Habib Bourguiba

Habib Bourguiba was a Tunisian nationalist leader who helped found the Neo-Destour movement and guided Tunisia’s transition from French protectorate to independence. He became the country’s first prime minister in 1956 and first president in 1957, leading a state-building program centered on education, legal reform, and modernization. His long presidency ended in 1987, when he was removed from office after decades of highly centralized rule.