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Date(s) - 06/26/2025
11:00 am - 12:30 pm

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https://timep.org/2025/06/18/post-municipal-elections-setback-can-lebanons-reformists-regain-momentum/
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The results of the recent municipal elections in Lebanon reflect the hegemony of sectarian political parties, and represent a severe setback for the country’s “Change” MPs and the broader reformist, non-sectarian bloc. These outcomes came about despite earlier optimism following the election of President Joseph Aoun and the appointment of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, both of whom have publicly committed to a political and economic reform agenda. Ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections of May 2026, the outlook appears bleak for groups attempting to put forward a political alternative. The municipal election results add to a list of mounting obstacles on the path to reform, actively obstructed by the entrenched interests of the financial and political elite, as well as the traditional media establishment.

On Thursday, June 26 from 11 am EST to 12:30 pm EST, the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP) is proud to host an online event titled “Post-Municipal Elections Setback: Can Lebanon’s Reformists Regain Momentum?” with Alaa Sayeg, Soha Mneimneh, and Ali Mourad, moderated by TIMEP nonresident fellow Jean Kassir. In what promises to be a decisive year for the reform agenda and the country’s future, panelists will examine a number of key questions: What are the factors behind the severe setbacks experienced by anti-establishment candidates in the municipal elections? What do the municipal elections tell us about the state of political organizing and any momentum toward a reform agenda in Lebanon today? How are reform-minded candidates recouping given these setbacks and thinking about the path for the 2026 parliamentary elections? How are they organizing in response? What do Lebanese voters want to see from the country’s future parliamentarians?