Lawmakers in Lebanon chose Gen. Joseph Aoun, the commander of the country’s military, to be the next president. The position, which is reserved for a Maronite Christian under Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing system, had been vacant for more than two years. (New York Times)
Our Take
Given the impasse that had prevented Lebanon’s parliament from choosing a president in its previous 12 attempts over more than two years, Aoun’s election marks a breakthrough for the country. It also reflects the changing balance of power in Lebanese politics in the aftermath of the most recent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Hezbollah was undoubtedly weakened militarily by the war with Israel, but there had been some debate over whether or not that would affect the domestic influence of the group, which over the past five years has come to dominate Lebanese politics. That is largely why parliament had been unable to reach the two-thirds majority necessary to elect a new president since 2022—Hezbollah had backed a different candidate, preventing a consensus.