Episode Notes:

Tunisian President Kais Saied dismissed the government and suspended parliament on Sunday. The power grab came after nationwide protests against the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis. Saied’s supporters cheered the move, but opponents criticized it as a coup.

Sharan Grewal joins the Warcast to discuss the latest from Tunisia. Sharan is an assistant professor of government at the College of William & Mary, a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution, and a nonresident senior fellow at the Project on Middle East Democracy.

[ 00:56 ] Why did the Tunisian president dismiss the government and freeze parliament?

[ 02:42 ] How does this move fit in the broader political picture in Tunisia and Tunisian history?

[ 05:24 ] What is the role, if any, of the military in all of this?

[ 07:10 ] What will you be watching for in the coming days and weeks as this story develops?