List of prime ministers of Tunisia

The prime minister of Tunisia is the head of government of Tunisia since the creation of the office in 1759 till 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 King of Tunisia appointed 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. On 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 seven living former prime ministers. The most recent former prime minister to die is Hamed Karoui on 27 March 2020.

List of prime ministers

Monarchy

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Party		Election		Monarch (Bey / King)
1		Rejeb Khaznadar رجب خزندار (c. 1720–1797)	•	12 February 1759	26 May 1782		Independent	None		Ali II علي الثاني   (1759–1782)
2		Moustapha Khodja مصطفى خوجة (c. 1720–1800)	•	26 May 1782	1800		Independent			Hammouda I حمودة الأول   (1782–1814)
3		Youssef Saheb Ettabaa يوسف صاحب الطابع (c. 1765–1815)	•	1800	23 January 1815		Independent			Othman I عثمان الأول   (1814)
4		Mohamed Larbi Zarrouk Khaznadar محمد العربي زروق خزندار (1760–1822)	•	1815	1822		Independent			Mahmoud I محمود الأول   (1814–1824)
5		Hussein Khodja حسين خوجة (c.1780–1857)	•	1822	1829		Independent			Hussein II حسين الثاني   (1824–1835)
6		Shakir Saheb Ettabaa شاكير صاحب الطابع (c. 1790–1837)	•	1829	1837		Independent			Mustafa I مصطفى الأول   (1835–1837)
7		Mustapha Saheb Ettabaa مصطفى صاحب الطابع (1784–1861)	•	1837	1855		Independent			Ahmad I أحمد الأول   (1837–1855)
8		Mustapha Khaznadar مصطفى خزندار (1817–1878)	•	1855	22 October 1873		Independent			Muhammad II محمد الثاني   (1855–1859)
9		Kheireddine Pacha خير الدين باشا التونسي (1822–1890)	•	22 October 1873	21 July 1877		Independent			Muhammad III as-Sadiq محمد الثالث الصادق   (1859–1882)
10		Mohammed Khaznadar محمد خزندار (c. 1810–1889)	•	21 July 1877	24 August 1878		Independent
11		Mustapha Ben Ismail مصطفى بن اسماعيل (c. 1850–1887)	•	24 August 1878	12 September 1881		Independent
12		Mohammed Khaznadar محمد خزندار (c. 1810–1889)	•	12 September 1881	October 1882		Independent
13		Mohammed Aziz Bouattour محمد العزيز بوعتور (1825–1907)	•	October 1882	4 February 1907		Independent			Ali III علي الثالث   (1882–1902)
										Muhammad IV al-Hadi محمد الرابع الهادي   (1902–1906)
14		M'hamed Djellouli امحمّد جلولي (1834–1908)	•	18 February 1907	June 1908^[a]		Independent			Muhammad V an-Nasir محمد الخامس الناصر   (1906–1922)
15		Youssef Djaït يوسف جعيط (1830–1915)	•	June 1908	June 1915		Independent
16		Taïeb Djellouli الطيب جلولي (1857–1944)	•	October 1915	May 1922		Independent
17		Mustapha Dinguizli مصطفى الدنقزلي (1865–1926)	•	May 1922	20 October 1926^[a]		Independent			Muhammad VI al-Habib محمد السادس الحبيب   (1922–1929)
18		Khelil Bouhageb خليل بوحاجب (1863–1942)	•	3 November 1926	2 March 1932		Independent
19		Hédi Lakhoua الهادي الأخوة (1872–1949)	•	2 March 1932	31 December 1942		Independent			Ahmad II أحمد الثاني   (1929–1942)
20		Mohamed Chenik محمد شنيق (1889–1976)	1	1 January 1943	15 May 1943		Destour			Muhammad VII al-Munsif محمد السابع المنصف   (1942–1943)
21		Slaheddine Baccouche صلاح الدين البكوش (1883–1959)	1	15 May 1943	21 July 1947		Independent			Muhammad VIII al-Amin محمد الثامن الأمين   (1943–1957)
22		Mustapha Kaak مصطفى الكعاك (1893–1984)	•	21 July 1947	17 August 1950		Independent
23		Mohamed Chenik محمد شنيق (1889–1976)	2	17 August 1950	26 March 1952		Destour
24		Slaheddine Baccouche صلاح الدين البكوش (1883–1959)	2	12 April 1952	2 March 1954		Independent
25		Mohamed Salah Mzali محمد صالح مزالي (1896–1984)	•	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
26		Tahar Ben Ammar الطاهر بن عمار (1889–1985)	•	7 August 1954	11 April 1956		Destour
27		Habib Bourguiba الحبيب بورقيبة (1903–2000)	•	11 April 1956	25 July 1957^[b]		Neo Destour	1956

Republic

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Party		Election		President
Office vacant (25 July 1957 – 7 November 1969) Presidential system : The president directs the government (Bourguiba government)								1959 1964	Habib Bourguiba الحبيب بورقيبة   (1957–1987)
28		Bahi Ladgham الباهي الأدغم (1913–1998)	•	7 November 1969	2 November 1970		SDP	1969
29		Hédi Nouira الهادي نويرة (1911–1993)	•	2 November 1970	23 April 1980		SDP	1974 1979
30		Mohammed Mzali محمد مزالي (1925–2010)	•	23 April 1980	8 July 1986		SDP	1981
31		Rachid Sfar رشيد صفر (b. 1933)	•	8 July 1986	2 October 1987		SDP	1986
32		Zine El Abidine Ben Ali زين العابدين بن علي (1936–2019)	•	2 October 1987	7 November 1987		SDP
33		Hédi Baccouche الهادي البكوش (1930–2020)	1 2 3	7 November 1987	27 September 1989		DCR			Zine El Abidine Ben Ali زين العابدين بن علي   (1987–2011)
34		Hamed Karoui حامد القروي (1927–2020)	•	27 September 1989	17 November 1999		DCR	1989 1994
35		Mohamed Ghannouchi محمد الغنوشي (b. 1941)	1 2	17 November 1999	27 February 2011		DCR	1999 2004 2009
36		Beji Caid Essebsi الباجي قائد السبسي (1926–2019)	•	27 February 2011	24 December 2011		Independent	None		Fouad Mebazaa فؤاد المبزع   (2011)
37		Hamadi Jebali حمادي الجبالي (b. 1949)	•	24 December 2011	14 March 2013		Ennahda	2011		Moncef Marzouki المنصف المرزوقي   (2011–2014)
38		Ali Laarayedh علي العريض (b. 1955)	•	14 March 2013	29 January 2014		Ennahda
39		Mehdi Jomaa مهدي جمعة (b. 1962)	•	29 January 2014	6 February 2015		Independent
40		Habib Essid الحبيب الصيد (b. 1949)	•	6 February 2015	27 August 2016		Independent	2014		Beji Caid Essebsi الباجي قائد السبسي   (2014–2019)
41		Youssef Chahed يوسف الشاهد (b. 1975)	•	27 August 2016	27 February 2020		Nidaa Tounes
							Tahya Tounes			Mohamed Ennaceur محمد الناصر   (2019)
42		Elyes Fakhfakh إلياس الفخفاخ (b. 1972)	•	27 February 2020	2 September 2020		Ettakatol^[1]	2019		Kais Saied قيس سعيد   (2019–)
43		Hichem Mechichi هشام المشيشي (b. 1974)	•	2 September 2020	25 July 2021		Independent
Office vacant (25 July 2021 – 11 October 2021) The president directs the government temporarily
44		Najla Bouden نجلاء بودن (b. 1958)	•	11 October 2021	Incumbent		Independent	None

Statistics

Monarchy

Timeline

Rank by time in office

Mohammed Aziz Bouattour Longest term: 24 years, 98 days 1882–1907

Mohamed Salah Mzali Shortest term: 126 days 1954

Rank	Prime Minister	Time in office
1	Mohammed Aziz Bouattour	24 years, 98 days
2	Rejeb Khaznadar	23 years, 103 days
3	Mustapha Khaznadar	18 years, 294 days
4	Mustapha Saheb Ettabaa	18 years, 0 days
5	Moustapha Khodja	17 years, 220 days
6	Youssef Saheb Ettabaa	15 years, 22 days
7	Hédi Lakhoua	10 years, 304 days
8	Shakir Saheb Ettabaa	8 years, 0 days
9	Youssef Djaït	7 years, 122 days
9	Larbi Zarrouk Khaznadar	7 years, 0 days
11	Hussein Khodja	7 years, 0 days
12	Taïeb Djellouli	6 years, 212 days
13	Khelil Bouhageb	5 years, 120 days
14	Slaheddine Baccouche	5 years, 26 days^[c]
15	Mustapha Dinguizli	4 years, 172 days
16	Kheireddine Pacha	3 years, 272 days
17	Mustapha Kaak	3 years, 27 days
18	Mustapha Ben Ismail	3 years, 19 days
19	Mohammed Khaznadar	2 years, 53 days^[c]
20	Mohamed Chenik	1 years, 356 days^[c]
21	Tahar Ben Ammar	1 year, 248 days
22	Habib Bourguiba	1 year, 105 days
23	M'hamed Djellouli	1 year, 104 days
24	Mohamed Salah Mzali	126 days

Republic

Timeline

Rank by time in office

Mohamed Ghannouchi Longest term: 11 years, 102 days 1999–2011

Zine El Abidine Ben Ali Shortest term: 36 days 1987

Rank	Prime Minister	Time in office
1	Mohamed Ghannouchi	11 years, 102 days
2	Hamed Karoui	10 years, 51 days
3	Hedi Nouira	9 years, 173 days
4	Mohamed Mzali	6 years, 76 days
5	Youssef Chahed	3 years, 184 days
6	Hedi Baccouche	1 year, 324 days
7	Najla Bouden	1 year, 234 days
8	Habib Essid	1 year, 203 days
9	Rachid Sfar	1 year, 86 days
10	Hamadi Jebali	1 year, 80 days
11	Mehdi Jomaa	1 year, 8 days
12	Bahi Ladgham	360 days
13	Hichem Mechichi	326 days
14	Ali Laarayedh	321 days
15	Beji Caid Essebsi	300 days
16	Elyes Fakhfakh	188 days
17	Zine El Abidine Ben Ali	36 days

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

1. Died in office.
2. Parliament voted to abolish the monarchy and appoint him as president.
3. Two separate terms.

References

1. "Tunisie : La garde rapprochée d'Elyes Fakhfakh, chargé de former le prochain gouvernement – Jeune Afrique". 14 February 2020.