Najla Bouden Ramadhane, the first woman to serve as prime minister of an Arab League country, has been fired by Tunisia’s President Kais Saied.
Ramadhane was let go without explanation, according to a terse statement from the presidential office late on Tuesday. The professor from the engineering school was chosen by President Kais Saied to become Tunisia’s first female prime minister in September 2021.
Ahmed Hachani, a retired central bank official, was sworn in as her replacement on Tuesday night.
Due to the country’s economic problems, there are currently huge lineups for bread and shortages of basic supplies.
With a high unemployment rate, Tunisia is engulfed in its worst economic crisis in decades. Migrants traveling to Europe via the nation of North Africa frequently use this route.
In exchange for funding, the European Union and Tunisia agreed to a deal last month to curb irregular migration.
Tuesday’s statement from Saied stated that Hachani would take office “under special circumstances” and “great challenges.”
A rescue loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the amount of $1.9 billion is still outstanding.