After 12 failed attempts over 2 years, Lebanon’s parliament will try to pick a president
Associated PressDEC 28 2024
Lebanese Parliament Elects Army Chief Joseph Aoun as President
Above: Newly elected Lebanese Pres. Joseph Aoun delivers a speech at the parliament building in Beirut on Jan. 9, 2025. Image copyright: Anwar Amro/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Aoun's election is a good step toward Lebanese sovereignty and the disarmament of Hezbollah, though there is still much work to be done. Israel's victories over the group and the fall of the Assad regime in Syria have put Hezbollah in a box. If Lebanon's political elites fail to seize the moment, Hezbollah will find a way to reassert itself, strengthening Iran's influence in the country.
Establishment-critical narrative
Lebanon's president wasn't chosen in Beirut by the Lebanese people but in DC and Riyadh by foreign governments. Hezbollah is one of the most popular parties in Lebanon, winning hundreds of thousands of votes in the 2022 election, and the party and its Shiite constituency have a right to have reservations regarding Lebanon's future in the face of US-backed Israeli aggression.