This is Beirut - Free Patriotic Movement

Municipal Elections 2025: Mount Lebanon Kicks Off the Race

Elie Ziadé, 03/05 14:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Amal Free Patriotic Movement Gebran Bassil Hezbollah Joseph Aoun

{{MAP:10}} The long-awaited municipal and mukhtar elections are finally underway in Lebanon, nine years after the last vote and following three postponements. On Sunday, May 4, 2025, 897,254 registered voters in Mount Lebanon will head to the polls, marking the start of the country’s electoral month. Traditionally active in both ...

Municipal Elections Set Stage for Legislative Showdown

Johnny Kortbawi, 02/05 15:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement Amal Hezbollah Lebanese Forces

The municipal elections, even indirectly, will have a significant impact on the upcoming parliamentary elections. Many of these coalitions may not endure, but they reveal how political actors are positioning themselves—not just in relation to their allies, but more tellingly, to their rivals. In Metn, the alliance between the Free Patriotic ...

Jbeil: A Pivotal Electoral Battle

Élie-Joe Kamel, 02/05 10:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces Jbeil municipal elections

The upcoming municipal elections in Jbeil are set to be crucial, with significant implications for both the city and the surrounding region. Jbeil, also known as Byblos, one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities and a UNESCO World Heritage site, plays a strategic role as Lebanon’s cultural, tourism, and economic hub. Its ...

Jounieh: An Electoral Battle That Reshapes National Alliances

Élie-Joe Kamel, 01/05 12:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces Hezbollah municipal elections Lebanon Jounieh

Jounieh’s upcoming municipal elections, scheduled for May 4, are shaping up to be a decisive political showdown. A broad coalition has formed to challenge the outgoing municipal council, which is closely aligned with the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM). The stakes are high in Jounieh, once hailed as the “pearl of the Mediterranean” and one of ...

Baabda-Louaizeh: Families, Parties and Clientelism

Paul Guillot, 30/04 14:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces Hezbollah municipal elections Lebanon Baabda-Louaizeh

On the eve of municipal elections in Baabda-Louaizeh, three competing lists are contending in a climate marked by family rivalries, sectarian tensions and shifting political alliances. Amid changing party loyalties, the clientelist influence of the village of Sebnay and a population eager for improved public services, Sunday’s vote could ...

New US Sanctions List to Reportedly Target Lebanese Politicians

This is Beirut, 29/04 17:10 - Reading : less than a minute

Free Patriotic Movement Gebran Bassil Hezbollah Washington Sanctions Lebanon

According to a Lebanese politician quoting an American official, “There is a new list of sanctions set to be announced soon, targeting political figures accused of corruption, others accused of financing Hezbollah, and a third group involved in money laundering and drug trafficking to fund the party.” The official reveals that Hezbollah is in ...

Municipal Elections in Batroun: A Shifting Political Landscape

Samar El-Kadi, 27/04 10:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces Gebran Bassil Hezbollah municipal elections Batroun

Nine years after they were last held—after a hiatus marked by repeated postponements—municipal elections in Lebanon are scheduled to take place over four consecutive Sundays beginning on May 4. The conditions under which the 2016 elections were conducted have changed dramatically. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group, has lost significant ...

Gebran Bassil: Navigating His Political Exit Strategies

Johnny Kortbawi, 29/03 09:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Gebran Bassil Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces Baalbeck Hezbollah

Gebran Bassil, the son-in-law of former President Michel Aoun, is hardly envied for his limited options, particularly with the upcoming parliamentary elections. He is growing increasingly concerned about the potential alliance between Majd Harb, son of former MP and Minister Boutros Harb, and the Lebanese Forces (LF) in Batroun, a partnership that ...

Ghada Aoun: Retirement Amid Judicial Controversies

Natasha Metni Torbey, 03/03 17:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Ghada Aoun Free Patriotic Movement Central Bank of Lebanon Judiciary Lebanon

She pursued her judicial campaign until the very last day before the official end of her tenure within the judiciary. On March 1, 2024, the prosecutor at the Mount Lebanon Court of Appeal, Ghada Aoun, who had been dismissed from her duties in May 2023 by the Judiciary’s Disciplinary Council, retired. True to her nature, however, she did not ...

Positive Atmosphere Marks First Half of Parliamentary Session

Lyne Sammouri , 25/02 15:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces UN Security Council Hezbollah Israel

The first round of the confidence debate has concluded. On Tuesday, Parliament gathered for a two‐day plenary session, with around 75 parliamentarians set to speak and vote on whether to grant confidence to the new government, known as the “rescue and reform government.” For the cabinet to commence work, it must secure the ...

Tug of War Ahead of Government Formation to Address Upcoming Challenges

Bassam Abou Zeid, 20/01 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces Amal Hezbollah

The process of forming the first government under the new presidential term remains focused on defining the qualifications and criteria for appointing ministers. While it is acknowledged that ministers cannot be entirely detached from political considerations—even if they are not directly affiliated with parties—the challenge lies in balancing ...

Non-Binding Consultations to Form Government Held in Berri’s Absence

This is Beirut, 15/01 22:04 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Amal Free Patriotic Movement Hezbollah Nawaf Salam government

Wednesday’s non-binding parliamentary consultations began with the notable absence of Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, who was expected to meet with Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam before the beginning of discussions with MPs. Instead, consultations were launched by Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab, who commended Salam’s ...

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