Ahead of Tunisia's presidential election on October 6, May Abidi, a student in her 20s, can't contain her anger any longer.

She decided to join the first rally by the newly formed coalition of civil society groups and political parties — The Tunisian Network for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms — whose aim is to draw attention to what they fear is a surge of authoritarianism by the incumbent President Kais Saied.

It turned out to be the largest demonstration in years, with thousands of mainly young Tunisians taking to the streets in the capital, Tunis.

"We all came to demand an electoral feast of democracy like we had in 2019," Abidi told DW during the rally on September 13.

In 2019, people called for a change after some nine cabinets had failed to tackle the country's economic problems, unemployment and corruption.

In the country's second presidential election in 2019 — the first followed the 2011 uprising that had toppled long-term autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali — the former law professor and politically independent candidate Kais Saied won with a majority of 72% of the votes. He promised to tackle corruption, reform the country and provide a better future for young people.

However, five years later, the scorn of the young people is now increasingly turning against the 66-year-old president.

"Most of the young people who voted for Kais Saied in 2019........

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