Omar al-Rassi, “Akhbar al-Yawm” agency

The Term Begins: Technical Phase First, Clarity on the Second Phase After Parliamentary Elections

President Aoun to bring a sovereign spirit in the quest to restore the State

"Every inaugural speech is filled with hope and a strong desire for achievement. Some elements of the speech are realized, while others are not. This reality exists not only in Lebanon but in all countries around the world". These are the words of a senior political figure, speaking to the "Akhbar Al-Yawm" agency, who commented on the inaugural address delivered by President Joseph Aoun. The speech carried a breath of hope for restoring the state after the devastating war that caused unprecedented destruction to Lebanon’s people and infrastructure, as well as the very foundations of the state. This was not only because the caretaker government was unable to keep up with the events, but also because the events imposed themselves on the state, its framework, and its concept.

Emphasizing that the speech itself was a serious effort to work towards reclaiming the role of the state, the political figure added: "The first milestone is the formation of the government. From this, we will distinguish the white lines from the gray ones, especially in terms of its composition, effectiveness, and consensus around its mission (i.e., the project to restore the state)". He continued: "In other words, the government will provide many indicators, and from it, we will know whether we will remain in the same pattern or rise against it for the better. However, the current makeup of parliament does not offer much room for the great optimism brought by the speech".

Despite the composition of the parliament, which has deepened the crisis, the political figure noted that there will not be much tension in the initial phase of the term. This phase will be primarily technical, requiring the government to focus on implementing Resolution 1701, reconstruction efforts and their related agreements and donations, and revitalizing administration and the judiciary.

The political figure expressed the view that President Aoun will bring a sovereign spirit to this technical phase, as the goal is to restore the state independently of the major regional developments. However, he added that it is crucial not to forget that the revival of the republic was partly driven by these developments. He emphasized that the Lebanese state must exist, keep pace with these changes, and work on reintegrating Lebanon into the global landscape.

In the technical phase, the political figure stressed the need for cooperation from everyone, saying: "Even those who did not vote for Aoun—whether to avoid violating the constitution or establishing new norms—have said they want to support the term positively. After all, no one fundamentally opposes extending a hand to a president elected with 99 votes".

The second phase, according to the political figure, will be the approach toward parliamentary elections in the spring of 2026. He stressed the importance of the outcomes of these elections, which will reflect the choices of the Lebanese people. "Will they move towards supporting the term and giving it the needed momentum with different tools of governance? This is the big question. The upcoming elections will be decisive in determining whether the popular current strongly backs this term to allow it to advance on the major themes announced in the speech."

The source concluded: "If we reach the desired outcomes, it will be great, and if we don't, it won't be surprising since we in Lebanon are always prisoners of the bitter reality we live in, namely sectarianism and power-sharing. However, this time we have a real opportunity to break free from this logic, given the president's credibility, sincere intentions, and determination to achieve results”.