TUNIS, Tunisia — President Kais Saied of Tunisia has officially taken the oath of office for a second term, following a prolonged period characterized by a series of arrests and a crackdown aimed at his political rivals.

After securing re-election with an impressive 90.7% of the votes, the 66-year-old former law educator emphasized the need for a “cultural revolution” during his inauguration address on Monday. He highlighted essential goals, including reducing unemployment, combating terrorism, and eliminating corruption, with the overarching purpose of establishing a nation where all individuals can live with dignity.

Saied’s re-election on October 7 followed a tumultuous initial term, during which he suspended the parliament, revised the country’s post-Arab Spring constitution, and imprisoned numerous critics across politics, journalism, business, and civil society. He has defended his actions as crucial measures to tackle corruption and counter elements perceived as hostile to the state, finding support among Tunisians dissatisfied with the previous administrations following the 2011 uprising that removed Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

In his speech, he made it clear he intends to pursue those he regards as “thieves and traitors on the payroll of foreigners,” and he attributed the challenges facing his administration to “counter-revolutionary forces” that he believes have obstructed efforts to bolster Tunisia’s faltering economy during his first term.

“The task was not easy. The dangers were great,” Saied remarked, likening the remnants of the old regime to “vipers” lurking in the shadows. He noted, “We could hear them hissing, even if we couldn’t see them.”

Despite his assurances about honoring freedoms within the country, numerous journalists encountered restrictions on their coverage of the inauguration event, provoking a statement from the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists. They expressed strong disapproval of the current policy of information blackout and limitations placed on journalistic activities in Tunisia, illustrating growing concerns over press freedoms in the country.