Lebanon tries yet again to elect a new president
But it will not be easy to convince its corrupt politicians to reform
IT IS RARE that a presidential palace stays empty for long: politics abhors a vacuum. But the one in Baabda, in the hills above Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, has been vacant since October 2022, when Michel Aoun finished his six-year term. Lawmakers have failed to select his successor a dozen times. The last attempt was in June 2023, but as The Economist went to press on January 9th, they were trying again.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Will it have a new president at last?”
Middle East & Africa January 11th 2025
From the January 11th 2025 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Middle East & Africa
West African booze is becoming a luxury product
Female entrepreneurs are leading the charge
First, the ceasefire. Next the Trump effect could upend the Middle East
Will Israel and Donald Trump use the threat of annexation to secure a new grand bargain?
After 15 months of hell, Israel and Hamas sign a ceasefire deal
Donald Trump provided the X factor by putting heat on Binyamin Netanyahu, who insists the war isn’t over yet
A hidden refuge in Sudan that the internet, banks—and war—can’t reach
A visit to the Nuba mountains provides a glimpse into the future of the country
Violent jihadists are getting frustrated by the new Syria
Tipsy dancers, Christmas decorations, Shias and women’s rights are in the crosshairs
America concludes genocide has been committed in Sudan—again
The move highlights the magnitude of Sudan’s civil war but does little to end it