For its part, Tunisia has been in talks with Brussels since 2015 that aim to deepen its economic integration with the EU, though this has been a matter of debate among political, economic and civil society leaders. Whereas some see the opportunities ALECA presents – modernization and economic growth that brings new jobs and improved products for consumers at lower prices –others fear that Tunisian businesses will suffer at the hands of a more open market or as a result of changes in regulations.
Over the last two to four years, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine have each established Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements with the EU, which are referred to in French in Tunisia as “ALECA”, Accord de Libre Échange Complet et Approfondi.
At the request of Tunisian stakeholders, the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s “Europe’s Future” program set up a delegation that includes three former negotiators for the so-called DCFTA3, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, and independent experts from think tanks in each of these countries. This delegation of practitioners and experts shared their experiences and observations in a series of working sessions featuring government representatives and negotiating teams, at public events, and at roundtable discussions with civil society organizations and key associations, such as unions, employers’ associations and those representing the classical "liberal” professions such as education and media. These forums of exchange were held in locations as diverse as the capital city of Tunis to the more provincial town of Sfax in the south, thereby sending an important signal in a country where many regions feel they are at an economic and social disadvantage vis-á-vis Tunis.
Given inflation, costs and the state of Tunisia’s public debt are increasing and unemployment among youth is high – there’s no doubt about the need for both economic and social reforms in the country. And thanks to its post-revolutionary openness, the entire country – from parliament to the media to civil society – is engaged in debates for and against reforms and relations with the EU.