Tunisian Politics in France
Long-Distance Activism since the 1980s

This study explores the evolution of Tunisian diaspora activism in France during the years of Ben Ali's dictatorship (1987–2011).

Mathilde Zederman (Author)

9781009508896, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 7 November 2024

226 pages
23.5 x 15.9 x 1.8 cm, 0.47 kg

'Bridging political science and history, this book explores the activism of the Tunisian diaspora in France during Ben Ali's dictatorship from 1987 to 2011. … The book provides critical background for understanding the unprecedented pro-democracy demonstrations that began in Tunisia, toppled Ben Ali's regime, and then spread elsewhere in the Middle East in the spring of 2011. … Recommended.' S. L. Harp, Choice

What does it mean to oppose or support an authoritarian regime from afar? During the years of Ben Ali's dictatorship in Tunisia between 1987 and 2011, diaspora activism played a key role in the developments of post-independence Tunisian politics. Centring this study on long-distance activism in France, where the majority of leftist and Islamist exile groups took refuge, Mathilde Zederman explores how this activism helps to shed new light on Tunisia's political history. Tunisian Politics in France closely explores the interactions and conflicts between different constellations of pro-regime and oppositional actors in France, examining the dynamics of what the author persuasively describes as a 'trans-state space of mobilisation'. In doing so, Zederman draws attention to the constraints and possibilities of long-distance activism. Utilising material gathered from extensive fieldwork in France and Tunisia, this study considers how the evolution of diaspora activism both challenges and reinforces the boundaries of Tunisian politics.

1. Introduction
2. Tunisian politics in France: genealogy and cartography
3. Constraints and opportunities for long-distance Tunisian activism
4. Anti-Ben Ali politics from afar: repertoires of action and frames of human rights
5. Anti-regime struggles and immigrant politics
6. Cross-ideological alliances and entre-soi
7. Conclusion: Tunisian politics and the revolution
Postcript
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Constitution: government & the state [JPHC]