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Hamza Meddeb
Fellow, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

about


Hamza Meddeb is a research fellow at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, where he co-leads the Political Economy Program. His research focuses on the political economy of Tunisia and North Africa, the politics of illicit transnational flows, governance, and corruption, as well as the development-security nexus.

Meddeb has also consulted for several international organizations on issues related to development policies, socioeconomic policy analysis, and fragility and conflicts. His commentaries have appeared in English, Arabic, and French in The Guardian, the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, Le Monde, Le Monde Diplomatique Al-Jazeera, Middle East Eye, and Assafir al-Arabi, among other outlets. Before joining Carnegie, Meddeb was a research fellow at the European University Institute in Florence and a Jean Monnet post-doctoral fellow at the institute. He holds a doctorate in political science from Sciences Po Paris, a Master’s degree in comparative politics and a Master’s degree in international economics from Paris X-Nanterre.

 


education
PhD,  Sciences-Po Paris , MA, Université ParisX-Nanterre
languages
Arabic, English, French

All work from Hamza Meddeb

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43 Results
article
Kais Saied’s Grip on Tunisia Comes at a High Cost

Tunisia’s extensive social expenditure has proven to be both unfair and inefficient, further worsening the country’s financial problems. However, this substantial spending has allowed Saied’s regime to buy time and keep the country afloat until the elections. Now that the elections are over, persisting with this approach risks fueling a vicious cycle that could lead to social instability.

· October 31, 2024
article
A Path Out of Tunisia’s Economic Crisis

President Kais Saied has won a second term in office, but his country is facing a host of problems that necessitate urgent reforms, above all preventing the possibility of a financial meltdown. 

· October 31, 2024
article
Tension and Collusion: State-Business Relations in Saied’s Tunisia

Unless Tunisia undertakes much deeper structural change, Saied’s modus vivendi with big business will lead to increasing economic gridlock.

· October 28, 2024
paper
Tunisia’s Economy in the Eye of the Storm

Tunisia’s vulnerability to financial crisis is clear from its economic performance in 2023. How can the country pull itself back from the edge?

· October 9, 2024
research
The Military and Private Business Actors in the Global South: The Politics of Market Access

The interaction of national armed forces and private business sectors offers a useful lens for viewing the politics of numerous countries of the so-called Global South. A rising trend of military political activism—often accompanied by military commercial activity—underlines the importance of drivers and outcomes in these relationships.

· August 19, 2024
video
Tunisia’s Transformation Into a Transit Hub: Illegal Migration and Policy Dilemmas

Several developments have contributed to Tunisia’s transformation into a transit point for African migrants, including its porous borders, inconsistent migration policies, the proliferation of xenophobic attitudes, and deteriorating economic conditions.

· May 21, 2024
paper
Tunisia’s Transformation Into a Transit Hub: Illegal Migration and Policy Dilemmas

Several developments have contributed to Tunisia’s transformation into a transit point for African migrants, including its porous borders, inconsistent migration policies, the proliferation of xenophobic attitudes, and deteriorating economic conditions.

· March 27, 2024
event
The World in Focus: Uncertainty and the Global Outlook for 2024
January 31, 2024

In order to explore the complexities of our rapidly changing world, the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center will examine pressing global issues through four engaging panel discussions in a one-day event, under the collective title, “The World in Focus: Uncertainty and the Global Outlook for 2024.”

paper
The Buildup to a Crisis: Current Tensions and Future Scenarios for Tunisia

Since 2011, Tunisia has been heading for a macroeconomic crisis—large deficits, shrinking fiscal space, and difficult negotiations with the IMF. In this election year, policymakers face high stakes: A hard economic adjustment risks sociopolitical crisis, but without correction, the country faces a future economic meltdown.

· January 23, 2024
event
Unveiling the Domestic and Geopolitical Consequences of Economic Failings in the MENA Region
January 16, 2024

The Middle East and North Africa have been hit by food, energy, and debt crises that have exacerbated structural economic weaknesses of low- and middle-incomes countries, particularly Egypt, Tunisia, and Lebanon.

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