BEIRUT — Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is the final guest of the first edition of the L’Orient-Le Jour festival, which opened Friday, Sept. 12, and ran through Sunday, Sept. 14.
After an opening debate with former French President François Hollande, Salam will sit down with L'Orient-Le Jour's editors-in-chief Elie Fayad and Anthony Samrani to discuss the main themes shaping Lebanon and the region.
A former diplomat, jurist and academic, Salam also served as president of the International Court of Justice from February 2024 to January 2025, when he resigned to take the helm of the Lebanese government under President Joseph Aoun.
Expectations were high: for much of the country, Salam embodied the victory of reform and change after years of deadlock.
More than six months into his mandate, the results are mixed. Salam has disappointed some Lebanese who were hoping for faster progress. But his firm stance on Hezbollah’s weapons — particularly since the August announcement of a timeline to “guarantee the state the monopoly on arms” — has also bolstered his political stature.
Disarmament, reforms, Israel and Syria are among the issues we will address in our debate with the prime minister, without complacency or taboo.
Cher L'Orient-le Jour, Je tiens à vous remercier de votre travail, mais là nous ne pouvons malheureusement rien entendre de ce que dit le premier ministre.
15 September 2025 14:03