The leader of the Future Movement, Saad Hariri, and his aunt, Bahia Hariri, in downtown Beirut, on Feb. 14, 2026. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/L'Orient-Le Jour)
It’s official this time. On Sunday, former prime minister and Future Movement leader, Saad Hariri, appointed his paternal aunt, Bahia Hariri, as the party’s vice president. The decision, anticipated for more than a year, came as little surprise. First, they share a deeply rooted relationship of trust. Second, and above all, is that, in the collective memory of Hariri’s supporters, Bahia evokes the legacy of her brother, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was assassinated in February 2005. Behind the headlines How significant could the return of the Future Movement be? Beyond these factors, the appointment is closely tied to the decision to reactivate the Future Movement’s political machinery ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for next May — a process she is expected to oversee.The day after addressing tens of...
It’s official this time. On Sunday, former prime minister and Future Movement leader, Saad Hariri, appointed his paternal aunt, Bahia Hariri, as the party’s vice president. The decision, anticipated for more than a year, came as little surprise. First, they share a deeply rooted relationship of trust. Second, and above all, is that, in the collective memory of Hariri’s supporters, Bahia evokes the legacy of her brother, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was assassinated in February 2005. Behind the headlines How significant could the return of the Future Movement be? Beyond these factors, the appointment is closely tied to the decision to reactivate the Future Movement’s political machinery ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for next May — a process she is expected to oversee.The day after addressing tens...
