Latest news with #SamirGeagea
MTV Lebanon
4 hours ago
- General
- MTV Lebanon
Geagea meets Swedish Christian Democrats in Maarab
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea met in Maarab with a delegation from Sweden's Christian Democratic Party, including MPs Yousef Aydin, Magnus Jacobsson, and Magnus Bernetsson. The meeting focused on opportunities for cooperation between Sweden, Europe, and Lebanon, with an emphasis on shared values and political priorities. Bernetsson described the talks as fruitful, highlighting common perspectives on global and Middle Eastern affairs and calling Lebanon a 'model of hope' for the region. Aydin, who oversees minority rights within his party, emphasized Sweden's commitment to supporting Lebanon's stability, pluralism, and peaceful coexistence. Jacobsson underlined the importance of decentralization, noting potential collaboration between Sweden and Lebanon on local governance and educational initiatives. The Swedish MPs praised the Lebanese Forces' pivotal role in national politics and their commitment to inclusive governance. Separately, Geagea continued his local outreach, meeting with newly elected municipal councils from the towns of Batloun and Bmahray in the Aley district.
LBCI
6 hours ago
- Business
- LBCI
Samir Geagea urges government to begin disarming Palestinian factions
Lebanese Forces Party leader Samir Geagea on Wednesday accused 'the axis of resistance' of actively obstructing a government plan to collect unauthorized Palestinian weapons, warning that any further delays would severely undermine the state's credibility and Lebanon's chances for recovery. "Day by day, it becomes increasingly clear that the so-called Axis of Resistance is pressuring Lebanese authorities to stall and dilute efforts to begin the process of collecting Palestinian arms, which was scheduled to start in mid-June," Geagea said in a statement. "At the same time, they are inciting minor Palestinian factions to reject the handover of weapons under various pretexts publicly." He urged the government to proceed "seriously, transparently, and decisively" with the disarmament of Palestinian groups, beginning in the Beirut camps this month. He called for the plan to be extended to camps in northern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, followed by the south. Geagea also demanded a parallel timeline for the collection of all illegal Lebanese weapons in the coming months. "Any delay or reluctance in this matter will portray the government as unserious, damage the momentum of the new presidential term, and risk dragging Lebanon back into the instability of the last two decades," he warned. Geagea emphasized that the failure to establish a functioning state would leave Lebanon isolated, particularly from its Arab allies, and would hinder its ability to secure the international aid necessary for reconstruction and economic revival. "It is unacceptable for anyone to hold the fate of the Lebanese people hostage to personal whims and ideologies that have repeatedly and catastrophically failed," he said. Geagea also noted that "The president and the government must act swiftly to establish Lebanon as a sovereign state that exclusively holds the right to bear arms and make decisions of war and peace—just like any normal, functioning country."
The National
14 hours ago
- Business
- The National
Back to square one: Lebanon's local elections have taken the country in the wrong direction
Lebanon recently finished the last round of its municipal elections, and the message was not reassuring. Lists backed by the country's sectarian political parties were largely victorious. This anticipates a period of continued polarisation at a time when Lebanon needs to be unified around a project to benefit from the changing dynamics in the Middle East. Writing in the US-based International Policy Digest, Mohammad Fheili, executive in residence at the American University of Beirut, expressed a more general mood in Lebanon about where the country was going. Commenting on US President Donald Trump's recent tour of the Middle East, Mr Fheili noted that 'Lebanon [was] conspicuously absent from the conversation. Lebanon wasn't simply left off the agenda. It seems to have vanished from it altogether'. The mood among leading parties inside Lebanon seems blithely detached from the broader shifts in the region. The main Christian political party, the Lebanese Forces, took pride in its victories in the towns of Jounieh and Zahleh, while doing well in other Christian bastions. For the party's leader, Samir Geagea, this bodes well for parliamentary elections next year, when the Lebanese Forces hope to form an even larger bloc than the one they have today. Of particular urgency for Mr Geagea is not only to marginalise the Free Patriotic Movement led by Gebran Bassil, but also to push back against any potential electoral challenge by candidates supported by President Joseph Aoun, whom Mr Geagea quietly regards as a rival. Candidates backed by Hezbollah and the allied Amal Movement did well in the south and in the Baalbek-Hermel regions, but that was expected. Following the recent military defeat of Hezbollah by Israel, it was not likely that voters would oppose the party, displaying divisions that would only compound the Shiite community's setbacks because of the war. Similarly, in other areas, candidates backed by the political class did well. This was less visible in the Sunni community, given that Saad Hariri, once the dominant communal representative, failed to engage with the elections. However, renewed Saudi interest in Lebanon, albeit limited, and the downfall of the Assad government in Syria have helped revive a community that had often felt sidelined during the years of Hezbollah's hegemony. Yet if the elections were largely interpreted in domestic political terms by the sectarian political parties, Mr Fheili's doubts were reaffirmed when it comes to the region. A fragmented country, led by self-interested political parties focused on short-term gains to secure communal ascendancy, is hardly one optimally prepared for regional transformations. There may be exceptions to this. As my colleague Maha Yahya of Carnegie has noted, Mr Trump's decision to lift sanctions on Syria may have positive repercussions on Lebanon's banking lobby, which has systematically blocked financial reforms, fearing that banks may be forced to bear the greatest burden of losses from the financial collapse of 2019-2020. Today, if reconstruction resumes in Syria, Lebanon's banking sector anticipates playing a major role in the process. However, this can happen only if it agrees to a restructuring, allowing banks to refloat themselves. Until now, there has been resistance in the sector, both because there has been no agreement over who – banks, the state, or the central bank – would cover the largest share of losses and because restructuring may eliminate several banks. The reality is that many nations appear to have lost patience with Lebanon, which over the years has thwarted numerous efforts to reform its economy. The country is a graveyard for new approaches, as it remains under the thumb of political, financial and commercial cartels that unfailingly shoot down most ideas aiming to break a debilitating stalemate. Yet the message in Mr Trump's visit to the region was fairly evident. He seeks a world in which economic relations and self-interest prevail, but also, it seems, one in which China, Russia and the US have their spheres of influence. If that's his vision, the Middle East will remain an area of competition between the US and China, which implies that the countries of the region have much to gain by positioning themselves between rival superpowers. Yet Lebanon, once the quintessential middle-man country, is devoid of ideas, and is struggling with a geopolitical situation that is catastrophic. Israel's regional strategy has shifted to one of enhancing its security by fragmenting its Arab neighbours, and acting, or planning to act, with impunity inside their territories. This could be fatal for Lebanon. In light of this, Lebanon must press forward in its dialogue with Hezbollah to secure the group's disarmament. Only then will it be able to free the south of Israel's occupation and normalise the situation enough to think strategically about its regional place. This would reassure outside countries that it is progressing enough for them to provide vital foreign investment. But even that may not be enough if Lebanon doesn't overcome its incapacitating sectarian factionalism. Unless this happens and the Lebanese come together to shape a common vision for the future, the country will remain an afterthought – a place bleeding its youth to the advantage of more vibrant societies. Like a dried flower, it will be both beautiful and dead.
MTV Lebanon
23-05-2025
- Politics
- MTV Lebanon
23 May 2025 10:50 AM Geagea Holds Call with Palestinian President Abbas, Praises Stance on Controlling Weapons
Lebanese Forces Party leader Samir Geagea issued a statement confirming a phone call held last night with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The conversation included an exchange of views on developments in the region, particularly in Palestine and Lebanon. Geagea praised President Abbas's firm stance in support of Lebanese sovereignty and the exclusive authority of the Lebanese state over all its territory, including the control of weapons both inside and outside Palestinian camps. The two leaders agreed to keep communication channels open in the interest of both nations and their peoples.
Nahar Net
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
LF, FPM welcome Lebanese-Palestinian agreement to disarm camps
by Naharnet Newsdesk 23 May 2025, 13:39 Long-time foes Lebanese Forces and Free Patriotic Movement both welcomed an agreement between Lebanese and Palestinian leaders to disarm Palestinian camps. LF leader Samir Geagea said Thursday that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has always worked towards maintaining "healthy Lebanese-Palestinian ties" and later called Abbas to discuss the latest developments with him and praise his stance on the camps' disarmament. The FPM also praised the agreement on disarming Palestinian camps. The party said in a statement Thursday that this step would pave the way for rebuilding the state and is for the benefit of both the Lebanese and the Palestinians. The FPM warned against the naturalization of Palestinians who are prohibited from working in many professions, have few legal protections and can't own property. Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are mostly descendants of those who fled or were expelled from their land during the creation of Israel in 1948. The FPM said disarming camps does not oblige Lebanon to give Palestinians in Lebanon any civil rights and called for their return to their country instead of integrating them into the Lebanese society, but Israel denies Palestinian refugees their right to return to their land. Several Palestinian refugees in Lebanon have told Amnesty International that their hopes of pursuing professional careers and building a better future have been shattered as a result of discriminatory laws that bar Palestinians from practicing over 30 professions including medicine, dentistry, law, architecture and engineering. Such restrictions have trapped many Palestinian refugees in deprivation and poverty. "Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories are trapped in a cycle of deprivation and systematic discrimination with no end in sight. For many of them life is full of suffocating restrictions and has become a living hell," said Philip Luther, Amnesty International's Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
