''When we talk about democracy we refer to the council of the Shura, at the government according to the will of the people'', added the elderly president of the Tunisian Islamic party. The party announced last July at its 10th congress that it would historically severe ties with ''political Islam'' to distance itself from extremism and jihadism.
Ghannouchi spoke about this at a meeting in a room at the Italian Senate, where he however called for a more concrete engagement by Italy and Europe to support Tunisia and its model of inclusive democracy which he defined as a ''fortress'' on the southern shore of the Mediterranean against terrorism in the region. ''If the Tunisian model falls into the hands of terrorism - he warned - it will also be a danger for the northern shore of the Mediterranean''.
Up until now, the ''engagements taken by the EU have not been respected - he denounced - we have been abandoned to ourselves.
With Nobel peace prizes - he also said, referring to the prize awarded in 2015 to the 'Quartet' for Tunisian national dialogue - you don't give bread and jobs to the young. Democracy needs development and economic and financial support, its first enemy is desperation. For this reason, I wish for a wider participation of investors in the International Conference of Tunis'' on November 29-30.
''At the origins of terrorism - stressed Ghannouchi - there is also lack of development and the antibiotic against this evil are the values of democracy. Ennahda, whose name means 'renaissance', like the Italian one, is the first party of 'democratic Muslims', similar to 'Christian democrats'. We have carried out a strategic change, an avant-garde one, for a true partnership with moderate secular parties, against the extremism of Islamic and secular movements''.
Ghannouchi - who then met with Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni - stressed that his party has given up power in 2013 for the good of the country, and now takes part in the national unity government led by Youssef Chahed. ''We have not chosen the opposition but participation in the government - he said - because in a young democracy, governing with 51% is not enough, wider consensus is necessary''.
And he set Ennahda apart from the Muslim brothers in Egypt and Erdogan's Akp in Turkey. ''There is no pope in Islam - he recalled - there are many interpretations and we are not tied to others nor responsible for what they do. There is diversity and pluralism in Islam. And there are differences also within Ennahda, but in the end what counts is the majority's vote''.
Finally - after expressing appreciation for the gradual path towards democratization chosen by the king of Morocco - he spoke about chaos and civil war in Libya, from which Tunisia fears infiltrations and destabilizing inflows and where many Tunisians were recruited by ISIS. ''We support the Sarraj government recognized by the UN - he concluded - but there are conflicts also in Tripoli''. (ANSAmed).
