Why were Alassane Ouattara’s austerity measures unpopular?

When Alassane Ouattara served as prime minister under President Félix Houphouët-Boigny in the early 1990s, he was tasked with addressing a severe economic crisis that had gripped Côte d’Ivoire for several years.12

To stabilize the nation's finances, Ouattara implemented strategies that focused on privatization efforts and significant reductions in governmental expenses. These austerity measures were unpopular because they involved cutting public spending and restructuring the economy during a period of recession, which placed a direct financial burden on the population.21

While these policies were intended to meet international lender conditions for debt repayment and facilitate economic recovery, they were met with public resistance due to the immediate hardships they imposed on citizens.12