The prime minister of Tunisia was the head of government of Tunisia from the creation of the office in 1759 until its abolition in 1957 with the proclamation of the republic. The office was revived in 1969 under the Republican system. There have been 44 prime ministers of Tunisia since the office came into existence in 1759.
The office existed before independence as the Monarch appoint a prime minister to be the head of government. Rejeb Khaznadar was the first prime minister in the history of Tunisia in 1759.
After the abolition of monarchy, the 1959 Constitution of Tunisia established a presidential system where the president was both the head of state and the head of government. In November 1969, President Habib Bourguiba brought back the position by appointing Bahi Ladgham to be the first prime minister under the republican system.
Before the 2011 revolution, the role of the prime minister was limited to assisting the president. With the adoption of the new constitution in 2014, the constitutional powers expanded, making the prime minister responsible of major domestic policies.
The youngest person to become prime minister was Mustapha Ben Ismail in 1878 at 28 years of age while the oldest was Beji Caid Essebsi in 2011 at 85 years of age. The term of Mohammed Aziz Bouattour (1882–1907) is the longest for a prime minister, with a period of nearly 25 years, while Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's term (1987) is the shortest with 36 days.
Three prime ministers became presidents afterwards: Habib Bourguiba, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and Beji Caid Essebsi.
There are currently eleven living former prime ministers. The most recent former prime minister to die is Rachid Sfar on 20 July 2023.
List of prime ministers
Monarchy Portrait Name Term of office Party Election Monarch 1 Rejeb Khaznadar • 12 February 1759 26 May 1782 Independent None Ali II 2 Moustapha Khodja • 26 May 1782 1800 Independent Hammouda I 3 Youssef Saheb Ettabaa • 1800 23 January 1815 Independent Othman I 4 Mohamed Larbi Zarrouk Khaznadar • 1815 1822 Independent Mahmoud I 5 Hussein Khodja • 1822 1829 Independent Hussein II 6 Shakir Saheb Ettabaa • 1829 1837 Independent Mustafa I 7 Mustapha Saheb Ettabaa • 1837 1855 Independent Ahmad I 8 Mustapha Khaznadar • 1855 22 October 1873 Independent Muhammad II 9 Hayreddin Pasha • 22 October 1873 21 July 1877 IndependentMuhammad III as-Sadiq 10 Mohammed Khaznadar • 21 July 1877 24 August 1878 Independent 11 Mustapha Ben Ismaïl • 24 August 1878 12 September 1881 Independent Mohammed Khaznadar • 12 September 1881 October 1882 Independent 12 Mohammed Aziz Bouattour • October 1882 4 February 1907 Independent Ali III Muhammad IV al-Hadi 13 M'hamed Djellouli • 18 February 1907 June 1908 IndependentMuhammad V an-Nasir 14 Youssef Djaït • June 1908 June 1915 Independent 15 Taïeb Djellouli • October 1915 May 1922 Independent 16 Mustapha Dinguizli • May 1922 20 October 1926 IndependentMuhammad VI al-Habib 17 Khelil Bouhageb • 3 November 1926 2 March 1932 Independent 18 Hédi Lakhoua • 2 March 1932 31 December 1942 Independent Ahmad II 19 Mohamed Chenik 1 1 January 1943 15 May 1943 Destour Muhammad VII al-Munsif 20 Slaheddine Baccouche 1 15 May 1943 21 July 1947 IndependentMuhammad VIII al-Amin 21 Mustapha Kaak • 21 July 1947 17 August 1950 Independent Mohamed Chenik 2 17 August 1950 26 March 1952 Destour Slaheddine Baccouche 2 12 April 1952 2 March 1954 Independent 22 Mohamed Salah Mzali • 2 March 1954 6 July 1954 Independent Office vacant (6 July 1954 – 7 August 1954)Secretary general of the government Georges Dupoizat was in charge of its affairs 23 Tahar Ben Ammar • 7 August 1954 11 April 1956 Destour None 24 Habib Bourguiba • 11 April 1956 25 July 1957 Neo Destour 1956
Republic No. Portrait Name Term of office Party Election President Office vacant (25 July 1957 – 7 November 1969)Presidential system: The president directs the government (Bourguiba government) 19591964Habib Bourguiba 25 Bahi Ladgham • 7 November 1969 2 November 1970 SDP 1969 26 Hédi Nouira • 2 November 1970 23 April 1980 SDP 19741979 27 Mohammed Mzali • 23 April 1980 8 July 1986 SDP 1981 28 Rachid Sfar • 8 July 1986 2 October 1987 SDP1986 29 Zine El Abidine Ben Ali • 2 October 1987 7 November 1987 SDP 30 Hédi Baccouche 123 7 November 1987 27 September 1989 DCRZine El Abidine Ben Ali 31 Hamed Karoui • 27 September 1989 17 November 1999 DCR 19891994 32 Mohamed Ghannouchi 12 17 November 1999 27 February 2011 DCR 199920042009 33 Beji Caid Essebsi • 27 February 2011 24 December 2011 Independent None Fouad Mebazaa 34 Hamadi Jebali • 24 December 2011 13 March 2013 Ennahda2011Moncef Marzouki 35 Ali Laarayedh • 13 March 2013https://www.reuters.com/article/world/new-tunisian-government-wins-assembly-approval-idUSBRE92C0KK/ 29 January 2014 Ennahda 36 Mehdi Jomaa • 29 January 2014 6 February 2015 Independent 37 Habib Essid • 6 February 2015 27 August 2016 Independent2014Beji Caid Essebsi 38 Youssef Chahed • 27 August 2016 27 February 2020 Nidaa Tounes Tahya Tounes Mohamed Ennaceur 39 Elyes Fakhfakh • 27 February 2020 2 September 2020 Ettakatol2019Kais Saied 40 Hichem Mechichi • 2 September 2020 25 July 2021 Independent Office vacant (25 July 2021 – 11 October 2021)The president directed the government temporarily after political crisis 41 Najla Bouden • 11 October 2021 1 August 2023 Independent2023 42 Ahmed Hachani • 1 August 2023 7 August 2024 Independent 43 Kamel Madouri • 7 August 2024 21 March 2025 Independent 44 Sara Zaafarani • 21 March 2025 Incumbent Independent
Statistics Monarchy Timeline
Rank by time in office
Rank Prime Minister Time in office 1 Mohammed Aziz Bouattour 2 Rejeb Khaznadar 3 Mustapha Khaznadar 4 Mustapha Saheb Ettabaa 5 Moustapha Khodja 6 Youssef Saheb Ettabaa 7 Hédi Lakhoua 8 Shakir Saheb Ettabaa 9 Youssef Djaït 9 Larbi Zarrouk Khaznadar 11 Hussein Khodja 12 Taïeb Djellouli 13 Khelil Bouhageb 14 Slaheddine Baccouche 5 years, 26 days 15 Mustapha Dinguizli 16 Kheireddine Pacha 17 Mustapha Kaak 18 Mustapha Ben Ismail 19 Mohammed Khaznadar 2 years, 53 days 20 Mohamed Chenik 1 years, 356 days 21 Tahar Ben Ammar 22 Habib Bourguiba 23 M'hamed Djellouli 24 Mohamed Salah Mzali
Republic Timeline
Rank by time in office
Rank Prime Minister Time in office 1 Mohamed Ghannouchi 2 Hamed Karoui 3 Hedi Nouira 4 Mohamed Mzali 5 Youssef Chahed 6 Hedi Baccouche 7 Najla Bouden 8 Habib Essid 9 Sara Zaafarani 10 Rachid Sfar 11 Hamadi Jebali 12 Mehdi Jomaa 13 Ahmed Hachani 14 Bahi Ladgham 15 Hichem Mechichi 16 Ali Laarayedh 17 Beji Caid Essebsi 18 Kamel Madouri 19 Elyes Fakhfakh 20 Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
See also Politics of Tunisia List of beys of Tunis List of French residents-general in Tunisia President of Tunisia List of presidents of Tunisia First Lady of Tunisia Prime Minister of Tunisia
Notes
References