TUNIS (Reuters) – The European Union said on Friday it was ready to lend Tunisia 500 million euros in 2016-2017 to cope with its economic difficulties, weeks after violent protests erupted in the North Africa country to demand jobs.

Tunisia has been hailed as the success story of the 2011 Arab Spring revolts for its transition to democracy, but economic development and reforms have failed to keep pace with the political changes since the fall of autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali.

(Reporting by Tarek Amara; editing by Patrick Markey and Kevin Liffey)