Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s cabinet is complete, despite the ongoing economic crisis and regional instability.
Lebanon has formed its first government in over two years, a crucial step as it rebuilds its south and addresses security concerns following the recent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
President Joseph Aoun accepted the resignation of the caretaker government on Saturday and officially appointed Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
Lebanon’s government structure is based on sectarian representation: a Maronite Christian president, a Sunni Muslim prime minister, and a Shiite Muslim parliamentary speaker.
Salam’s new cabinet comprises 24 ministers, including five women, assembled less than a month after his appointment.
This achievement follows weeks of political gridlock, mainly concerning the selection of Shiite ministers, traditionally chosen by Hezbollah and Amal.
Hezbollah and Amal’s past control over a third of cabinet seats allowed veto power and government dissolution. Reports suggest Salam resisted their demands this time.
The announcement follows US Deputy Middle East envoy Morgan Ortagus’s visit, where she advocated for Hezbollah’s exclusion from the cabinet and praised Israel’s actions against the group. Subsequent controversy arose from photos of her wearing a Star of David ring.
Lebanon’s economic crisis, beginning in 2019, has worsened due to the 2020 Beirut port explosion, the Covid-19 pandemic, and allegations of government corruption. These factors have severely hampered the nation’s economy.
In October 2023, Hezbollah joined Hamas in the conflict with Israel, engaging in limited fighting along the Lebanon-Israel border and the Golan Heights. Following Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah strongholds in southern Beirut, a ceasefire was reached in late November, with Hezbollah withdrawing from the area between the ‘blue line’ and the Litani River, leaving only the Lebanese Army and UN peacekeepers.