Beji Caid Essebsi

Biography

Beji Caid Essebsi was born on November 29, 1926, in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia, when it was still under French rule. He studied law at Sadiki College and then continued at the Paris Faculty of Law and Economics. This education set the stage for a political career that lasted over 60 years. After returning to Tunisia post-independence, Essebsi became highly involved in public life, aligning with Habib Bourguiba, Tunisia's first president. He held various high-level government roles, making him one of Tunisia's most experienced politicians.

Throughout the years, Essebsi took on multiple ministerial and diplomatic roles. He was the interior minister, served as foreign affairs minister from 1981 to 1986, and was president of the Chamber of Deputies, among other jobs. Even during President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's time, Essebsi remained influential, though he eventually stepped back from active politics. Despite this, his deep knowledge of Tunisian politics and his pragmatic approach kept him respected even when not in power.

The 2011 Tunisian Revolution, which resulted in Ben Ali's removal and sparked political change across the Arab world, brought Essebsi back into the spotlight. President Fouad Mebazaa named him prime minister in February 2011 to lead a transitional government that would stabilize Tunisia and prepare for democratic elections. Essebsi successfully oversaw this period, organizing the October 2011 elections for the National Constituent Assembly, seen as free and fair. He stepped down in December 2011 after the transition was completed.

In 2012, Essebsi created the Nidaa Tounes political party, a broad secular alliance aimed at uniting liberals, nationalists, and former members of Ben Ali's party against the Islamist Ennahda movement. Nidaa Tounes won a majority in the October 2014 parliamentary elections, establishing Essebsi as a key leader in Tunisia's secular political scene. In December 2014, he won the presidential election against Moncef Marzouki and took office on December 31, 2014, as Tunisia's fourth president and the first to win in a truly competitive democratic election.

Essebsi was president until his death on July 25, 2019, at the Military Hospital of Tunis, making him the first Tunisian president to die in office. His time as president focused on maintaining secular governance while addressing the needs of a diverse post-revolution society. He negotiated power-sharing with Ennahda, dealt with economic challenges, and addressed security threats, including significant terrorist attacks in 2015. He was married to Chadlia Caid Essebsi and received many international awards, like the Royal Order of the Seraphim in 2015 and an honorary doctorate from the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne that same year.