18 Oct 2009

The Lebanese Political Party System

The parties that make up the Lebanese political system are the most Western in the Arab world. Though Lebanon still suffers under an antiquated legal system inherited from the Ottoman Empire and French Mandate period, prior to World War II, the Cedar Republic enjoys a vibrant and competitive party s
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11 Oct 2009

29 Aprilie 2019

The SIS Factor in Beirut

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman recently appeared in the Saudi daily al-Hayat talking about ministerial appointments in Lebanon. Suleiman said that there was no law in Lebanon preventing the appointment of figures recently defeated in parliamentary elections, as cabinet ministers. It was a lon
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03 Oct 2009

The Chaos of Arab Political Discourse

Arab political discourse is characterized by cacophony and an utter absence of comprehensive analysis. Any attempt to systematically address or analyze the recurrent political crises and failures in the Arab world is thwarted by the reality of this discourse. A brief examination of the media coverag
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02 Oct 2009

Divided between Ideas

“A state cannot be constituted from any chance body of persons, or in any chance period of time” said Aristotle, and historical Lebanon is no exception. The Lebanese people witnessed major changes since the Cedars Revolution drove half of the population to the streets: the withdrawal of t
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01 Oct 2009

Lebanon at a Crossroad

Two Katyusha rockets were fired on Friday September 11, from southern Lebanon into northern Israel, prompting retaliatory artillery fire from the Israeli army. This incident, taking place amidst the cabinet formation crisis, triggered concerns among the Lebanese that Lebanon is still a battlefield f
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29 Sep 2009

Lebanese Economy – a Hostage to Local and Regional Politics

The year 2009 is an indication of Lebanon’s potential and of the extent of economic growth and prosperity the country could enjoy in an environment of peace and stability. After experiencing a healthy growth rate of almost 5% in 2004, the violence that gripped the country in 2005 and 2006 caused
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