Designated Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the Baabda Palace on Feb. 8, 2025. (Credit: AFP)
BEIRUT — After three weeks of negotiations and more than two years of a caretaker government managing only day-to-day affairs amid crisis and under bombardment, Lebanon finally has a new government.
The Cabinet of Nawaf Salam, consisting of 23 ministers plus the prime minister himself, was announced on Saturday afternoon following a meeting between Salam, President Joseph Aoun and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, concluding relatively difficult negotiations.
After the president signed the customary decrees, including the one formalizing the resignation of the previous government led by Najib Mikati, Cabinet's secretary-general, Mahmoud Makkieh, read out the names of the new ministerial team, which includes five women and none of Mikati's former ministers.
At the heart of the recent weeks’ negotiations, the portfolio allocated to a fifth Shiite minister — falling under the prime minister’s quota rather than the Amal-Hezbollah duo — was ultimately assigned to Fadi Makki, an expert in economics. The Cabinet notably includes figures such as former U.N. representative in Libya, Ghassan Salameh, and politician and intellectual Tarek Mitri. As expected, the Finance Ministry remains in the hands of the Shiite community and a close associate of the Speaker of Parliament: Yassin Jaber.
Salam had stated that his government would exclude members of political parties and any minister intending to run in the legislative elections scheduled for next year. As a result, his ministers are not officially affiliated with political parties, but he appointed them after consulting political leaders in a country where power has long been shared through sectarian quotas.
'Restoring trust'
Giving a televised statement from Baabda Palace after Makkieh read out the decrees, Salam expressed hope that his new government would be "a government of reform and salvation," adding that he would strive to "restore trust between citizens and the state, between Lebanon and its Arab neighbors, and between Lebanon and the international community," following the war and years of economic collapse, widely attributed to rampant corruption and mismanagement.
His government, which is set to hold its first Cabinet meeting at the presidential palace on Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 11 a.m., faces the daunting task of implementing the necessary reforms to unlock billions of dollars from international donors, overseeing a fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, and rebuilding the country.
After more than two years of caretaker governance, Hezbollah’s weakening during its war with Israel allowed former army chief General Joseph Aoun — considered Washington’s preferred candidate — to be elected president and appoint Nawaf Salam as prime minister.
The United Nations welcomed the formation of the new government on Saturday, calling it "the announcement of a brighter new chapter" for the country, according to a statement from the UN representative for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.
The European Union’s ambassador to Lebanon, Kaja Kallas, congratulated Lebanon, saying, "We are ready to assist the new government in establishing a reform-driven and forward-looking agenda while reviving the EU-Lebanon partnership, notably by organizing an association council this year."
"We welcome Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s commitment to adopting a reformist agenda," EU Ambassador to Lebanon Sandra De Waele wrote on X. She emphasized that "reforms are essential for Lebanon’s future" and added, "We count on all political actors not only to adopt reforms but also to implement them."
The international community has long urged Lebanon to implement reforms to unlock substantial funds aimed at revitalizing an economy crippled since 2019 by a financial crisis. The new government will have to reassess agreements, particularly with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and prepare for the upcoming legislative elections.
France’s ambassador to Lebanon, Herve Magro, welcomed the formation of a "government of reform and rescue" in a message on X. "A first step in the reform process ahead, towards the establishment of a rule of law that serves all its citizens," he wrote, adding that France "will be there to support" Salam and his cabinet. Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot reacted on his X account: "Congratulations to President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. Best of luck to Joe Rajji, appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs."
Ministerial declaration
On its X account, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut also welcomed the formation of the new government. "The Lebanese people deserve a government that will rebuild state institutions, fight corruption, and implement the necessary reforms," the embassy wrote. It also urged "the drafting of a ministerial declaration that will help Lebanon turn the page and set a path toward achieving these goals."
Before the new government can fully assume its functions, it must draft its ministerial declaration, which will be submitted for a vote of confidence in Parliament within 30 days. Lebanon's 128-seat Parliament remains primarily dominated by traditional parties based on sectarian representation.
On the domestic front, Gebran Bassil, leader of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and now positioned in the opposition, asserted his determination to stand against the "quadruple alliance."
Former Prime Minister Najib Mikati called his successor, Nawaf Salam, to congratulate him on forming the new government and to wish him success in his cabinet’s work, according to our political columnist Hoda Chedid.
