Mohamed Ghannouchi

Mohamed Ghannouchi (2008)

Mohamed Ghannouchi ( Arabic محمد الغنوشي Muhammad al-Ghanuschi , DMG Muḥammad al-Ġannūšī ; Born August 18, 1941 in Sousse , Tunisia ) is a Tunisian economist and politician.

In 1966 he received a degree in economics from the University of Tunis . During his studies he was an intern at the French Ministry of Finance . In 1975 he became director in the Tunisian Ministry of Planning , then in 1982 director general. In 1987 he was appointed State Secretary in this ministry. Tunisia was ruled by Habib Bourguiba from 1957 until a bloodless coup in October 1987 . The new President of Tunisia , Ben Ali , appointed Ghannouchi Deputy Minister of Planning, Minister of Planning on July 26, 1988, Minister of Planning and Finance on April 11, 1989, Minister of Economics and Finance on March 3, 1990, and Minister of Finance on February 20, 1991 Minister of Finance (which he was until June 9, 1992) and then Minister for International Cooperation. As such, he was responsible for cooperation with the European Union , the IMF and the World Bank . On November 17, 1999, Ben Ali named Ghannouchi Prime Minister; he became the successor of Hamed Karoui, who had been in office since 1989 .

From 2008 until his resignation in January 2011, he was deputy chairman of the Tunisian ruling party RCD .

From January 14th to 15th, 2011, he was Executive President in addition to the post of Prime Minister, after the previous President Ben Ali had resigned from his post due to ongoing protests and fled abroad. On January 15, 2011, the Tunisian Constitutional Council appointed the President of Parliament, Fouad Mebazaâ, as Executive President.

On January 17, Ghannouchi presented a government of national unity , which also included three ministers from previous opposition parties. This Tunisian transitional government should lead the country until the planned elections and initiate the transformation into a democracy. The next day, the Prime Minister resigned from the previous state party, RCD, of which he had previously been vice-chairman. This should illustrate the break with the previous system.

On February 27, Ghannouchi resigned as prime minister. Despite Ghannouchi's personal demarcation from Ben Ali and his politics, he was unable to win the trust of the Tunisian people.