List of prime ministers of Tunisia
There have been 15 Prime Ministers of Tunisia since the office came into existence in 1969. The position existed before independence as the King of Tunisia appointed a grand vizier to be the head of government. However, it was abolished when the Republic was proclaimed in 1957. The 1959 Constitution of Tunisia established a presidential system where the president was both the chief of state and the chief of government. On November 1969, President Habib Bourguiba brought back the position by appointing Bahi Ladgham to be the first Prime Minister under the Republican system.
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Before the 2011 revolution the role of the prime minister was limited to assisting the president. With the adoption of the new constitution in 2014, the constitutional powers expanded, making the Prime minister responsible of major domestic policies.
The youngest person to become prime minister was Youssef Chahed at 40 years of age while the oldest was Beji Caid Essebsi at 85 years of age. Two prime ministers —Mohamed Ghannouchi and Youssef Chahed— served under more than one president.
Two prime ministers became presidents afterwards : Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (1987–2011) and Beji Caid Essebsi (2014–2019).
There are currently seven living former prime ministers. The most recent former prime minister to die was Hamed Karoui on 27 March 2020.
Prime Ministers
SDP/DCR (8) Ennahda (2) Nidaa Tounes (1) Tahya Tounes (1) Ettakatol[1] (1) | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Premiership | Prime Minister | Prior public office | Party | Election | President[2] | |||
1 | 7 November 1969 – 2 November 1970 |
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Bahi Ladgham 10 January 1913 – 13 April 1998 (Lived 85 years) |
Minister of Defence (1968) |
SDP | 1969 | Habib Bourguiba | |
2 | 2 November 1970 – 23 April 1980 |
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Hedi Nouira 5 April 1911 – 25 January 1993 (Lived 81 years) |
Minister of Finance (1955–1958) |
SDP | |||
1974 | ||||||||
1979 | ||||||||
3 | 23 April 1980 – 8 July 1986 |
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Mohammed Mzali 23 December 1925 – 23 June 2010 (Lived 84 years) |
Minister of Education (1976–1980) |
SDP | |||
1981 | ||||||||
4 | 8 July 1986 – 2 October 1987 |
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Rachid Sfar 11 September 1933 |
Minister of Finance (1986) |
SDP | |||
1986 | ||||||||
5 | 2 October 1987 – 7 November 1987 |
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Zine El Abidine Ben Ali 3 September 1936 – 19 September 2019 (Lived 83 years) |
Minister of Interior (1986–1987) |
SDP | |||
6 | 7 November 1987 – 27 September 1989 |
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Hedi Baccouche 15 January 1930 – 21 January 2020 (Lived 90 years) |
Minister of Social affairs (1987) |
SDP | Zine El Abidine Ben Ali | ||
DCR | 1989 | |||||||
7 | 27 September 1989 – 17 November 1999 |
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Hamed Karoui 30 December 1927 – 27 March 2020 (Lived 92 years) |
Minister of Justice (1987) |
DCR | |||
1994 | ||||||||
8 | 17 November 1999 – 27 February 2011 |
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Mohamed Ghannouchi 18 August 1941 |
Minister of Finance (1991–1992) |
DCR | 1999 | ||
2004 | ||||||||
2009 | ||||||||
Independent | Tunisian parliament dissolved | Fouad Mebazaa | ||||||
9 | 27 February 2011 – 24 December 2011 |
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Beji Caid Essebsi 29 November 1926 – 25 July 2019 (Lived 92 years) |
6th Speaker of the Chamber of deputies (1990–1991) |
Independent | |||
10 | 24 December 2011 – 14 March 2013 |
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Hamadi Jebali 12 January 1949 |
No prior public office held | Ennahda | 2011 | Moncef Marzouki | |
11 | 14 March 2013 – 29 January 2014 |
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Ali Laarayedh 15 August 1955 |
Minister of the Interior (2011–2013) |
Ennahda | |||
12 | 29 January 2014 – 6 February 2015 |
Mehdi Jomaa 21 March 1962 |
Minister of Industry (2013–2014) |
Independent | ||||
13 | 6 February 2015 – 27 August 2016 |
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Habib Essid 1 June 1949 |
Minister of the Interior (2011) |
Independent | 2014 | Beji Caid Essebsi | |
14 | 27 August 2016 – 27 February 2020 |
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Youssef Chahed 18 September 1975 |
Minister of Local Affairs (2016) |
Nidaa Tounes | |||
Tahya Tounes | ||||||||
15 | 27 February 2020 – present |
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Elyes Fakhfakh 1972 |
Minister of Finance (2013–2014) Minister of Tourism (2011–2013) |
Ettakatol | 2019 | Kais Saied |
Rank by time in office
![]() Mohamed Ghannouchi Longest premiership: 11 years, 102 days 1999–2011 |
![]() Zine El Abidine Ben Ali Shortest premiership: 36 days 1987 |
Rank | Prime Minister | Time in office |
---|---|---|
1 | Mohamed Ghannouchi | 11 years, 102 days |
2 | Hamed Karoui | 10 years, 51 days |
3 | Hedi Nouira | 9 years, 173 days |
4 | Mohamed Mzali | 6 years, 76 days |
5 | Youssef Chahed | 3 years, 184 days |
6 | Hedi Baccouche | 1 year, 324 days |
7 | Habib Essid | 1 year, 203 days |
8 | Rachid Sfar | 1 year, 86 days |
9 | Hamadi Jebali | 1 year, 80 days |
10 | Mehdi Jomaa | 1 year, 8 days |
11 | Bahi Ladgham | 360 days |
12 | Ali Laarayedh | 321 days |
13 | Beji Caid Essebsi | 300 days |
14 | Elyes Fakhfakh | 113 days |
15 | Zine El Abidine Ben Ali | 36 days |
Notes
- https://www.jeuneafrique.com/mag/893439/politique/tunisie-la-garde-rapprochee-delyes-fakhfakh-charge-de-former-le-prochain-gouvernement/
- Name of the president who appointed the Prime minister