The NYT Did Not Say Saied Was Too Busy Consolidating Power to See Tunisians’ Suffering

Misbar’s team investigated the circulated claim and found that it was both misleading and suspicious. The New York Times did not say that Kais Said was too busy consolidating his rule and had no time to see Tunisians’ suffering.

Instead, the Magazine published an article on Jan. 03, titled “Pressure Mounts on Tunisia’s President to Salvage the Economy.” The article warned against the “monster… of economic implosion.”

The article said that Saied “vowed to rescue the country [from that monster] when he suspended Parliament and began ruling by decree in July.” However, the “power grab [sic] threw Tunisia’s decade-old democracy into doubt.”

“As Mr. Saied steers Tunisia toward a national dialogue and constitutional referendum that critics say may cement his authoritarian rule, pressure is growing on him to fulfill his pledge. The question is whether he can,” the article added.

The article further described the Tunisian government as “deeply indebted and running a large deficit after years of mismanagement and the pandemic,” adding that, “[f]or that, Tunisia must turn to international lenders” including the IMF, which has demanded “painful austerity measures.”

These measures, according to the article, could “cut into the wages of a broad swath of Tunisians and slash government subsidies just as the price of electricity and basic food items is climbing — a formula that could lead to protests and mass unrest.”

Translated by Ahmed N. A. Almassri