Lebanese President Michel Aoun. (Credit: AFP)
The countdown is on. In 55 days, Michel Aoun will have to leave the Baabda Presidential Palace for the second and last time in his lifetime. The mandate of the “strong president” is ending in pain — the country is in full decay prompting more and more of its youth to pack their bags and leave. The last standing state institutions are collapsing. The governmental paralysis drags on.But for Aoun, the worst seems to be something else: A few weeks before his departure from the presidential palace, his legacy is far from assured. What will remain of his Aounism, or the Aounists, once he leaves the presidency?In 1990, the founder of the Free Patriotic Movement was forced into exile by the Syrian regime. This, however, paradoxically contributed to realizing his dream: 15 years later, he returned to Lebanon and was welcomed as a hero among many...
The countdown is on. In 55 days, Michel Aoun will have to leave the Baabda Presidential Palace for the second and last time in his lifetime. The mandate of the “strong president” is ending in pain — the country is in full decay prompting more and more of its youth to pack their bags and leave. The last standing state institutions are collapsing. The governmental paralysis drags on.But for Aoun, the worst seems to be something else: A few weeks before his departure from the presidential palace, his legacy is far from assured. What will remain of his Aounism, or the Aounists, once he leaves the presidency?In 1990, the founder of the Free Patriotic Movement was forced into exile by the Syrian regime. This, however, paradoxically contributed to realizing his dream: 15 years later, he returned to Lebanon and was welcomed as a hero among...
