Is this an indication of the new Tunisia as a moderate Islamist is sworn into power? At the Douz Sahara festival, Tunisian bloggers and social networks were able to set up a workshop for discussing the protest movement and their role within it. Something must have changed, as bringing all these troublemakers together would have been a godsend for secret policemen in the old days.
This was a clear landmark in promoting the expansion of a Tunisian blogosphere; alternative media are necessary to keep a check on their new politicians. The compliant media of the previous dictatorship will take a long time to unlearn the internal harpies of censorship and deference towards authority.
The Tunisian government is dominated by the Islamist movement, Ennahda, and faces strong economic headwinds in the next few years. It is the worst time to seek growth when your neighbours across the sea are plummeting down a sinkhole of debt.
But I can legitimately ask: is this the first time that an Arab country has more democratically elected members in government than a country in the European Union, that paragon of democratic values? Fingers to lips, ssshhhh, don't tell anyone.....
