Oussama Romdhani
Oussama Romdhani is the editor of The Arab Weekly, a publication dedicated to Middle East and North Africa issues. He served in the past in the Tunisian government and as a diplomat in Washington.
Articles By
France’s Anti-Immigrant Populism Misses the Point By Oussama Romdhani - Jan 24, 2022
Electoral debates in France have always been drawn to the issue of immigration. But never has an electoral campaign so disproportionately dealt with migration and identity-related concerns as the current one. With less than three months to go before the country votes for its next president, populist candidates are trying to connect two fears: Immigration … Continue reading “France’s Anti-Immigrant Populism Misses the Point”
Collapse of the Libyan Electoral Process Surprised Very Few By Oussama Romdhani - Dec 30, 2021
Hardly anybody expected the presidential election scheduled for December 24 to go on amid the Libyan maelstrom. A European expert compared the downward spiral to “watching a train wreck in slow motion.” Although no domestic or foreign actor acknowledged responsibility for the failure, there is a lot of blame to go around. Western nations, the United States … Continue reading “Collapse of the Libyan Electoral Process Surprised Very Few”
US Pursuit of Democracy in the Middle East Shows Clear Signs of Fatigue By Oussama Romdhani - Dec 12, 2021
In convening the first “Summit for Democracy” of his administration, US President Joe Biden intended to send a message of democratic commitment to the Middle East and North Africa, among other parts of the world. But his initiative has raised many questions in the region. The first has to do with his guest list. Many wondered if the choice of the … Continue reading “US Pursuit of Democracy in the Middle East Shows Clear Signs of Fatigue”
Ruling by Decree, Tunisia’s President Kais Saied Now Faces a Reality Check By Oussama Romdhani - Nov 26, 2021
Four months after invoking Article 80 of the constitution to establish a “state of exception” in which he wields most executive and legislative powers, Tunisian President Kais Saied is still searching for a compromise between his vision of politics and the hard facts of economic reality. Critics at home and abroad have cringed at the … Continue reading “Ruling by Decree, Tunisia’s President Kais Saied Now Faces a Reality Check”
Latest Algeria-Morocco Dispute Is a Bust-Up the Maghreb Could Desperately Do Without By Oussama Romdhani - Sep 23, 2021
When more than 100 intellectuals recently issued a “call for reason” to Algeria and Morocco over their latest bitter diplomatic split, they reflected a growing angst in the Maghreb after Algeria severed relations with Morocco in August. The majority of experts do not see a risk of a military showdown, but they fret nonetheless over … Continue reading “Latest Algeria-Morocco Dispute Is a Bust-Up the Maghreb Could Desperately Do Without”