On 25 July, Tunisia’s President Kaïs Saïed invoked the constitution to seize emergency powers after months of crisis, citing the collapse of many public services and destruction of government property as justification. The next day, he cited the same article to dismiss Hichem Mechichi, the prime minister and interim interior minister. These actions have triggered the worst political crisis in Tunisia since the 2011 revolution that brought down its autocratic leader, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, in the first of the Arab uprisings.

In this Q&A, Crisis Group expert Riccardo Fabiani says compromise between Saïed and his parliamentary opponents remains possible, but so does grave violence.