The Beirut square that was once the site of mass protests against Lebanon’s ruling class became a place of joy and jubilation on Monday night, as hundreds of Lebanese gathered in the heart of the capital to celebrate their new President and Prime Minister.
The appointment of former army chief Joseph Aoun as President and veteran diplomat and chief of the International Court of Justice Nawaf Salam as Prime Minister has created a sense of renewed hope among many Lebanese.
“We’re overjoyed, it’s a dream come true,” said Tahani Mahjoub, 33, a social activist. “They are the right candidates for the job, and we believe they can steer the country to security and stability,” she told The National.
Ms Mahjoub was one of scores of Lebanese who gathered in Martyrs’ Square in Beirut to celebrate the appointment of what they described as the type of “qualified” candidates they had been demanding for years.
“This is the change we’ve been seeking since October 17,” said Ghida Farhat, referring to the start of a mass protest movement in 2019 that took tens of thousands of Lebanese to the streets against governance by Lebanon’s ruling parties.
“Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam are the right people for the job, and the right people to bring change,” Ms Farhat, 26, a marketing and communications specialist who moved back to Lebanon from Dubai in 2023, told The National.
Lebanese are cautiously optimistic about the appointment of their new President and Prime Minister, both of whom are not affiliated with any of Lebanon’s long-governing political parties.
“It’s not just about seeing new faces in power, it’s about the faces themselves,” said Ghiya Al Assaad, 25.
“Joseph Aoun has reminded us that we can have trust in Lebanese institutions and the Lebanese state again,” said the media writer and international relations graduate. “It feels like a breath of fresh air”.
Since late 2019, Lebanon has struggled under the weight of compounding crises created by decades of corruption and mismanagement. The collapse of Lebanon’s once globally-praised banking sector and the continuing economic crisis, one of the worst in Lebanese history, have left the country in shambles.
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Despite the crisis, political and sectarian divisions put Lebanon in a state of deadlock, leaving the country without a president for two years and run by a caretaker cabinet with limited powers.
In September last year, Lebanon was dealt another blow when more than a year of cross-border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalated into a full-scale war, with Israeli attacks killing almost 4,000 people and leaving entire towns and villages in ruins. Almost 1.2 million people were displaced, many of whom were left on the streets in the absence of a proper government contingency plan. Many found their homes destroyed after a ceasefire was reached in late November.
“2024 was a very tough year, and we lived through months where our lives were in danger, homes destroyed and lands occupied,” Ms Al Assaad said. “It was a time when we did not see the light at the end of the tunnel, but now we’re feeling a sense of hope we had forgotten”.
Lebanon’s new President and Prime Minister face the task of ensuring that the ceasefire agreement with Israel is observed and respected amid continuous Israeli incursions. They will also have to lead postwar reconstruction efforts and implement long-awaited reforms to revive the economy and get Lebanon back on its feet again.
Despite the challenges ahead, Ms Farhat said the new appointments are a clear indicator of a “new era” in Lebanon.
“It’s delusional to say change will come overnight, but I really believe it just started.”
