“Make a good decoration”

Journalist Firouz Ben Salah, who lives in Tunisia and writes regularly for Dutch newspapers, is skeptical about Boden’s appointment. According to the preacher, it is possible that Said chose a woman to please the Western world after his seizure of power. “When the going gets tough, you can win support in Europe if you make a feminist move.”

Bensalah also notes that the new prime minister has no political or administrative experience, and is in fact the third consecutive government employee appointed by the president in a short time. “Saeed is not looking for the opposition. He is not really looking for a new government, but for officials who will do exactly as he says.”

She continues, “Because there are no more ministers, Saeed has worked closely with the civil service in recent months. In recent months he has met obedient officials and is now appointed to positions.” The fact that the president announced today the formation of a new government within a few hours and a few days maximum, according to Ben Salah, indicates that he already knows exactly who will be in the government.

Expect more protests

She expects the president’s path to lead to more resistance from the population. “The economy is bankrupt and everyone is waiting for the economic improvement. It was hoped that Saeed would appoint a prime minister who understands the economy, but there is no plan. It will likely lead to more protests.”

Instead, the president would like to focus on fighting corruption, as he promised in the election. And journalist Ben Salah predicts, “But with Saïd, you will quickly become corrupt. It is possible that he will abuse this intention by arresting more opponents.”