Tunisia's Political Crisis: Emergency Rule and Deadly Blackouts

Five years after President Kais Saied suspended parliament and assumed emergency powers, Tunisia is confronting its most severe infrastructure crisis in memory. On July 25, 2026, thousands of Tunisians marched down Habib Bourguiba Avenue in Tunis to demand Saied's resignation, denouncing worsening living conditions, democratic backsliding, and state mismanagement. The protests unfolded against a backdrop of deadly blackouts during an exceptional heatwave, with between 150 and 200 people reported dead, according to the Organisation of Young Doctors in Tunisia. The authorities have not confirmed or responded to those figures.

Tunisia's Blackout Crisis: A System Under Strain

The power cuts that began more than a week ago have been catastrophic. At least five deaths have been directly linked to the outages, including a cancer patient whose home oxygen device stopped working when the electricity failed. The state electricity and gas company, STEG, attributed the outages to record demand, with national consumption reaching 6,000 megawatts. STEG's director general, Faysal Tarifa, described the cause as "excessive use of air conditioning" and implemented controlled outages as a "preventive measure" to protect the national grid from total collapse. He urged citizens to use no more than one air conditioning unit during peak hours between 1 pm and 5 pm.

President Saied ended his public absence to acknowledge the crisis on Saturday, describing the pace of outages as "not normal" and saying those responsible must "assume their responsibility," but he announced no specific measures. The lack of a concrete response has fueled public anger, with protesters and opposition figures framing the blackouts as a symptom of systemic failure.

Political Context: Five Years of Emergency Rule in Tunisia

Tunisia's emergency rule, which began on July 25, 2021, has been marked by a steady erosion of democratic institutions. Saied suspended parliament, later dissolved it, and began ruling by decree. The crackdown on dissent has intensified: recent court cases have handed down long sentences to opposition figures, including Ennahdha leader Rached Ghannouchi, who received a life sentence, and presidential critic Sonia Dahmani, who received a new jail term. Press freedoms have been curtailed, and the space for civil society has narrowed.

Infrastructure as a Political Liability in Tunisia

The blackout crisis is not merely a technical failure; it is a political liability. The STEG's explanation—blaming citizens for using too much air conditioning—has been met with skepticism. Critics argue that the government has failed to invest in grid modernization, renewable energy, and water infrastructure, leaving the country vulnerable to climate shocks. The heatwave and water shortages have compounded the crisis, with severe water shortages reported alongside the power cuts.

Opposition spokesman Wissam Sghaier of the Jomhouri party framed the protests as a demand for accountability: "We took to the streets today to hold the system of governance to account and to expose its failures." The blackouts have become a symbol of those failures, and the government's response—or lack thereof—has deepened the crisis of legitimacy.

What Comes Next for Tunisia

The protests on July 25, 2026, are unlikely to be the last. The combination of emergency rule, economic hardship, and infrastructure collapse is a volatile mix. The government's response to the blackouts—acknowledging the problem but offering no solutions—has eroded public trust. The opposition, despite facing repression, remains mobilized.

As Tunisia marks five years of emergency rule, the question is not just whether Saied will stay or go, but whether the country can rebuild its democracy and its infrastructure before the next crisis hits.