The central assumption of this study is that civil society in Tunisia is not experiencing disappearance or complete paralysis. It is rather experiencing what can be described as restricted continuity. Associations remain present in the field, but they operate in an environment that imposes increasing caution and often pushes them to revise their discourse, modify activities and rearrange their relationship with funding, partners and beneficiaries. Before July 25, 2021, many associative actors considered the civic work climate open or normal, despite known administrative and financial difficulties. Today, the data point to a clear shift in how this climate is perceived: it is increasingly seen as more restrictive and suspicious. This transformation does not only concern associations’ relationship with the administration; it also extends to the public image of civil society and to the way partners and beneficiaries interact with associations. The central thesis is that pressure on civil society does not always appear as a direct ban or an explicit legal dissolution. In many cases, it operates less visibly: through defamation, suspicion, funding disruption, partner hesitation and fear that activities will be politically interpreted. Together, these elements make associations rethink their language, visibility, files and modes of communication with their environment. For that reason, the situation of civil society should not be measured only by the number of registered associations or activities implemented. The most important indicator is whether these associations can work with relative freedom, express positions clearly, hold public policies accountable, and reach beneficiaries without fear, suspicion or permanent obstruction.
