Politics After more than two years: Lebanon has a new government
Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam has formed the long-awaited new government of the war-torn country. No members of the Shiite militia Hezbollah or its allies are represented in the 24-member cabinet, a government spokesman announced.
08.02.2025, 17:51
SDA
The government, which consists mainly of experts and technocrats - including five women - will focus on reforms and the country's severely ailing economy, said Salam. "Reforms are the only way to save the country," he explained. His government would try to restore trust between the citizens and the state, between Lebanon and its Arab neighbors and between Lebanon and the international community.
Morgan Ortagus, the US deputy special envoy for the Middle East, emphasized on Friday after a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun that Hezbollah and its allies should not be allowed to play a role in the new government. "We have drawn clear red lines in the US so that it will no longer be able to tyrannize the Lebanese people, including as part of the government," said Ortagus on the role of the Shia militia.
Hezbollah as a state within a state
Lebanon has suffered from political paralysis over the past two years and has been administered by an interim government. Recently, the feuding parties were able to agree on a head of state with President Aoun.
The formation of a government was made more difficult by the fact that there are clear rules for the participation of the various religious groups in the country.
Political stability is urgently needed to tackle the country's economic and social problems. Prior to the recent war with Israel, Hezbollah, which is allied with Iran and acts as a state within a state, also played a dominant role.
In Lebanon, which is divided along confessional lines, power is traditionally divided among the religious groups according to a proportional representation system. Accordingly, the president should always be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni and the speaker of parliament a Shiite.
Israeli air strikes continue
The full implementation of the ceasefire agreement reached between Hezbollah and Israel in November is still a long way off. According to the agreement, the militia is to leave its positions in the south of the country. The Lebanese army is to take control there. However, Israeli forces are currently still stationed in the south of the country. In addition, there are repeated Israeli air strikes.
