Islamists’ Encounters with the Left in Tunisia (1970s-2020s)

his chapter examines the complex encounters between the left and the Islamist movements in Tunisia from the 1970s to the 2020s, challenging narratives that reduce their relationship to pure ideological confrontation. The analysis identifies three defining historical moments. First, the university student movement (1977-1991) witnessed intense competition between leftist and Islamist students that, paradoxically, stimulated a crucial learning process for Islamists about political mobilization practices, communication techniques, and social question. Second, the Collectif du 18 Octobre (2005-2009) represented an unprecedented attempt at value-based political compromise, producing three joint declarations on women’s rights, freedom of conscience, and state-religion relations that articulated shared democratic principles while revealing persistent disagreements on sensitive issues. Third, the first postrevolutionary Troika government (2011-2014), which initially embodied this cross-ideological cooperation but ultimately failed, as leaders prioritized elite consensus over transformative change, abandoned necessary reforms, and contributed to a democratic reversal. The chapter argues that while shared opposition to authoritarianism created opportunities for dialogue mediated by liberal human rights activists, and while the October 18 experience paved the way for postrevolutionary coalition politics, deep-seated cultural polarization between “secular modernity” and “Arab-Islamic tradition”—reinforced by colonial legacies and Bourguiba’s regime discourse on “tunisianité”—prevented sustained collaboration. The failure to build upon these encounters, coupled with a “consensus at all costs” approach that froze the democratization process, ultimately facilitated popular disillusionment with democratic politics and the emergence of President Said’s authoritarian regime in 2021. The study thus illuminates both the transformative potential and structural limitations of cross-ideological political cooperation under and after authoritarianism.