Speech delivered by Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, on behalf of High-Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell

“Thank you, President, Minister [for EU Affairs of Sweden, Jessika Roswall], Honourable Members [of the European Parliament].

I want to thank you for this exchange today. Tunisia finds itself at a difficult juncture, both politically and economically.

Our partner and neighbour is undergoing a delicate transitional period. We witnessed many changes in the country in the past year and a half. The European Union is worried about some of the measures adopted in Tunisia in the past few months.

What today adds [up] to our concerns is indeed the worsening economic situation in Tunisia. A country, which was already suffering structural fragilities, was then further hit by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and now by the damaging impact of the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Since the 2011 Revolution, the European Union has provided more than €3 billion in support of [the] Tunisian democratic transition. In addition, we supported the Tunisian people during the COVID-19 pandemic, as Team Europe and via our contributions to the COVAX platform. We will keep standing by the Tunisian people now that their situation is even more challenging.

The European Union is well aware of the complexities of the current socio-economic context in Tunisia. The important reforms it needs to accomplish in order to ensure long-term prosperity can be painful.

This is why the European Union welcomes the agreement reached at technical level between the Tunisian administration and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It is now urgent that the agreement is signed. We need to see a clear commitment from the Tunisian government to carry out the structural reforms that they have proposed to the Fund. The European Union remains committed to accompanying Tunisia in the implementation of these important measures. […]”