Formal independence from France brought the recognition that industrialization was a crucial factor for national development, and both the Tunisian and Moroccan industrial bourgeoisies trace their origins to the 1960s. But despite these and other commonalities, the Tunisian and Moroccan postindependence industrial classes developed in distinct ways. The varied historical development of business–government relations and class structure is critical to explaining divergent patterns of business mobilization in the two countries in the 1990s. These divergent trajectories can best be explained by two factors that shaped policies regarding business after independence: the distinct social bases of the Tunisian and Moroccan independence movements, later reflected in state economic policies, and the size of their domestic markets, which affected the perceived feasibility of adopting protectionist trade measures.

STATE-BUILDING AND ECONOMIC ELITES IN TUNISIA

The Tunisian industrial class, for the most part, emerged after independence in 1956. The transition from colony to independent state constituted a sharp demarcation in the history of Tunisian business. Following independence, a new economic elite emerged that was only minimally rooted in the previous era. This new class owed its good fortune, if not its very existence, to the state. These parameters shaped business interests as well as the means by which business expressed its demands.

From Colonial Administration to State-Building: The Rise of the Single-Party State

The French occupation of Tunisia was designed to facilitate economic domination.