Lebanon finally has a new government. Lebanese factions have agreed to form a new government of national unity, ending nearly nine months of bickering.
Here is a twitter thread about the details and implications of its formation.
Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah
Here's Lebanon's new cabinet lineup, via @DailyStarLeb. It's a melange of: (1) mainstays; (2) technocrats; (3) plutocrats; (4) "independents"; (5) party apparatchiks. Some don't seem to have much experience relevant to their portfolios. Others are a step in the right direction. pic.twitter.com/pDyf7J7o9u
— Elias Muhanna (@QifaNabki) February 1, 2019
UPDATE: New #Lebanon Gov. Reportedly has FOUR Women. (Unprecedented)
1-May Chidiac -Development
2-Nada Boustany -Energy
3-Raya Hassan -Interior
4-Violette Khairallah Safadi -Women affairs (Still waiting for official list to come out) https://t.co/AbcOEv4vJa— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) January 31, 2019
Congratulations to Raya Hassan for becoming the first Arab woman to become Interior Minister. #WomenInPower 👏 #Lebanon 🇱🇧 https://t.co/Qw6uSrutAS
— UN GA President (@UN_PGA) February 1, 2019
US Welcomes New #Lebanon Government; Awaits Ministerial Statement on UN Res; Concerns on Hezbollah taking Health but awaits work, supervision.
Statement : pic.twitter.com/qZK4g24bFc
— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) February 1, 2019
Amazing graph by @benredd on the number of cabinet positions vs number of seats in Lebanese Parliament. Very useful and one of the few instances I know of a smart use of a doughnut chart. And colorblind friendly! pic.twitter.com/uxMdo2YtE2
— Rosalie Berthier (@RosalieBerthier) February 2, 2019
While Hezbollah participated in past Lebanon governments, this is most ministers they've had & the first time they've acquired a "service ministry," allowing them potential use of state funds for patronage when the group is under increase financial pressure due to US sanctions
— Firas Maksad (@FirasMaksad) January 31, 2019
Equally imp as cabinet seats, Hezbollah making further inroads into none-Shia communities, including Sunni, Druze & Christian. It successfully held up gov formation until pro-Hezbollah Sunni made minister. This challenges previously accepted communal constraints on group's sway
— Firas Maksad (@FirasMaksad) January 31, 2019
If US priority remains short-term stability in otherwise turbulent region, then expect US reaction to be limited, with the solution to its Hezbollah problem having to wait for potential negotiations @realDonaldTrump is eager to have with Iran.
— Firas Maksad (@FirasMaksad) January 31, 2019
Worth noting that in last stretch, differences between Hezbollah & Christian ally FPM/Aounists led by @Gebran_Bassil stalled gov formation. Bassil insisted on securing over 1/3rd of cabinet seats (veto power) allegedly to use as leverage in his effort to make president in 3 years
— Firas Maksad (@FirasMaksad) January 31, 2019
Hezbollah refused, preferring to keep options open as contenders begin vying for presidency. In latest interview, Nasrallah signaled his commitment to Aoun may not carryover to son-in-law & party leader @Gebran_Bassil, who at times appears to play rival camps to maximize pol gain
— Firas Maksad (@FirasMaksad) January 31, 2019
#US & #Lebanon are on a collision course over #Hezbollah's growing control & infiltration of Lebanese state institutions.Hezbollah WILL abuse its new prize: ministry of health & the rest of the sclerosis political class will be complicit or bark impotently https://t.co/iw8Aivurm9
— Hisham Melhem (@hisham_melhem) February 2, 2019
Last October I wrote of the dangers of choosing a Hezbollah minister of health, due to U.S. warnings against this. Now Lebanon should be prepared for the consequences: https://t.co/fV3s1lZpaA
— Michael Young (@BeirutCalling) January 31, 2019
New Government Demonstrates #Hezbollah’s Dominance of #Lebanon@AcrossTheBay in his latest @FDD policy brief: https://t.co/xYdwzNpuOU
— FDD (@FDD) February 2, 2019
American officials are concerned Hezbollah, ascendant in Lebanon’s newly formed government, will use the Ministry of Health to provide state-subsidized health care to its fighters wounded in the Syrian civil war. https://t.co/XhUvWxoVlH
— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) February 2, 2019
Although Hezbollah has made gains, the new Lebanese government remains a kaleidoscope of political parties in complex power-sharing arrangements with one another. @paul_salem @MiddleEastInsthttps://t.co/xDATV19e7y
— Alistair Taylor (@mideasteditor) January 31, 2019
Congrats #Lebanon! Our lovely politicians have taken the ecological imperative at heart in forming a cabinet that mixes between recycle and reuse. They are a bit short on the reduce. 🤦🏽♀️
— Mona Fawaz (@mona_fawaz) January 31, 2019
Yup, all about economy; other topics like disarming Hezbollah are red lines. #Lebanon https://t.co/mxCBabXrka
— Nervana Mahmoud (@Nervana_1) February 2, 2019
#Iran and #Hezbollah runs #Lebanon like a Mafia leader who want to control a state but not collapse it. #Nasrallah gave the green light for the new government formation because the economy was an inch close to collapse. Hezbollah also aim to funnel funds through the new gov't.
— Nervana Mahmoud (@Nervana_1) February 2, 2019
Nervana 