Who is Kamel Madouri, Tunisia's new PM and once an advocate for migrants?

Tunisian President Kais Saied has once again dismissed the country's prime minister without offering any official explanation, as he scrambles to regain popularity ahead of a crucial presidential election in just two months.

On the evening of Wednesday, 7 August, President Saied announced the removal of Ahmed Hachani from his position as head of government. The statement from the Tunisian presidency provided no official reason for this decision.

Earlier that day, Hachani had published two videos discussing measures taken to address the water shortage and the difficult state of public transport. Last month, Saied blamed the shortage on "criminal organisations targeting the state's stability."

Hachani replaced Najla Bouden as prime minister last August, who was also dismissed without official justification.

His successor, appointed on the same night, is Kamel Madouri, who has been serving as the Minister of Social Affairs since May.

Who is Madouri, Tunisia's new Prime Minister?

Born in 1974, Kamel Madouri holds a PhD in European Community Law and Maghreb-European Relations, as well as a Master's in Legal Sciences from Tunis University.

An expert in Community Law, institutional law, international relations, and EU policies, he has been a permanent member of various Tunisian-foreign social security joint commissions.

Before venturing into politics, Madouri was the CEO of the National Health Insurance Fund (CNAM) and the National Retirement and Social Security Fund (CNRPS).

In addition to his administrative roles, Madouri has lectured at the National School of Administration and the Higher School of Internal Security Forces.

He has authored several publications on social security coordination under association agreements, reforms in health insurance and pensions, and social protection for migrant workers—Given Saied's infamous anti-migrant policies, Madouri may find himself at odds with the president sooner than his predecessors.

Rollback of human rights under Saied

Elected in 2019, Saied consolidated power in July 2021 by dismissing his then-prime minister, and suspending and dissolving the Parliament. His critics have accused him of staging a coup against democracy.

In 2022, he revised the constitution to establish a hyper-presidential regime and elected a new Parliament with very limited powers. He is now seeking a second term.

On Monday, 5 August, Saied, 66, officially submitted his candidacy for the presidential election scheduled for 7 October. Meanwhile, potential challengers are being barred from running, including through prosecution, imprisonment, and bureaucratic obstacles.

Last month, Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard expressed alarm over the rollback of human rights in Tunisia. During a four-day visit to Tunis, she noted "arbitrary detentions" of opponents, "restrictions and prosecutions" against certain candidates, and the imprisonment of journalists.

"People who have not yet been directly affected told me they fear that their freedom could be curtailed at any time," she wrote.

In response to criticism, Saied dismissed accusations of targeting his opponents, asserting that "the law applies equally to everyone".

Since February 2023, more than twenty prominent politicians, businesspeople, and journalists have been detained in an investigation into an alleged conspiracy against the state and Saied. The Tunisian president described those arrested as "terrorists."