Tunisia's Ennahda should perform well in the elections

Significance

In mid-July, Ennahda leader Rachid Ghannouchi modified Ennahda’s parliamentary lists, putting himself at the head of the party’s list for the Tunis 1 constituency. These moves reflect the normalisation of Ennahda -- a former Muslim Brotherhood affiliate -- as a political party, and its electoral strategy in the face of the growing appeal of new populist forces.

Impacts

• Ennahda is hoping that the economic reforms undertaken since 2016 will pay off in the next term, vindicating its policies.
• Anger with the political elite is driving the rise of new populist political forces.
• Ennahda may lose some seats in the upcoming polls, but will retain a strong position due to its wide base and professionalism.