Lebanon has formed a new government led by former International Court of Justice (ICJ) president Nawaf Salam, ending a prolonged political deadlock. The cabinet, consisting of 24 ministers, was sworn in on Saturday, February 8th, by President Joseph Aoun, who dissolved the interim government led by Najib Mikati.
The new government is composed primarily of technocrats, aiming to work across party lines to rebuild the crisis-stricken nation. Notably, the pro-Iranian Shia militia Hezbollah is not part of the new government. The United Nations has welcomed the formation of the new government, describing it as a “new and bright chapter for Lebanon.”
Prime Minister Salam has pledged to lead Lebanon out of its economic crisis, stating that “reform is the only way to salvation.” He has also expressed his intention to restore public trust in the state and to regain the confidence of the international community and neighboring Arab countries. Additionally, he has promised to implement the ceasefire agreement that ended the recent war between Israel and Hezbollah in late November.
Lebanon has been grappling with a severe political and economic crisis for several years, leading to a decline in the purchasing power of citizens and straining the country’s finances. The political impasse had persisted since 2022, as parliamentary parties repeatedly failed to agree on the formation of a coalition government. The constitutional requirement for a proportional representation of religious groups further complicated the process, with the president needing to be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of parliament a Shia Muslim.
The deadlock ended as Hezbollah’s influence is believed to have weakened due to the war against Israel and the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria. This allowed Aoun, the military commander, to be elected president, paving the way for Salam’s leadership. The new government faces a challenging task, including implementing reforms to secure loans from international donors, monitoring the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, and rebuilding the country’s infrastructure.