Incumbent Saied, accused by the opposition and civil society of authoritarianism, was re-elected with an overwhelming majority of 90.7 percent of ballots in a vote considered a foregone conclusion and rigged by the authorities.

The election was marked by a record abstention rate. The voter turnout was 28.8 percent, the lowest since the introduction of democracy in 2011, following the ousting of longtime autocrat Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali.

Some social media users also denounced the role played by the international community in Tunisia’s autocratic drift, especially the European Union, which is accused of turning a blind eye to Saied’s illiberal turn in exchange for his cooperation in preventing migration to Europe.