Serena al-Haddad, "Akhbar al-Yawm" agency

Municipal Elections: Lebanon Elects, Celebrates, and Waits (Again) for Reform

What’s the point of celebrations if no real change is expected?

English version based on the Arabic-language article published by Akhbar al-Yawm

Lebanon concluded its 2025 municipal and mayoral elections on Saturday after four rounds marked by a mix of political alliances and family-based deals, with results delivering unexpected outcomes and contested interpretations of the vote count.

Dozens of towns across Lebanon saw politically charged contests, notably in Jounieh, Batroun, Zgharta and, most recently, Jezzine. In some areas, rival factions shared the same lists in unusual alliances. The re-emergence of the “Mar Mikhael” alliance stood out, with Hezbollah and Amal appearing to support the Free Patriotic Movement in key municipalities.

Speaking to "Akhbar al-Yawm" agency, a political source said many of the alliances were formed out of expediency rather than ideology, and described the process in some areas as "a performance full of promises unlikely to materialize", citing the poor financial conditions of many municipalities.

"If the parties could agree in Beirut, why not elsewhere?" the source asked, noting that similar electoral arrangements have often collapsed after the vote.

While outcomes varied, the source pointed to Jezzine and Zahle as among the few areas where political divisions remained clear. The FPM declared victory in Jezzine, but opposition MP Ibrahim Azar secured 10 out of 18 seats, raising questions about the credibility of the party’s claims.

The source also raised questions over the Free Patriotic Movement’s limited engagement in Batroun, noting that while the party led extensive media efforts around the elections, the figures it cited did not reflect substantive political gains.

"Municipal alliances are unlikely to reflect future parliamentary alignments, as political parties avoided clear positions and relied on family-based arrangements", the source continued.

The source concluded: "Contradictory alliances were driven by self-interest and an effort to avoid political confrontation", questioning the value of municipal elections in the absence of reform, accountability, and decentralization, arguing that without a functioning central state, local governance can achieve little.