After 12 failed attempts over 2 years, Lebanon’s parliament will try to pick a president
Associated PressJan 09
Lebanese Parliament Elects Army Chief Joseph Aoun as President
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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 Facts
Lebanon's parliament voted for army chief Joseph Aoun as the country's new president on Thursday after a two-year vacancy following the tenure of Michel Aoun — no relation — which ended in 2022. Aoun received 99 votes in Lebanon's 128-seat parliament.
Aoun, whose bid for the presidency was backed by the US and Saudi Arabia, vowed to address Lebanon's many economic and political crises. He also promised to "monopolize weapons" under the mandate of the state, referring to the arsenal of Iran-backed Hezbollah.
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.
