A concerning series of events has unfolded in Tunisia as President Kais Saied dissolved the Supreme Judicial Council on Sunday. The council is the Tunisian body that deals with judiciary independence, according to Reuters, a move that many are calling a power grab, as well as an attempt at undermining the judiciary branch. President Saied did so under the pretext that the group is corrupt, selling positions and influence rather than fulfilling their obligations responsibly. This decision has drawn massive criticism from within Tunisia and abroad, with the country’s Judges Association protesting by suspending work in all courts on February 9 and 10, according to AfricaNews. Not only that, but the United States government has also criticized the move, stating it was concerned with the developments. According to Al-Jazeera, this body was also one of the last remaining state institutions capable of acting independently from the president. As such, the dissolution of the council seems to be a further step in Saied’s consolidation of power.

The dissolution had further developments on Monday, when police officers physically closed down the building where the Supreme Judiciary Council gathers, preventing staff members from entering. This is despite the fact that the presidency’s social media accounts stated on the same day that President Saied would not interfere with the judiciary. The president defended his position a day after dissolving despite stating he would not interfere by saying it was a necessity, according to Al-Jazeera. All of this is even more concerning when considering that only seven months ago, President Saied also suspended parliaments, leading to the first concerns of a coup and increasing authoritarian behaviour by the head of state. This dissolution, alongside the use of police officers to enforce this measure, shows a clear interference on judiciary matters by the executive branch, and could be another step in a complete takeover of state institutions.

Overall, this has far-reaching implications for Tunisia and any prospect in retaining a democratic government. Firstly, the dissolution of the council shows that the president is willing and able to meddle with other branches of government, further compounded by the suspension of parliament last year. Secondly, this appears to be another step in the increasingly authoritarian decisions made by the president, similar to trends in other countries around the world of executive takeover. Lastly, it removed a body that, in theory, would ensure independence of the judiciary and therefore was instrumental in holding government officials accountable. By dissolving it, President Saied will likely be able to thwart corruption charges and other accusations against him by interfering with judges, further damaging democracy in the country. Therefore, the dissolution of the Supreme Judicial Council, aside from being an illegal interference, further puts Tunisia in danger of a complete executive takeover, a sad ending to a young democracy.