Tunisia: President Saied Limoges his Minister of Finance and appoints Michket Slama Khaldi

Tunisian President Kais Saied made a major decision in the night from Wednesday to Thursday by dismissing the Minister of Finance, Sihem Boughdiri Nemsia, without providing official explanations. It is replaced by Michket Slama Khaldi, magistrate and former president of the National Criminal Reconciliation Commission, according to a statement released on the Presidency’s Facebook page.

Images published shortly after midnight show the new minister taking oath at the Palais de Carthage, thus formalizing her position. This reshuffle intervenes in a particularly tense economic and social context in Tunisia.

So far, Michket Slama Khaldi has been responsible for supervising the recovery of diverted public funds, a mission that is part of the anti -corruption policy wanted by Kais Saied. His visit to the Ministry of Finance could mark a new orientation in the economic management of the country, while Tunisia faces a colossal debt and difficulties in obtaining international funding.

Urgent economic challenges

Since 2023, Tunisia has undergone frequent shortages of basic foodstuffs such as milk, sugar or semolina, aggravating popular discontent. More recently, some regions have experienced a lack of domestic gas cylinders, an essential product for many households.

In this climate of instability, the new minister must quickly reassure financial institutions and propose concrete solutions to relaunch a suffering economy. His appointment marks a turning point in the country’s economic policy, but remains to be seen whether it will be enough to appease the current crisis.