(AGI) Rome, Oct. 9 - The Tunisian national dialogue quartet haswon the 2015 Nobel peace prize, a tribute to the onlysuccessful democratic transition of the Arab Spring and amessage of hope for the entire Middle East. The choice meansthat an array of high-profile nominees including Angela Merkeland Pope Francis were beaten. The Committee of Oslo has decidedto reward the Tunisian civil society for its role in thedemocratic process. The dialogue began in 2013 betweenIslamists of Ennahda and secular forces and culminated in a newConstitution and the birth of a secular technocrat government.The quartet consists of four organisations: the unionfederation UGTT, the employers' institute, the Tunisian humanrights league and the order of lawyers. The committee said thatthe Tunisian coalition had made a "decisive contribution to thebuilding of a pluralistic democracy" and that it had helped toprevent the 2011 Jasmine revolution from descending into chaos.Despite two recent bloody attacks and a still fragiledemocratic process, Tunisia is the only country to emergevictorious from the Arab revolutions of four years ago - whichstarted in that country. "It's a great joy and a reason to beproud for Tunisia, but offers also hope to the Arab world,"said the head of the UGTT union, Houcine Abassi, who added thatthe dialogue is "on the right track". Tunisia's President BejiCaid Essebsi said the award recognised the country's decisionto choose the "path of consensus". Essebsi, along with theleader of Ennahda, Rashid Ghannouchi, was the architect of thequartet of dialogue, which was founded at a meeting in Pariswhere the Islamists had accepted the possibility of losingpower. This did in fact happen but in a peaceful way,unprecedented in the Arab world. The reactions to theannouncement of the Nobel Peace Prize have all been positive.Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said it was "wonderful newsfor the Mediterranean". "It shows the way out of the crisis forthe region: national unity and democracy," added FedericaMogherini for the EU. Angela Merkel, who was favourite due toher commitment to the refugees, said the choice was "awell-deserved recognition of their commitment to democracy, tothe idea that people who reject dictatorship deserve betterthan another dictatorship." (AGI).