Rasamny meets Polish Chargé d'Affaires, discusses regional development with MPs
Public Works Minister Fayez Rasamny met at his office with Chargé d'Affaires of the Polish Embassy in Lebanon, Aleksandra Bukowska-McCabe, accompanied by Consul Aneta Ananicz.
Rasamny later held talks with former Minister Ali Hamieh and a delegation of MPs from Baalbek-Hermel, Zahle, West Bekaa, and Jbeil. The delegation included MPs Hussein Hajj Hassan, Ghazi Zeaiter, Ihab Hamadeh, Yanal Solh, Melhem Al-Hajiri, Qabalan Qabalan, Rami Bou Hamdan, and Raed Berro. Discussions focused on regional development needs, especially road maintenance, and the ministry's budget plans for 2024 and 2025.
Rasamny also received MP Farid Haykal El Khazen, in the presence of Vehicle and Traffic Authority Director Farjallah Srour. Talks addressed local political updates and infrastructure priorities in Keserwan, particularly the condition of road networks.
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5 days ago
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Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland's presidential election
by Naharnet Newsdesk 02 June 2025, 16:53 Conservative Karol Nawrocki won Poland's weekend presidential runoff election, according to the final vote count on Monday. Nawrocki won 50.89% of votes in a very tight race against liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, who received 49.11%. The race had Poland on edge since a first round of voting two weeks earlier, revealing deep divisions in the country along the eastern flank of NATO and the European Union. An early exit poll released Sunday evening suggested Trzaskowski was headed to victory before updated polling began to reverse the picture a couple of hours later. The outcome suggests that Poland can be expected to take a more populist and nationalist path under its new president, who was backed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Trzaskowski conceded defeat and congratulated Nawrocki on Monday, thanking all those who voted for him. "I fought for us to build a strong, safe, honest, and empathetic Poland together," he wrote on X. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to convince the majority of citizens of my vision for Poland. I'm sorry we didn't win together." Congratulations from different corners Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was among the leaders offering their congratulations to Nawrocki on Monday morning, an acknowledgment of Poland's key role as a neighbor, ally and hub for Western weapons sent to Kyiv. He called Poland "a pillar of regional and European security," and said, "by reinforcing one another on our continent, we give greater strength to Europe in global competition and bring the achievement of real and lasting peace closer. I look forward to continued fruitful cooperation with Poland and with President Nawrocki personally." Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who shares Nawrocki's national conservative worldview, hailed Nawrocki's "fantastic victory." Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered measured congratulations, emphasizing continued EU-Poland collaboration rooted in shared democratic values: "We are all stronger together in our community of peace, democracy, and values. So let us work to ensure the security and prosperity of our common home." The role of a president in Poland Most day-to-day power in the Polish political system rests with a prime minister chosen by the parliament. However, the president's role is not merely ceremonial. The office holds the power to influence foreign policy and to veto legislation. Nawrocki will succeed Andrzej Duda, a conservative whose second and final term ends on Aug. 6. Under the Polish constitution, the president serves a five-year term and may be re-elected once. A headache for Tusk Prime Minister Donald Tusk came to power in late 2023 with a coalition government that spans a broad ideological divide — so broad that it hasn't been able to fulfill certain of his electoral promises, such as loosening the restrictive abortion law or passing a civil partnership law for same-sex couples. But Duda's veto power has been another obstacle. It has prevented Tusk from fulfilling promises to reverse laws that politicized the court system in a way that the EU found to be undemocratic. Now it appears Tusk will have no way to fulfill those promises, which he made both to voters and the EU. Some observers in Poland have said the unfulfilled promises could make it more difficult for Tusk to continue his term until the next parliamentary election scheduled for late 2027, particularly if Law and Justice dangles the prospect of future cooperation with conservatives in his coalition. A former boxer, historian and political novice Nawrocki, a 42-year-old amateur boxer and historian, was tapped by the Law and Justice party as part of its push for a fresh start. The party governed Poland from 2015 to 2023, when it lost power to Tusk's centrist coalition. Some political observers predicted it would never make a comeback, and Nawrocki was chosen as a new face who would not be burned by the scandals of the party's eight years of rule. The election outcome vindicated party leader Jarosław Kaczyński's strategy but on Monday many were also blaming the increasingly unpopular Tusk and Trzaskowski. Nawrocki has most recently been the head of the Institute of National Remembrance, which embraces nationalist historical narratives. He led efforts to topple monuments to the Soviet Red Army in Poland, and Russia responded by putting him on a wanted list, according to Polish media reports. Nawrocki's supporters describe him as the embodiment of traditional, patriotic values. Those who oppose secular trends, including LGBTQ+ visibility, have embraced him, viewing him as a reflection of the values they grew up with. Nawrocki's candidacy was clouded by allegations of past connections to criminal figures and his participation in a violent street brawl. He denies the criminal links but was unapologetic about the street fight, saying he had taken part in various "noble" fights in his life. The revelations did not seem to hurt his support among right-wing voters, many of whom see the allegations as politically motivated. The Trump factor Trump made it clear he wanted Nawrocki as Poland's president. He welcomed Nawrocki to the White House a month ago. And last week the conservative group CPAC held its first meeting in Poland to give Nawrocki a boost. Kristi Noem, the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary and a prominent Trump ally, strongly praised Nawrocki and urged Poles to vote for him. 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LBCI
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Public Works Minister launches national road rehabilitation plan in Lebanon
On Wednesday, Lebanese Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny unveiled a comprehensive national plan to rehabilitate and maintain Lebanon's deteriorating road and bridge network under the slogan "We Fix the Roads… We Restore Trust." Speaking at a press conference, Rasamny said the ministry has consolidated its budgets for 2024 and 2025 to fund a transparent and long-term infrastructure project to reconnect the country through improved road networks. "This is a national project that links Lebanon together," he said. "We are launching a unified plan for road and bridge maintenance, and I hope future ministers will continue implementing it in the coming years." Rasamny noted that the ministry has distinguished highways from secondary roads in its classification system and revealed that he had issued the initial orders for the plan on his first day in office. He called on municipalities and governors to assist in categorizing the roads based on priority and need. "All safety standards have been incorporated into the project's terms of reference," he said, emphasizing that the approach differs from past practices. According to the minister, seven consultants have been contracted to oversee implementation, and the ministry will use hybrid lighting systems powered by electricity and solar energy to illuminate roads across Lebanon. Rasamny also highlighted a $175 million fund allocated to infrastructure damaged by the recent Israeli assault on Lebanon, stating it will be directed toward rebuilding and upgrading key sectors. "The hybrid lighting system is part of our strategy to improve road safety and efficiency while embracing sustainable energy solutions," he said.
MTV Lebanon
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- MTV Lebanon
Centrist Dan Wins Romanian Presidency Over Hard-Right Pro-Trump Rival
Romania's centrist Bucharest mayor, Nicusor Dan, won the country's presidential election on Sunday in a shock upset over a hard-right, nationalist rival who had pledged to put Romania on a path inspired by U.S. President Donald Trump's politics. Official results from nearly all voting stations showed Dan garnering about 54% of ballots cast by voters in the EU and NATO member country of about 19 million people, while Trump supporter George Simion was at 46%. Dan, 55, a soft-spoken mathematician, made a last-minute dash to the top in recent days after weeks of trailing Simion, a eurosceptic wanting to end military aid for Ukraine in its war with Russia. The election drew the highest percentage of voter turnout in a Romanian election in 25 years. Simion, who was the top vote-getter in the first round of the election two weeks ago with 41% of ballots cast, conceded after earlier saying he won the election. Dan had campaigned on a pledge to fight rampant corruption, to maintain support for Ukraine - where Romania has played an important logistic role - and to keep the country firmly within the European mainstream. On Sunday evening in the capital Bucharest, Dan supporters chanted "Russia, don't forget, Romania isn't yours." Staunchly pro-EU and NATO, Dan said in the run-up to the election that Romania's support for Ukraine was crucial for its own security against a growing Russian threat. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy congratulated Dan on his "historic victory," writing on social media: "For Ukraine - as a neighbour and friend - it is important to have Romania as a reliable partner.' The voting in Romania took place on the same day as the first round of a Polish election in which a liberal frontrunner, Rafal Trzaskowski edged ahead of Karol Nawrocki, the candidate backed by the opposition nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party. Both elections are being closely watched across Europe amid concern that popular anger with mainstream elites over migration and cost of living pressures could bolster support for Trump and erode unity on the continent over how to deal with Russia. In Romania, however, the election showed backlash against politicians taking inspiration from right-wing populist Trump's Make American Great Again (MAGA) movement, according to Mujtaba Rahman, managing director for Europe at consultancy Eurasia Group. "This is a really strong result for the pro-European candidate," Rahman said. "It's another example of the positive Trump effect on European election cycles where concerns about the political and policy direction moving in a MAGA-like way have mobilised voters." Dan acknowledged that he faces a tough challenge in finding a prime minister to negotiate a majority in parliament to reduce Romania's budget deficit - the largest in the EU - as well as to reassure investors and try to avoid a credit rating downgrade. "There will be a difficult period ahead, necessary for economic rebalancing to lay the foundations of a healthy society. Please have hope and patience," Dan told supporters after exit polls were published showing him ahead. Dan later said talks could take a few weeks. The election took place nearly six months after the initial ballot was cancelled because of alleged Russian interference - denied by Moscow - in favour of far-right frontrunner Calin Georgescu, who was banned from standing again. Romania looked poised to swing towards Russia had Georgescu won, and Simion built a campaign to benefit from his support, signalling he would nominate him as prime minister if he emerged victorious. Speaking shortly after voting ended, Simion said his election was "clear." "I won!!! I am the new President of Romania and I am giving back the power to the Romanians!" Simion said on Facebook. But Simion conceded the election later in the evening. A crowd of Dan's supporters celebrated his victory outside his campaign headquarters in downtown Bucharest. "These elections are really important for the European future," said Ilinca Sipoteanu, 19. "This is very good for democracy and for the younger generations ... and also for our parents and grandparents that fought the system in 1989." Romania's communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was overthrown in 1989. The president of Romania has considerable powers, including being in charge of the defence council that decides on military aid. The president will also have oversight of foreign policy, with the power to veto EU votes that require unanimity. Political analysts had said victory for Simion would have risked isolating Romania abroad, eroding private investment and destabilising NATO's eastern flank. It also would have meant that Hungary's fiercely anti-immigrant leader Viktor Orban, a long-time Trump ally, and Slovakia's Robert Fico - who both oppose military aid for Ukraine - would gain a new ally in the European Council in decisions on aid for Ukraine, energy, sanctions against Russia or the EU's budget. In the first round of Poland's presidential election, admirers of Trump's politics won about 45% of votes cast, according to exit polls, including Nawrocki's result combined with that of far-right candidate Slawomir Mentzen.
