On Thursday, December 22nd, Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali announced the composition of the new government. This matter will be publicly discussed and eventually approved by a vote of confidence on Friday, December 23rd.

As part of the announcement, Jebali delivered a speech in front of the Constituent Assembly in which he presented his government’s platform. He recalled the many challenges Tunisia continues to face, and touched upon potential solutions. However, he did not reveal a comprehensive plan to overcome Tunisia’s pressing economic and social concerns during this delicate period.

“Unemployment is a priority for our government. Investment and development will start from the inland regions,” said Jebali. The interim prime minister also suggested promoting microfinance and strengthening economic cooperation with neighboring countries as a means of alleviating unemployment.

Jebali, who spent nearly 17 years in jail under the Ben Ali regime, promised that human rights would be upheld in this transitionary period, and that Tunisians’ right to protest and demonstrate peacefully would be protected. “Censorship is obsolete. We will work to reinforce freedom of expression and the independence of the media”.

Jebali’s speech was interrupted many times by applause from the members of the Constituent Assembly. While announcing the appointments to the various ministries, the members applauded after each name was read.

Rafik Abdesalem’s (Rached Ghanouchi’s son in law) assignment as the Minister of Foreign Affairs evoked a wave of sarcasm among Tunisians. These sentiments were conveyed in Bendir Man’s (a Tunisia song-writer known for the political satire he evokes in his lyrics) song in which he sings, “Ghannouchi I will be a minister, will you let me marry your daughter?” However, Abdessalem’s high qualifications challenge these accusations of nepotism.

Abdelfateh Mourou, the head of an independent list called Tarik Salama, which failed to win any seats in the election of the Constituent Assembly, has returned to the political scene as the government’s legal counselor. “The government needs the trust of the people, the trust of its allies, and also the trust of its opponents. Tunisia is facing numerous challenges. As Tunisians we need to unify our efforts,” Mourou stated.

In response to Jebali’s speech, Maya Jribi, Secretary General of the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) and one of the prominent leaders of the opposition, said, “I think that Hamadi Jebali’s speech was full of energy, but it was blurry and it did not provide us with any clear ideas on how they are going to solve Tunisia’s economic and social problems.”

The Democratic Modernist Party’s response was more aggressive. “The speech of the Prime Minister consisted of a declaration of intentions and failed to include any concrete plans or clear goals. The government is asking us to approve the members of the cabinet by a vote of confidence. But we don’t know anything about their professional backgrounds and experiences. Are we going to vote according to names and intentions?” they said in a statement published on their official Facebook page.

Hamadi Jebali’s speech echoed Roosevelt’s “three-R’s” platform of: Reform, Relief and Recovery. Numerous economic, social, and political challenges await the ruling political coalition and Tunisians are demanding immediate and decisive action from their new government, rather than promises and intentions.