On Thursday, Lebanon named former leader Saad Hariri as its Prime Minister, a year after he stepped down from the post following nationwide protests and unrest over a dooming economic crisis that ultimately led to the expulsion of his government.
His return comes as the country tries to survive its most tumultuous period in modern history: tackling a massive economic struggle, the pandemic, and mounting violence and unrest over sectarian politics followed by static political elites. Public anger and turmoil were exacerbated by the massive explosion at a crucial port in Beirut in August which destroyed large parts of the capital, leading to demonstrations demanding an overhaul of the political system. According to the World Bank, $4.6 billion was lost in material damage and $3.2 billion in associated economic losses due to the explosion.
Following a stagnant political process in the aftermath of the blast, Hariri’s return was increasingly being seen as inevitable. The leader, who himself is the son of slain ex-PM Rafik Hariri, was ousted from his post last year and replaced by Hassan Diab. The latter tendered his resignation after investigations found state negligence to be the underlying cause of the Beirut port incident. His temporary replacement, Mustapha Adib, also quit after failing to form a new non-partisan emergency government, landing a heavy blow to French President Emmanuel Macron’s efforts to rally the country’s political leaders in tackling the crisis.
At the time, Macron blasted the Iran-backed Shia paramilitary group Hezbollah for sabotaging the French-led effort by Adib, a Sunni Muslim. Along with the Amal movement, which is the largest Shia party, Hezbollah members of parliament had been seeking to control the finance ministry under the proposed reforms, leading to concerns from the United States (US) and its allies that Hezbollah leadership would give Iran proxy leverage at the helm of a crucial ministry in Beirut. Macron said, “I am ashamed of your political leaders... We are entering a new phase where the risks are higher for Lebanon and the wider region.” He warned of the dangers of “another government of profiteers” and the risks of “civil war”, insinuating that unless a reformist government was put in place, countries like France would not aid Beirut in reconstructing its economy or its destroyed capital.
In an address to the nation following his appointment, Hariri stressed the need to rebuild the capital and follow Macron’s initiative of creating a cabinet of experts to address the crises and end the plight of Lebanese citizens “who are suffering difficulties to the point of desperation.” France has demanded that a technocratic government is needed to implement robust reforms in state institutions and transition them away from being tools for the political elite to consolidate their own power. Macron told his allies that supporting Hariri is his last attempt at stabilizing the former French colony since all his previous attempts have failed so far.
Simultaneously, on Thursday, the Human Rights Watch demanded that Lebanese officials allow an independent international probe into the Beirut explosion since the Lebanese investigation is still awaiting results. Further, experts fear that officials will continue to be reluctant to question the involvement of the political class who had vested interests at the docks. Nizar Hassan, an activist with Li Haqqi, said, “Hariri’s return is the peak of the counter-revolution [...] A pillar of the political establishment, a multi-millionaire who represents the banks and foreign interests, and a symbol of inefficient governance and widespread corruption: He represents everything we revolted against.”
