On the campaign trail in 2019, Kais Saied cemented the sobriquet “RoboCop” for his dour, mechanical demeanour. He has lived up to the nickname as president, methodically targeting Tunisia’s democratic institutions. In July he suspended parliament and much of the constitution. He has shifted the country towards a presidential system: though he named a prime minister in September, she is a neophyte, her powers circumscribed.

Now he has trained his sights on the judiciary. On February 6th Mr Saied threatened to dissolve the Supreme Judicial Council, a constitutional panel that recommends nominees for judgeships and oversees their work. In the president’s telling, it was hopelessly corrupt. “You cannot imagine the money that certain judges have been able to receive,” he said.