The National Democratic Institute (NDI) conducts periodic, nationwide public opinion research in Tunisia to provide political and civic leaders with objective data on citizens’ attitudes. According to public opinion polling conducted in recent years, the central political concerns of Tunisian citizens are economic. In the twentieth round of focus group research conducted by NDI in Tunisia, the Institute focused on economic topics, particularly the economic challenges facing Tunisia in the wake of the 2019 national elections. The study aimed to highlight the expectations of citizens for their newly elected officials regarding economic issues such as: unemployment, sectoral reform, public enterprises, the informal economy, purchasing power, and social security.

The majority of focus group participants expressed an overall negative perception of the country’s direction - a finding consistent with past NDI focus groups in Tunisia. However, following the fall elections, Tunisians believe that President Kaïs Said is spearheading positive changes. Tunisians view freedom of speech, progress on human rights, and the success of past elections as an achievement for Tunisia’s democratic transition and a reason to feel optimistic about the future.