On July 27, 2021, Tunisian President Kais Saied suspended parliament in what was then considered the Arab world’s only functioning constitutional democracy. As the United States’ acting assistant secretary of state for Near East Affairs, I was sent on a mission along with Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer to ascertain Saied’s plans. Then-US President Joe Biden had expressed his hope to see a swift return to parliamentary democracy, and for the naming of a prime minister and a government that could address the country’s looming economic problems.

During our meeting, President Saied asked Mr Finer and me to reassure President Biden that he was merely responding to the popular will to end a culture of bribery and corruption, and his actions were meant to fully implement the country’s constitution. He did not indicate when or if a new prime minister would be named, a new constitution would be promulgated, or if he viewed the parliament as temporarily suspended or disbanded entirely.

To see if we could better understand President Saied’s intentions, we requested to meet with his closest adviser, Nadia Akacha, over lunch. Pointing to Tunisians having fun on a nearby beach, Ms Akacha told us, “You see?  They are not unhappy with President Saied’s decision to take the reins of leadership. They........

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