Nidaa Tounes
Tunisian political party From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tunisian political party From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nidaa Tounes[5] (Arabic: حركة نداء تونس Ḥarakat Nidā’ Tūnis, French: Appel de la Tunisie; usually translated as "Call of Tunisia", "Call for Tunisia",[6] or "Tunisia's Call"[7]) is a big tent secularist political party in Tunisia. After being founded in 2012, the party won a plurality of seats in the October 2014 parliamentary election.[8] The party's founding leader Beji Caid Essebsi was elected President of Tunisia in the 2014 presidential election.
 | This article needs to be updated. (July 2019) |
 | You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French. (October 2012) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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Nidaa Tounes حركة نداء تونس | |
|---|---|
| |
| Chairperson | Khemaies Jhinaoui |
| Secretary General | Kassem Makhlouf |
| Founder | Beji Caid Essebsi |
| Founded | 16 June 2012 |
| Headquarters | 3, rue du Lac de Garde Les Berges du Lac 1053 Tunis |
| Youth wing | Nidaa Tounes Youth Movement |
| Membership (2014) | 110,000[1] |
| Ideology | Bourguibism[2][3] Social democracy Third Way Big tent Secularism[4] |
| Political position | Centre to centre-left |
| Colours | Red |
| Slogan | "Call of Tunisia, A call for all Tunisians" |
| Assembly of the Representatives of the People | 0 / 161 |
The party's foundation was announced when former prime minister Beji Caid Essebsi on 20 April 2012 launched his Call for Tunisia as a response to post-revolutionary "instances of disturbing extremism and violence that threaten public and individual liberties, as well as the security of the citizens".[9] It was officially founded on 16 June 2012 and describes itself as a "modernist"[10] and "social-democratic" party of the moderate left.[11][12] However, it also includes notable economically liberal currents.[13][14][15]
The party has patched together former members of ousted president Ben Ali's Constitutional Democratic Rally, secular leftists, progressive liberals and Destourians (followers of Tunisia's "founder" Habib Bourguiba). In addition, the party has the support of many members of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) and the national employers' union, UTICA. They believe that Tunisia's secular forces have to unite to counter the dominance of the Islamist Ennahda Movement.[10][4]
From its foundation until July 2013, 11 members of the Constituent Assembly joined the party by defecting from various other parties.[16]
On 11 February 2013, the Republican Party joined Nidaa Tounes and four other parties in a political alliance called Union for Tunisia (UPT).[17] Moreover, it participated in the formation of the broad oppositional National Salvation Front in July 2013.[18] However, ahead of the October 2014 legislative election, Nidaa Tounes decided to run its own lists and not to contest the election as part of the UPT.[19]
The party has seen tensions between supporters of Essebsi's son, Hafedh Essebsi, and others. Former member Mohsen Marzouk went on to create a party named Machrouu Tounes[20] while prime minister Youssef Chahed formed a new party named Tahya Tounes.[21]
| Election year | # of total votes | % of overall vote | # of seats | Government |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assembly of the Representatives of the People | ||||
| 2014 | 1,279,941 | 37.56% | 86 / 217 |
Coalition (2014-2019) |
| Opposition (2019) | ||||
| 2019 | 43,213 | 1.51% | 3 / 217 |
Coalition (2020-2020) |
| Opposition (2020-present) | ||||
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