Fouad Mebazaa (Arabic: فؤاد المبزع; born 15 June 1933) is a Tunisian public figure and longtime parliamentarian. He became widely known in 2011 when, as the senior parliamentary officer, he assumed the role of acting head of state during the upheaval that followed the fall of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. His tenure as interim president began on 15 January 2011 and ended on 13 December 2011.

Career and responsibilities

Mebazaa spent much of his life in legislative and public service roles. Before 2011 he was a prominent member of Tunisia's national institutions, serving in senior positions within the parliamentary system. As the constitutional successor to the presidency in the event of a vacancy, he stepped into a caretaker capacity charged with preserving state functions and enabling a political transition.

During his interim term he oversaw the immediate stabilization of government institutions, facilitated the organization of a constituent assembly process, and worked with domestic and international actors to restore constitutional order. On 13 December 2011 he transferred authority to the newly elected president, concluding the interim period that followed the revolution.

Affiliations and context

Mebazaa had been associated with the country's political establishment prior to 2011 and was seen primarily as a parliamentary leader rather than a partisan reformer. His assumption of the interim presidency was a constitutional measure intended to bridge the gap between the collapse of the previous regime and the emergence of a post-revolutionary government.

  • Born: 15 June 1933
  • Assumed interim office: 15 January 2011
  • Left office: 13 December 2011 (succeeded by the elected president)

Mebazaa's brief presidency is often discussed in studies of the Tunisian Revolution and democratic transition because it illustrates how constitutional mechanisms and experienced legislators can play a role in crisis management. For further reference on his role and the office he held, see sources describing his biography and Tunisia's political institutions: Tunisia context and the office of the President of Tunisia.