BEJI CAID ESSEBSI

Beji Caid Essebsi was born in 1926 in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia, into an esteemed family with roots in Sardinia, Italy. He was the great-grandson of Ismail Caïd Essebsi, a Sardinian who was kidnapped by Barbary corsairs and later became a prominent leader in Tunisia after converting to Islam. Essebsi's political journey began in 1941 when he joined the Neo Destour youth organization. His pursuit of education took him to Paris in 1950, where he studied law and began his career as a lawyer, defending activists from the Neo-Destour party.

After Tunisia gained independence from France in 1956, Essebsi became a key figure in the government under the leadership of Habib Bourguiba, serving in various roles from 1957 to 1971. His positions included chief of regional administration, general director of the Sûreté nationale, and Interior Minister. He was known for advocating democratic reforms and, in 1971, resigned from his role, returning to Tunis to reengage with the political landscape.

Essebsi returned to government in April 1981 as Minister of Foreign Affairs and served until September 1986. Following the ousting of Bourguiba in 1987, he was appointed Ambassador to West Germany and later served as Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies from 1990 to 1991. His political career took a significant turn after the Tunisian Revolution in 2011, when he was appointed Prime Minister by acting President Fouad Mebazaa amid the political upheaval.

Although his appointment was met with skepticism, particularly from the youth who were disillusioned with the political elite, Essebsi's distance from the Ben Ali regime helped him gain credibility. His leadership during the transitional period was marked by significant challenges, including accusations of potential government manipulation and widespread protests. After the election of the Constituent Assembly in October 2011, he stepped down in December when Moncef Marzouki assumed the presidency.

In 2014, Essebsi founded the secular Nidaa Tounes party, which gained a plurality of seats in the parliamentary elections. He emerged victorious in Tunisia's first free presidential elections, defeating the incumbent president in December 2014. At 88 years old, he was sworn in as Tunisia’s first freely elected president, pledging to represent all citizens and emphasize national consensus.

Essebsi's presidency was marked by efforts to enhance women's rights, including advocating for legal reforms in inheritance laws, which aimed to ensure equal rights for men and women. He also sought to revise electoral laws in light of the 2011 revolution's principles. In 2018, he highlighted the pressing economic challenges facing Tunisia but maintained an optimistic outlook for recovery.

In April 2019, he announced he would not seek re-election, emphasizing the need for new leadership. Unfortunately, Essebsi's health deteriorated, leading to his hospitalization in June and again in July, when he passed away on July 25, 2019. His death was met with national mourning and tributes from various nations. Beji Caid Essebsi is remembered not only for his long political career but also for his role in shaping the course of modern Tunisia.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beji_Caid_Essebsi