Vicinato, democrazia e politica cross-border nel Mediterraneo. Italiani e tunisini (migranti e non)

Citizens’ political life within mobility frames of reference is a precious topic. Actually, it reveals the links between global societies and demo- cratic challenges, grasps identity and citizenship’s changing, and tou- ches on a crucial point of Mediterranean relations. When compared with the migrations’ descriptions given by the main- stream literature on the subject we were accustomed to, the peculiarly new character of contemporary mobility requires a new approach being able to make the connection between the disparate scales and contexts in which processes occur and the scenarios involving global issues, like the so called ‘political globalization’. The issue at stake is no more the relation between states as guarantors of rights within their boundaries, but it is the other way round: from the point of view of mobile citizens and their possibility to have access to rights no matter where they are. In such perspective, the case study of the participation of Tunisians re- sident abroad (namely, in Italy) to the elections held in Tunisia in 2014 represents a meaningful test-bed already grounded on long term, though neglected, relations between the two countries. In putting the case in historical perspective, present essay’s aim is to point out the precious insights this case offers with regard to contemporary dilemmas, like the young’s distrust of politics and democracy combined with their desire of mobilisation, generated by the unfulfilled demands for belonging and political participation.