Hire power
Political connections create jobs in Lebanon, but only for some
WHEN a visitor starts emphasising the historical links between their families, Carlos Edde, a Lebanese politician, knows where the conversation is headed. Twenty minutes in, the visitor’s tone of voice shifts: “I’ve come to see you because I need a favour.” In Lebanon politicians find employment for their constituents in exchange for votes. Three quarters of university students surveyed by the Lebanese Centre for Policy Studies thought political connections were important to find jobs; 20% said that they had used them.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Hire power”
From the July 23rd 2016 edition
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