This episode of Radio Vinternational is about one country in particular: Tunisia! Specifically, Vincent talks to Ben Bracciano about Tunisia's so-called 'exceptionalism' - a term used by academics to describe Tunisia's remarkable political, social and economic status in the Arab world. We discuss how these factors influenced the democratisation process following the Arab Spring, and how Tunisian civil society played a crucial role in this process - culminating in the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet. And Ben looks at whether this positive image is still relevant and accurate - given the country's current economic struggles and the constitutional coup by the current president. 

My guest, Ben Bracciano, is currently finishing his Masters degree at the Florence School of Transnational Governance, and has a long personal history with Tunisia. He lived there from 2003 until 2014, with his Italian father and English mother. In his own words, he ‘never shuts up about Tunisia’, and he wrote his thesis about the factors that influenced the democratisation process in the country. Beyond his passion for Tunisia, he is broadly interested in international politics. Previously, he has done an internship at the World Bank, and has studied international politics in Bath. 

Recommendations of the week 

During our conversation, Ben mentioned numerous interesting sources for people that want to learn more about Tunisia or the Arab world in general. One example is the Arabbarometer, which is a research network that provides insight into the social, political, and economic values and attitudes of citizens in the Arab world. Another example is the Freedom House, which tracks democracy-indicators across the globe. Both these sources enable you to play around with data for varying countries! 

If you want to get a glimpse of ‘the daily life’ in Tunisia, the Al Jazeera Documentary ‘A Tunisian Family: High hopes, desperate lives’ is really impressive as well. If you want to know more about the Arab Spring in general, Ben recommends ‘The Arab Spring: Pathways of Repression and Reform’ by Jason Brownlee as a good explainer. If you want to get a feel for the chaos and abrupt revolution, the BBC has made a truly remarkable mini-documentary about the leaked tapes of former Tunisian president Ben Ali’s last flights and his calls with his generals and high-advisors. You can truly hear when the man realises that he will never return to his own country. And, last but not least: if you ever visit Tunisia, Ben recommends visiting his former home town Sidi Bou Said. With the looks of Santorini and the vibes of Tunisia, it’s an ideal place to visit as a tourist! And if you do, make sure that you listen to the Tunisian funk song Tunisiann Funk Song ‘Alech’ from the band Carthago! 

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In each episode of Radio Vinternational, host Vincent Hoffmans dives into one fascinating and hopefully informative international topic with a passionate expert. The mission is to showcase original and interesting perspectives on actual and historic international affairs, and to have fun!