Tunisia braces for fresh protest as heatwave worsens utility crisis

Tunisia is bracing for another round of public demonstrations on Thursday, as a newly formed opposition coalition seeks to channel widespread anger over the country's worsening utility crisis and economic hardships.

The protest has been called by the Nafas movement, an umbrella initiative launched in May that aims to unite political parties and independent figures beyond the traditional opposition to President Kais Saied. The group has been vocal in its criticism of what it calls government failure and injustice, pointing to repeated power and water cuts, chronic medicine shortages, rising living costs and high unemployment.

The backdrop to Thursday's planned action is a summer of extreme heat, with temperatures in parts of Tunisia reaching up to 50 degrees Celsius. The scorching conditions pushed electricity demand to record levels, forcing the state-owned utility STEG to introduce rationing in several regions. The power outages in turn disrupted water pumping stations, worsening long-standing concerns over access to drinking water. Bottled water supplies ran low as extended blackouts halted factory production, a situation compounded by a shortage of raw plastic materials caused by shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Last month, Nafas held a protest in Tunis that drew not only opposition activists but also citizens who had never before taken part in political demonstrations. Several social media influencers joined the rally, voicing discontent with the political status quo for the first time and helping drive a notable surge in youth participation.

That earlier protest coincided with the fifth anniversary of Saied's power grab, when he suspended parliament, dismissed the government and consolidated his rule. Demonstrators demanded political change and the release of political prisoners, while also raising alarms over deteriorating economic conditions and failing public services.

Since 2021, Saied has tightened his grip on power, imposing increasing restrictions on independent media, civil society and dissenting voices. He has frequently targeted groups he accuses of receiving foreign funding to stir unrest and undermine Tunisia's national interests.

Recent rallies have taken on a more confrontational tone, with slogans explicitly calling for Saied's departure. Protesters have revived the 2011 Arab Spring chant "the people want the fall of the regime" and the French exclamation "Dégage" (Get Out), a phrase that echoed through the streets during the uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.