[EVENT] "Towards a New Arabism", President Bourguiba proposes new customs, industrial unions for the Maghreb, Arab world

[u/DerCringeMeister]

Habib Bourguiba has likely ruffled a deal of feathers in a recently made speech, where he denounced 'overly romantic' views of 'centralized Arab Empire'. He claimed that the vision, heavily implied to be Nasserism and Baathism, has failed the Arab people, and that 'measured steps grounded in reality' were needed to achieve the 'dream of a reunified, prosperous, and just Arabia'.

He proposed a two tiered plan to achieve this. First, the differing parts of the Arab World would integrate themselves by geography 'for what works for Tunisia does not necessarily work for Tikrit.'. Then once these blocs were built and integrated, barriers torn down, each could merge with one another over 'a long, valiant struggle lasting for generations, to benefit future generations'. In line with this thinking, he has proposed that the nations of the Maghreb, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria and Morocco, come first under a Magrebi Arab Customs Union (MACU) and Magbrebi Arab Industrial Union (MAIU). The first would extend free trade and common external tariffs among members (barring oil, perhaps), while the second would extend to industrial goods akin to the European Coal and Steel Community. Both, it is hoped, will lift all nations involved to be models for the Arab World.

He made a call to action to the leaders of these nations to establish these and more by the end of the decade.

[u/TheIpleJonesion]

The Kingdom of Morocco has signaled cautious support for Bourguiba's vision.

[u/DerCringeMeister → u/TheIpleJonesion]

Tunisia is willing, to make it viable, to diplomatically work to mend ties between Morocco and Algeria if both mutually agree.