The leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil, surrounded by a few supporters, in Beit Habbaq (Jbeil), Sept. 7, 2024. (Credit: Bassil's X account)
The municipal elections set to take place next month are unlike any other, especially for the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM). This vote marks the first assessment of popularity for the party since its decline in 2019 during the popular protest movements. It comes amid recent resignations and dismissals of MPs and its new political positioning in the opposition. Theoretically, this could have been an electoral advantage. However, the challenge for the FPM seems anything but easy. The party finds itself increasingly isolated on the political scene, particularly after the presidential elections and its official rupture with Hezbollah.Meanwhile, the Lebanese Forces (LF) are actively preparing for the elections, not merely to gauge their popular support. According to Nadim Yazbeck, head of their electoral campaign office, the LF seeks “to...
The municipal elections set to take place next month are unlike any other, especially for the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM). This vote marks the first assessment of popularity for the party since its decline in 2019 during the popular protest movements. It comes amid recent resignations and dismissals of MPs and its new political positioning in the opposition. Theoretically, this could have been an electoral advantage. However, the challenge for the FPM seems anything but easy. The party finds itself increasingly isolated on the political scene, particularly after the presidential elections and its official rupture with Hezbollah.Meanwhile, the Lebanese Forces (LF) are actively preparing for the elections, not merely to gauge their popular support. According to Nadim Yazbeck, head of their electoral campaign office, the LF seeks “to...