Lebanon has hundreds of registered political parties. After 2005, when the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri precipitated the Cedar Revolution, the political landscape became polarized between two rival alliances, the March 8 Alliance and the March 14 Alliance. Both names refer to dates of mass demonstrations during the revolution.
The March 8 Alliance was supportive of continued Syrian intervention in Lebanon, and includes Hezbollah, the Amal Movement (both majority Shia), and the Free Patriotic Movement (majority Christian). The March 14 Alliance contained parties who advocated for the end of Syrian involvement. Major partners include the Future Movement (majority Sunni), the Lebanese Forces, and Ketaeb (both majority Christian). This alliance dissolved in 2016, and the Future Movement withdrew from the 2022 election, but the remaining partners have maintained their opposition to Hezbollah.
The Progressive Socialist Party, the main representative of the Druze community, has supported both blocs at different points.
After the Revolution of 17 October 2019, a series of large-scale protests against the country's economic situation and political elites, a third bloc has emerged, of non-sectarian groups advocating for wide-scale reform. These groups first gained parliamentary representation in the 2022 elections.
Parties
editThe following list places political parties within the two major alliances. Although most parties maintain that they are secular, the major political parties in Lebanon are loosely representative of a certain faith community.
Parties currently represented in parliament
editOther parties
editParty | Abbr. | Leader or Chairman | Political position & ideology | Primary demographic |
---|---|---|---|---|
Arab Democratic Party الحزب العربي الدمقراطي al-Ḥizb al-Arabi ad-Dimoqraty |
ADP | Rifaat Eid | Arab nationalism Arab socialism Baathism Pan-Syrianism |
Alawite |
Syrian Social Nationalist Party الحزب السوري القومي الإجتماعي al-Ḥizb as-Sūrī al-Qawmī al-'Ijtimā'ī |
SSNP | Rabi Banat | Syrian nationalism Left-wing nationalism |
Secular |
Independent Nasserite Movement - Al-Mourabitoun حركة الناصريين المستقلين - المرابطون Ḥarakat an-Nassiriyin al-Mustakilleen - al-Mourabitoon |
INM | Ibrahim Kulaylat | Arab nationalism Nasserism Anti-imperialism Pan-Arabism Arab socialism |
Mainly Sunni Muslim Some Shiite and Druze |
Lebanese Democratic Party الحزب الديمقراطي اللبناني al-Ḥizb ad-Dimoqrati al-Lubnāni |
LDP | Prince Talal Arslan | Conservatism | Officially Secular Mainly Druze |
Toilers League رابطة الشغيلة Rabitat ash-Shaghila |
LT | Zaher Khatib | Communism Marxism-Leninism Socialism Arab nationalism (Left-wing nationalism) |
Secular |
Solidarity Party حزب التضامن Ḥizb at-Tadamon |
Tadamon | Emile Rahme | Christian liberalism | Christianity |
People's Movement حركة الشعب Ḥarakat ash-Shaeb |
SHAAB | Ibrahim al-Halabi | Nasserism Socialism Arab nationalism |
Secular |
Christian Democratic Union الحزب المسيحي الدمقراطي al-Hizb al-Massihi al-Dimoqrati |
CDU | Neemtallah Abi Nasr | Christian democracy | Christian |
Nasserite Unionists Movement الحركة التوحيدية الناصرية al-Ḥaraka at-Tawhidiyya an-Nassiriyya |
NUM | - | Nasserism | Secular |
Islamic Labor Front جبهة العمل الإسلامي Jebhat al-A'amal al-Islamy |
ILF | Fathi Yakan | Islamism | Sunni Muslim |
Arab Unification Party تيار التوحيد اللبناني Tayyār at-Tawhid al-Lubnany |
LUM | Wiam Wahhab | Arab nationalism | Officially secular Mainly Druze |
Promise Party حزب الوعد Ḥizb al-Waad |
NSDP | Gina Hobeika | Secularism | Officially secular Mainly Maronite Christian |
Federation of Popular Leagues and Committees تجمع اللجان والروابط الشعبية Tajamo' al-Lijan wal Rawabit ash-Shaabiya |
FPLC | Maan Bashour | Nasserism Arab Nationalism |
Officially secular Mainly Sunni Muslim |
Arab Socialist Union الإتحاد الإشتراكي العربي al-Ittiḥād al-Ishtiraki al-Arabi |
SAU | Omar Harb | Arab socialism | Secular |
Democratic Nasserite Movement حركة الناصريين الدمقراطيون Ḥarakat al-Nassiriyin ad-Dimocratiyoon |
DNM | - | Nasserism | Sunni Muslim |
Lebanese Arab Struggle Movement حركة النضال العربي اللبناني Ḥarakat an-Nidal al-Arabi al-Lubnani |
LASM | Faysal Dawood | Arabism | Officially secular Mainly Druze |
Islamic Unification Movement حركة التوحيد الإسلامي Ḥarakat at-Tawhid al-Islamy |
IUM | Said Shaaban | Islamism | Sunni Muslim |
Party | Abbr. | Leader or Chairman | Political position & ideology | Primary demographic |
---|---|---|---|---|
Social Democrat Hunchakian Party حزب الهنشاق (حزب الهنشاق الديمقراطي الإجتماعي) Ḥizb al-Henchag Սոցիալ Դեմոկրատ Հնչակեան Կուսակցութիւն Sotsial Demokrat Hnchakyan Kusaktsutyun |
SDHP ՍԴՀԿ |
- | Democratic socialism Social democracy Armenian nationalism Secularism |
Armenian |
Democratic Left Movement حركة اليسار الديمقراطي Ḥarakat al-Yassar ad-Dimoqrati |
DL | Elias Attallah | Left-wing | Secular |
Democratic Renewal حركة التجدد الدمقراطي Ḥarakat at-Tajaddod ad-Dimoqrati |
DRM | Farouk Jabre | Social liberalism Secularism Reformism Nonsectarianism |
Secular |
Armenian Democratic Liberal Party - Ramgavar حزب الرمغفار (الحزب الديمقراطي الليبرالي الأرمني) Ḥizb ar-Ramgavar Ռամկավար Ազատական Կուսակցութիւն Ramgavar Azadagan Gusagtsutyun |
ADL ՌԱԿ |
Hagop Kassardjian | Armenian nationalism National liberalism Classical liberalism Pro-Europeanism |
Armenian |
Free Lebanese Armenian Movement حركة اللبنانيين الأرمن الأحرار Ḥarakat al-Lubnaniyin al-Arman al-Ahrar |
FLAM | - | Secular liberalism | Armenian |
Free Shia Movement التيار الشيعي الحرّ at-Tayyār ash-Shi'iy al-Hurr |
TSH | Mohammad Al Hajj Hassan | Islamism | Shiite Muslim |
Lebanese Peace Party حزب السلام اللبناني Ḥizb as-Salam al-Lubnany |
LPP | Roger Edde | Centrism Decentralization Big tent[1] |
Secular |
Syriac Union Party ܓܒܐ ܕܚܘܝܕܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ ܒܠܒܢܢ حزب الاتحاد السرياني Ḥizb al-Ittiḥād as-Siryani |
SUP | Ibrahim Mrad | Assyrian nationalism | Mainly Syriac |
Shuraya Party ܫܘܖܝܐ حزب شوريا Ḥizb ash-Shuraya |
Shuraya | Assyrianism | Assyrian | |
Change Movement[2]
حركة التغـيير |
CM | Elie Mahfoud[2] | Democracy | Christian |
Non-aligned
editParty | Abbr. | Leader or Chairman | Political position & ideology | Primary demographic |
---|---|---|---|---|
Citizens in a State مواطنون ومواطنات في دولة Mouwatinoun wa Mouwatinat fi Dawla |
MMFD | Charbel Nahas | Civic nationalism Progressivism Secularism |
Secular |
Mada Network شبكة مدى Shabaket Mada |
Mada | Horizontal Leadership | Secularism Democracy Social justice |
Secular |
Popular Bloc التكتّل الشعبي at-Takattol ash-Shaa'bi |
- | Myriam Skaff | Christian democracy | Greek Catholic |
Azm Movement تيار العزم Tayyār al-Azm |
Azm | Najib Mikati | Centrism Secularism |
Secular Mainly Sunni |
Sabaa Party حزب سبعة Hizb Sabea |
Sabaa | Hassan Baz Chamas | Liberalism | Secular |
Lebanese Social Democratic Party حزب الدمقراطي الإشتراكي Ḥizb ad-Dimoqraty al-Ishtiraki |
DSPL | Kamel Asaad | Socialism Secularism Lebanese nationalism Islamic socialism Social democracy Democratic socialism Red Shi'ism |
Secular Mainly Shiite Muslim |
National Bloc حزب الكتلة الوطنية Ḥizb al-Kitla al-Wataniya |
NB | Michel Helou | Centrism Lebanese nationalism |
Secular Historically Maronite |
Green Party of Lebanon حزب الخضر اللبناني Ḥizb al-Khodor al-Lubnanī |
GPL | Philip Skaf | Green politics | Secular |
Hizb ut-Tahrir حزب التحرير Ḥizb at-Taḥrīr |
HT | Ata Abu Rashta | Officially Islamism | Officially Islamic Mainly Sunni |
Phoenician Party حزب فينيقيا Hizb alFiniki |
Antonios Abidaoud | Phoenician Nationalism | Secular | |
Socialist Arab Lebanon Vanguard Party حزب طليعة لبنان العربي الاشتراكي Ḥizb at-Taliyeh Lubnan al-'Arabi al-Ishtiraki |
HT | Abd al-Majid Rafei | Ba'athism | Secular |
Movement of Lebanese Nationalism حركة القومية اللبنانية Ḥarakat al-Qawmiyya al-Lubnaniyya |
MLN | Etienne Saqr | Right-wing nationalism | Secular Traditionally Christian |
Aramean Democratic Organization ܛܘܟܣܐ ܐܪܡܝܐ ܕܝܡܘܩܪܛܝܐ Ṭukoso Oromoyo Dimoqraṭoyo التنظيم الآرامي الديمقراطي at-Tanzim al-Arami ad-Dimoqraty |
ArDO | Gabi Gallo | Arameanism National conservatism Christian democracy Religious nationalism Pro-Europeanism |
Aramean |
Lihaqqi لِ حقي Lihaqqi |
Collective Leadership | Left-libertarianism Grassroots democracy Economic democracy Radical democracy |
Secular | |
Lebanese Democratic Movement تيار لبنان الديمقراطي Tayyār Lubnan ad-Dimoqraty |
- | Jack Tamer | Social democracy | Secular |
Lebanese Option Party تيار الإنتماء اللبناني Tayyār al-Intimaa' al-Lubnani |
LOG | Ahmad al-Asaad | Liberalism | Secular Mainly Shiite Muslim |
Liberty Front جبهة الحرية Jabhat al-Horriya |
- | Fouad Abou Nader | Center-right | Secular Traditionally Christian |
Najjadeh Party حزب النجادة Ḥizb an-Nejjadeh |
Mustapha Hakim | Arab nationalism | Sunni Muslim | |
New Lebanese Movement حركة اللبنانيين الجدد Ḥarakat al-Lubnaniyin al-Jodod |
Danny Abdel Khalek | Secularism | Secular | |
Arab Socialist Party الحزب العربي الإشتراكي al-Ḥizb al-Arabi al-Ishtiraki |
- | - | Socialism | Secular |
Lebanese Ecology Party حزب البيئة اللبناني Ḥizb al-Bi'a al-Lubnany |
- | Habib Maalouf | Ecology | Secular |
Popular Democratic Party الحزب الشعبي الديمقراطي al-Ḥizb ash-Shaabi ad-Dimoqraty |
- | Nazih Hamza | Marxism-Leninism | Secular |
Take Back Parliament - Lebanon
إسترجعوا البرلمان |
TBP | Various | Secularism | Secular |
Lebanese Arab Movement حركة لبنان العربي Ḥarakat Lubnan al-Arabi |
- | - | Nasserism | Sunni Muslim |
Organization of Communist Action منظمة العمل الشيوعي Munaẓẓamah al-‘Amal ash-Shuyū‘ī |
- | Ibrahim Muhsen | Communism Marxism–Leninism Socialism Maoism |
Secular |
Kurdish Democratic Party الحزب الديمقراطي الكردي في لبنان al-Ḥizb ad-Dimuqrati al-Kurdi fi Lubnan |
- | Riyad Mihhu | Kurdish nationalism | Kurdish |
Razkari Party حزب رزكاري Ḥizb Rizkārī |
- | Mahmoud Khodr Fattah Ahmad | Kurdish nationalism | Kurdish |
Defunct parties
editParty | Abbr. | Leader or Chairman | Notes | Ideology | Primary demographic |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Al-Tanzim Party حركة المقاومة اللبنانية - التنظيم Ḥarakat al-Moqawama al-Lubnaniya (Tanzim) |
Tanzim | - | Political wing of the Al-Tanzim militia. | Ultranationalism Christian right |
Maronite |
Constitutional Bloc الكتلة الدستورية al-Kutla ad-Dustuuriyya |
- | Khalil El-Khoury | Created by Bechara El Khoury to oppose Émile Eddé's National Bloc | Secular liberalism Liberal nationalism Nonsectarianism Pro-National Pact |
Secular |
The Great Lebanese Labor Party الحزب العمالي اللبناني الكبير al-Ḥizb al-'Ommali al-Lubnany al-Kabir |
- | - | This party existed during the French Mandate of Lebanon | Communism | Secular |
Deprived Movement حركة المحرومين Ḥarakat al-Mahrumin |
- | Musa al-Sadr | Ancestor of Amal | - | Shia |
Arab Nationalist Movement حركة القوميين العرب Ḥarakat al-Qawmiyyin al-'Arab |
- | - | Split, most merged into the Arab Socialist Action Party – Lebanon | Pan-Arabism Arab socialism Anti-Zionism Secularism National liberation |
- |
Syrian–Lebanese Communist Party الحزب الشيوعي السوري اللبناني al-Ḥizb ash-Shuyū'ī as-Sūrī al-Lubnānī |
- | Khalid Bakdash | - | Communism Marxism-Leninism |
Secular |
Arab Socialist Action Party – Lebanon حزب العمل الاشتراكي العربي - لبنان Ḥizb al-'Amal al-Ishtiraki al-'Arabi - Lubnan |
ASAP-L | Hussein Hamdan | - | Marxism Arab nationalism |
Secular |
National Youth Party حزب الشباب الوطني Ḥizb ash-Shabab al-Watani |
- | Ahmad Karami | - | - | Secular |
Party of Socialist Revolution حزب الثورة الإشتراكية Ḥizb at-Thawra al-Ishtirakiyya |
- | - | - | Maoism | Secular |
Communist Action Organization in Lebanon منظمة العمل الشيوعي في لبنان Munaẓẓamah al-‘Amal al-Shuyū‘ī fī Lubnān |
CAOL; OCAL | Mohsen Ibrahim | Communism Marxism-Leninism |
Secular | |
Lebanese Republican Party الحزب الجمهوري اللباني Al Hezb Al Joumhouri Al Loubnani |
LRP; PRL | Imad Geara | Republicanism Secularism Nationalism |
Secular |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Nash, Matt (2017-09-13). "The anti-establishment - Executive Magazine". Executive. Archived from the original on 2020-08-13. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
- ^ a b "Change Movement head Elie Mahfoud to MTV: The President was required to take a firmer stance following the Minister of Culture's words and his threat that the Lebanese would witness something they had never seen before". MTV Lebanon. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2021-10-15.