Tunisian President Appoints New Prime Minister Amid Growing Discontent

Tunisian President Kais Saied has appointed Kamel Maddouri, the former Social Affairs Minister, as the new Prime Minister, replacing Ahmed Hachani, Xinhua news agency reported today.

This decision comes just two months ahead of the presidential elections scheduled for October 6, where Saied will seek a second five-year term.

Maddouri, born in 1974, previously served as the chairman of the National Health Insurance Fund before being appointed as social affairs minister on May 25, 2024. Hachani, who had held the prime ministerial position since August 2023, was dismissed amid rising public dissatisfaction over ongoing water and electricity crises, exacerbated by a severe drought.

In a video message just hours before his dismissal, Hachani asserted that the government had made progress despite global challenges. Saied, however, has criticized the water shortages, labeling them a conspiracy against his administration while claiming that the dams are full, despite reports indicating that dam levels are critically low at just 25 percent.