, Thursday in a snatch, an agreement on the right to asylum which provides in particular for the return of rejected applicants to their country of origin or to a transit country considered “safe”. The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, which follows migration issues, denounced the European visit in a press release as “ blackmail » et « a bargain » pour « to give money to Tunisia in exchange for reinforced surveillance of its borders.
(With AFP)
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