Launch of the 39th Edition of the Enterprise Days
The 39th edition of the Enterprise Days was officially launched on Friday, December 12, by Samir Abdelhafidh, Minister of Economy and Planning, during an inaugural ceremony marked by the intervention of Dominique de Villepin, former French Prime Minister. In a lengthy speech before an audience of experts, entrepreneurs, and institutional officials from Tunisia and abroad, de Villepin presented his vision of Tunisia's strategic role in the new global economic order.
De Villepin's Vision for Tunisia
"Of all the strategies that work today, there is first the bet on the trading post," he affirmed, highlighting Tunisia's historical positioning as a Mediterranean hub based on mediation, agility, and attractiveness. According to him, the country could become a place for commercial, cultural, and financial exchanges, strengthened by the opening of its economy. In this context, the Tunisian financial sector plays a decisive role.
Recent Developments in the Tunisian Financial Sector
The Central Bank of Tunisia recently consolidated prudential regulation with three new circulars in 2025 to strengthen the resilience of the sector. It also launched a regulatory sandbox, aimed at supporting innovations in payment solutions and attracting regional players.
The Bet on Anchorage
De Villepin then presented the bet on anchorage, which consists of positioning Tunisia as a bridgehead between the two shores of the Mediterranean. "70% of our exports go to the European Union and 43% of our imports come from Europe, mainly from France, Germany, and Italy," he recalled. The former Prime Minister also emphasized that the recovered economic and social stability will stimulate investment, productivity, and industrialization, while attracting more European companies.
Innovation, a Lever for Growth in Tunisia
The third axis of his strategy is innovation, capitalizing on the quality of higher education and the dynamism of young Tunisian talents. He cited the example of InstaDip, a Tunisian startup founded in 2014 and specialized in decision-making artificial intelligence, acquired in 2023 by BioNTech for half a billion dollars. "Tunisia is already a regional hub that devotes more than twice as many resources to innovation as its Maghreb neighbors," he emphasized.
Opportunities and Challenges
With more than 1,500 startups and 17 promising scale-ups, the country has the opportunity to position itself as a key player in the regional technological ecosystem, provided it ensures the transition to scale and internationalization of capital.
Warning Against Three Impasses
On another level, de Villepin warned against three impasses to be avoided in the new global order: autarky, imperial logic, and identity battles. According to him, economic isolation is not a solution, the attempt at American supremacy under Donald Trump shows the limits of unilateral domination, and identity conflicts compromise cooperation and shared development.
Strategic Orientations for Regional Cooperation
For the former Prime Minister, Tunisia and its Mediterranean neighbors must adopt an approach of co-responsibility. He formulated five orientations:
- Exit the logic of aid and co-construct economic, climate, and digital norms
- Think in terms of neighborhood and develop common infrastructures around water, energy, logistics, and digital technology
- Strengthen the economic role of companies through stable rules, predictable justice, and clear objectives for job creation and investment
- Put territories and diasporas at the heart of concrete projects, including urban cooperation, educational programs, and industrial projects
- Articulate border control, talent circulation, and international cooperation to balance mobility and security
Conclusion
In his conclusion, de Villepin insisted on the transition from a relationship of dependence to a mature partnership relationship, adapted to contemporary challenges and the Mediterranean context.
