The Mattei Plan: Italy and Tunisia's cooperation allows the US to get a foothold in North Africa

On April 17, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid a visit to Tunisia, during which she announced direct support for the state budget of the northernmost Maghreb state for 50 million euros for energy efficiency and 55 million euros as part of a credit line to support small businesses in the African state.

This is Georgie Maloney's 4th trip to the country during her premiership (in office since October 2022).

External financial interventions will help stabilize Tunisia's economy, as the country's economic situation and citizens' overall well-being have changed negatively since President Kais Saied came to power in 2019.

This ultimately led to public discontent, which resulted in unrest that was brutally suppressed. President Saied began implementing an authoritarian model of political governance, dissolving parliament, and banning political parties in 2021.