Tunisia summons EU envoy over meeting with union leader amid civil society crackdown

Tunisian President Kais Saied has summoned the European Union’s ambassador to Tunis, accusing him of breaching diplomatic protocol after the envoy met with the head of the country’s most influential trade union earlier this week.

The move underscores mounting tensions between Tunisia’s leadership and international partners over the government’s escalating restrictions on civil society.

EU ambassador Giuseppe Perrone met on Monday with Noureddine Taboubi, the long-serving chief of the UGTT, Tunisia’s powerful labour union and a central player in the country’s modern political history.

The EU mission said the meeting underscored the bloc’s respect for the UGTT’s Nobel Peace Prize–winning role in mediating Tunisia’s 2015 national dialogue and reaffirmed its commitment to cooperating with local civil-society organisations.

But President Saied reacted sharply. In a statement issued Wednesday, the presidency said Saied had delivered a “strongly worded protest” to Ambassador Perrone, accusing him of “failing to adhere to diplomatic protocols and acting outside official channels”.

Tunisian state media reported that Saied warned foreign missions against what he views as interference in the country’s internal affairs.

The dispute comes as Tunisia faces growing criticism over a sweeping crackdown on civil society groups. Dozens of organisations have been suspended or forced to halt operations in recent months, including Democratic Women, Nawaat Journalists, and the Economic and Social Forum—institutions long regarded as pillars of public debate and rights advocacy.

Analysts say the president’s latest confrontation with the EU reflects his increasingly combative stance toward independent institutions, trade unions and foreign partners as Tunisia confronts economic strain and political isolation.

Brussels has not yet formally responded to the summons, though EU officials have previously expressed concern over shrinking civic space in the North African nation.

With the UGTT’s influence still considerable and relations with Europe strained, observers warn that Saied’s escalation risks deepening Tunisia’s diplomatic rifts at a time when economic and security cooperation with international allies remains crucial.