Tunisia’s President Kais Saied dismissed Energy Minister Fatma Thabet on Tuesday, amid growing controversy over renewable energy projects set to be voted on in parliament.
Saied said he had appointed Housing and Infrastructure Minister Salah Eddine Zouari to temporarily oversee the ministry. No detailed explanation was provided for the decision.
The move comes as Saied's government seeks to pass draft laws on renewable energy, which will be put to a vote in parliament later on Tuesday.
The projects have a planned capacity of 600 megawatts, with 500 million euros ($585 million) as total investment.
Quest for clean energy
The projects are part of Tunisia’s efforts to expand clean energy production. Some lawmakers and political parties oppose the projects, describing them as a form of "energy colonisation."
They have criticised the exclusion of the state electricity company (STEG) from the contracts, which they say were awarded exclusively to foreign firms.
Fatma Thabet was appointed Minister of Industry, Energy, and Mines on 24 January 2024.
She formerly worked in the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Finance, including notably as Chief Inspector of Economic Affairs.
She was also the Director General of the Industry Rehabilitation Bureau at the Ministry of Industry and Small Businesses and represented the State on the Board of Directors of the Bank of Tunisia and the Emirates.
