MP Michel Moawad and the leader of the Marada, Sleiman Frangieh, vote in the municipal elections on May 11, 2025, in Zghorta. (Photos @michelmoawad/Mohammad Yassin/L'Orient Today)
If it’s not actually a no-holds-barred war, it certainly looks like it. As part of the municipal elections in northern Lebanon (held on Sunday), Zgharta’s two MPs — Tony Frangieh (Marada Movement) and Michel Moawad (Independence Movement) — engaged in a fierce, weeks-long war of words in the media. Tensions peaked hours after the vote. Frangieh and Moawad both issued thinly veiled threats in statements to the media. Given the context in which it unfolded, such rhetoric might be considered “normal,” or at least “expected,” between these two historic rivals. Yet behind the municipal race lies a much higher stake for both MPs: winning the battle for the Federation of Zgharta Municipalities is a crucial step toward strengthening their respective leadership positions ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections.In an interview with the local...
If it’s not actually a no-holds-barred war, it certainly looks like it. As part of the municipal elections in northern Lebanon (held on Sunday), Zgharta’s two MPs — Tony Frangieh (Marada Movement) and Michel Moawad (Independence Movement) — engaged in a fierce, weeks-long war of words in the media. Tensions peaked hours after the vote. Frangieh and Moawad both issued thinly veiled threats in statements to the media. Given the context in which it unfolded, such rhetoric might be considered “normal,” or at least “expected,” between these two historic rivals. Yet behind the municipal race lies a much higher stake for both MPs: winning the battle for the Federation of Zgharta Municipalities is a crucial step toward strengthening their respective leadership positions ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections.In an interview...