Tunisia Risks Explosion Over Austerity, Ghannouchi Cautions IMF
- Moderate Islamist leader says economic program was needed
- Says he doesn’t plan to run in upcoming presidential election
This article is for subscribers only.
Pressure from global lenders like the International Monetary Fund could put Tunisia’s post-revolution stability at risk, cautioned Rashid Ghannouchi, head of the moderate Islamist Ennahda party that is part of the governing coalition.
The remarks, made in an interview with Bloomberg, come amid mounting frustration in the North African country as it tries to implement an IMF-backed economic program that calls for cutting government spending as part of a broader push to revive growth. Implementing the measures has become increasingly difficult with inflation near a 25-year-high and pressure by unions to boost public sector pay.