Oussama Romdhani
Oussama Romdhani is the editor of The Arab Weekly, a publication dedicated to Middle East and North Africa issues. He served in the past in the Tunisian government and as a diplomat in Washington.
Articles By
How Tunisia Can Regain its Luster By Oussama Romdhani - Feb 16, 2023
What happened to Tunisia? The Arab Spring poster child, where the region’s uprisings began more than a decade ago, is once again mired in political limbo. This time, however, not many seem to care. After 2011, when President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was toppled, Tunisians thought the West’s cheering – not to mention its material assistance – … Continue reading “How Tunisia Can Regain its Luster”
French Influence in North Africa Falters Amid New Global Realities By Oussama Romdhani - Dec 2, 2022
At a time when French-Algerian relations were supposed to be on the mend, Algeria’s Central Bank issued, on November 1, new banknotes which bore for the first time inscriptions in English, alongside Arabic. Politicians in Paris were not amused. They saw it as another sign that Algeria was drifting away from France’s zone of influence. … Continue reading “French Influence in North Africa Falters Amid New Global Realities”
High Stakes for Tunisia After IMF Agreement By Oussama Romdhani - Oct 29, 2022
Tunisian officials breathed a sigh of relief on October 15 after the International Monetary Fund announced preliminary approval for a $1.9 billion loan package. The country’s politicians viewed it as a vote of confidence for their policies, while government technocrats felt vindicated in the way they negotiated the deal. The protracted talks over the agreement took … Continue reading “High Stakes for Tunisia After IMF Agreement”
Europe’s Security-Only Strategy Will Not Curtail Migration From the South By Oussama Romdhani - Aug 22, 2022
The tragic procession of deaths and crushed dreams among African migrants desperate to reach Europe continues with no end in sight. In the first six months of 2022, nearly 1,000 migrants died trying to reach Spain’s Canary Islands, and the ghastly tally grew by three this week, as a trio of migrants from Morocco died in yet … Continue reading “Europe’s Security-Only Strategy Will Not Curtail Migration From the South”
New Constitution Will Not Bridge Tunisia’s Divides By Oussama Romdhani - Jul 22, 2022
As expected, the publication of Tunisia’s proposed new constitution has not defused political tensions or painted a clearer picture of where the country is heading. Rather, the draft, to be submitted for national referendum on July 25, has only hardened positions around President Kais Saied, who seems unlikely to be distracted from the pursuit of his agenda. Despite issuing “corrections” to … Continue reading “New Constitution Will Not Bridge Tunisia’s Divides”