Napolitano, Tunisia example in the area, Italy must help

TUNIS - Tunisia is ''an example'' for the Arab Spring countries and must now strengthen its democratic institutions showing ''solidity and stability''. Italian President Giorgio Napolitano was positively impressed in the talks he had in Tunis on the first day of his visit to the country of the jasmine revolution. But it is also an increasingly poor country with Islamic fundamentalists trying to convert the poorest. Tunisia is determined to continue the ''balance'' it has reached between religion and public institutions. Therefore Italy must help this young Tunisian democracy, which has started an interesting constituent journey.

''People expect much of Italy, not just encouragement but concrete assistance because without help the institutional successes could be put at risk,'' admitted Napolitano after his meeting with President Moncef Marzouk and Premier Hamadi Jebali. (...)