Shaken by an unprecedented popular uprising against the political class, Lebanon adopted a new government on Tuesday January 21. Shortly after the unveiling of its composition, Prime Minister Hassan Diab reserved his first words for the protest movement underway for more than three months: he welcomed the start brought by the mobilization and promised to respond to demands, such as the fight against corruption. The new executive faces colossal challenges, most notably the collapse of the economy at high speed.
Academic and former education minister, Hassan Diab heads a government tighter than usual: he has twenty ministers, against thirty in the previous one. This is accompanied by improbable mergers: among these, the portfolios of culture and agriculture have been placed under the leadership of the same minister.
Better represented women
Women, six in number, are better represented, although parity is still far away. Two of them have been appointed to key positions: defense, whose incumbent, Zeina Acar Adra, also becomes Deputy Prime Minister, and justice, vested in a lawyer, Marie-Claude Najm. Recognized figure, the latter had joined the uprising. She intends to get down to building "The independence of justice", another flagship street claim. Another name noted, that of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Nassif Hitti, an experienced diplomat.
It is a mixed government, combining experts and figures close to traditional parties. Many faces are little known to the general public. Like Diab, the new Minister of the Environment and Administrative Development, Damien Kattar, has already held a government office, however. And finance minister Ghazi Wazni was an adviser to parliament.
This new team was scheduled to hold its first work session on Wednesday. Diab promised to make the economic and financial situation a priority: the poverty rate threatens to affect 50% of the population, unemployment is rising, and the Lebanese are subject to very heavy restrictions imposed by the banks. It will be necessary to gain the trust of donors, who link the granting of crucial aid to structural reforms.
A “monochrome” government
Prime Minister was keen to defend the character "Non-partisan" of his government, but he admitted that he had to deal with the usual strings of Lebanese politics and with the wishes of the parties that had appointed him. His appointment in December was made by a single camp – consisting of the formation of the outgoing head of diplomacy, Gebran Bassil, and son-in-law of President Michel Aoun, of the party of the Speaker of the Parliament, Nabih Berri, and of Hezbollah .
