BEIRUT — The prime minister-designate of Lebanon expressed his commitment to establishing a modern state within the nation, which is currently grappling with extensive crises. Nawaf Salam highlighted his intentions to address the destruction caused by last year’s conflict with Israel, as well as the efforts needed to navigate the country out of its severe economic turmoil.
Salam made these remarks following his meeting with Lebanon’s recently inaugurated President Joseph Aoun, who assumed office just a week prior. With Salam’s nomination and Aoun’s confirmation, Lebanon has finally positioned itself for a new government after enduring two years under a caretaker administration.
During the meeting, Salam emphasized his intention to include all parties in Lebanon’s political landscape, likely alluding to the Hezbollah militant group, which has historically opposed his appointment as prime minister. This year, Hezbollah had indicated a preference for another candidate, but its influence has waned following the lengthy war with Israel.
The conflict, which concluded in late November after a 60-day ceasefire brokered by the U.S., resulted in approximately 4,000 fatalities, over 16,000 injuries, and inflicted damage that amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars. Acknowledging the hardships faced by the Lebanese, Salam, who serves as the head of the International Court of Justice, asserted his goal of restoring the state’s authority throughout the nation. Following recent legislative support, President Aoun officially invited him to form a new government.
In previous years, Hezbollah and its allies had obstructed Salam’s ascent to prime minister, branding him as a candidate backed by the United States. “The time has come to say, enough. Now is the time to start a new chapter,” he stated, reflecting on the significant suffering endured by Lebanese citizens due to both the “latest brutal Israeli aggression” and the country’s dire economic conditions rooted in longstanding financial mismanagement.
Corruption and a stagnant political landscape have rendered Lebanon’s banking sector nearly inoperable. Additionally, electricity provision is predominantly reliant on privately owned diesel generators, while the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and the devastating Beirut port explosion exacerbated the nation’s challenges by damaging key neighborhoods in the capital.
Salam reiterated his commitment to enforce the U.N. Security Council resolution concerning the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, which calls for Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah near the Israeli border. He stressed the importance of establishing authority across Lebanon through governmental efforts.
To combat the economic crisis that erupted into widespread protests in October 2019, Salam plans to devise a strategy aimed at creating a modern economy that can support Lebanon’s approximately six million inhabitants, which include around one million Syrian refugees.
Despite the dire situation, successive governments have struggled to implement the necessary reforms that international stakeholders have called for, which would unlock billions in foreign investments and loans. Salam extended an olive branch to all political factions, stating, “Both my hands are extended to all of you so that we all move forward in the mission of salvation, reforms, and reconstruction.” Neither he nor President Aoun, an army commander who was recently elected, is considered part of the political elite that dominated Lebanon after the civil war ended in 1990.