Tunisia - World News Report Sponsored by Spar and Bernstein

Describes motivation process for creativity with emphasis on intrinsic motivation by Corey K Katir

Bird & Bird has moved to expand its African reach with a new association deal in Tunisia. The top 15 City firm has agreed an association with Tunisian law firm Dakhlaoui Avocats, which is led by former firm Gide Loyrette Nouel corporate and commercial lawyer Salah Dakhlaoui.

Mokhtar Trifi, president of the Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights, was extremely cheerful when we met for lunch recently. In a deliciously cool restaurant on a very hot day, he regaled me with stories of what happened after our last lunch, in February 2007. Following that meeting, I had written a column in which I quoted him asking me, in effect, why Americans did not promote democracy in Tunisia. Read full article >>

As fate would have it, I am in Davos, at the World Economic Forum, and not in Cairo. All around me is gloom. The markets are down. Oil is up. A thorny bundle of uncertainties has just been thrown at the fragile economic recovery – just as it was all going so well! The other night, I heard a famous economic pundit admit that someone had asked him only a few days earlier whether events in Tunisia had any significance for the world economy. No, he had said. None whatsoever. But now he was busily eating his words: If Egypt blows, anything could happen.Read full article >>

Violent street demonstrations, followed by the toppling of a dictator, are an exhilarating way to bring democracy to an authoritarian society. They are not, however, the best way to bring democracy to an authoritarian society.Read full article >>

Welcome to our rolling coverage of the reaction to elections in France and Greece on a big day for Europe.

By Tom Burgis, John Aglionby and Esther Bintliff in London with contributions from FT correspondents around the world. All times are London time.

This post should update automatically every few minutes, although it might take longer on mobile devices.

12.44 Borzou Daragahi, the FTas north Africa correspondent, reports on the response to the French election results in the Arab world:

Across a region undergoing tumultous change, many greeted the fall of Nicolas Sarkozy with glee, hopeful it would spell the end of French foreign policies considered too Atlantacist, pro-Israel and anti-immigrant.
Though many Libyans hailed Mr Sarkozy for his role in spearheading Natoas help in toppling Col Muammer Gaddafi, others remember his administrationas cozy ties with deposed Tunisian leader Zein el Abidine ben Ali and Egyptas former President Hosni Mubarak.
Ties between Tunisiaas new government, dominated by a coalition of Islamists and leftists, and France have grown particularly strained. In an interview with the FT in January, Islamist party leader Rachid Ghannouchi accused France of arrogantly giving Tunisia alessonsa on economic and social policy despite its own problems.

Mustapha Ben Jaafar on April 27, 2012. AFP PHOTO/ FETHI BELAIDFETHI BELAID/AFP/GettyImages

After Mr Sarkozyas defeat, Mustapha ben Jaafar, speaker of the Tunisian parliament and leader of the left-leaning Ettakatol party, hailed FranASSois Hollandeas arrival as way to update bilateral relations.
aWe are hopeful that the arrival of the Socialists will give impetus to the historically strong relationships between our two countries,a he said in a statement. aWith France, the new democratic Tunisia wants to build a true partnership that respects the values of freedom and human rights, based on a strategy of co-development and shared prosperity.a

12.22 The election results in Greece testify to widespread dissatisfaction with the countryas mainstream conservative and socialist parties. Voters have punished the political groups they see as jointly responsible for the economic crisis, with once marginal groups rapidly gaining ground.

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