The Tunisian elections of October 2011: a democratic consensus

In October 2011, Tunisia held its first free and fair elections since independence was gained in 1956. In January the authoritarian ruler, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali had fled the country, following a month of sustained and widespread popular protest. This article charts the political process from that moment through to the conclusion of the electoral processes, demonstrating the key roles played by an historical legacy of socially embedded institutionalism and an inclusive – if not universal – consensus on the desirability of democratic transition in determining the outcomes.