Lebanon has hundreds of registered political parties. Since 2005, and after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, the political scene has become very polarised, with most major political parties and movements becoming part of one of two big rival alliances, the March 8 Alliance mainly led by Hezbollah, Free Patriotic Movement, Amal Movement, Tayyar Al Marada and the Tashnaq and on the opposing side, the March 14 Alliance. The name "14th March alliance", dates back to the Cedar Revolution which had as its goal an end to the Syrian military occupation. The groups are ideologically divided as one of them is pro-Lebanon "The 14 March Alliance", are in favour of, "free competitive markets, rule of law, structural reforms as well as individual freedoms. On the other hand "The 8 March Alliance" mainly controlled by Hezbollah and the Amal movement prefers more open relations with sanctioned eastern countries such as Iran for financial help and political rival crushing. They have tried to ask for financial help many times from Iran but the "14 March Alliance" has always opposed Iran's help as Iran always wanted to grip its claws to Lebanon with its militia/military proxy in Lebanon "Hezbollah".
Since the election of Michel Aoun as president in 2016 and the formation of a new Government headed by Prime Minister Saad Hariri, there were two sides, the March 14 alliance which surprisingly supported the election of Michel Aoun but only if mainly the Lebanese Forces having 7/20 of the governmental seats. Michel Aoun and Samir Geagea signed the "maarab agreement" and it was considered a historical peace between two rival and old political parties. Michel Aoun ended up not giving the required seats to the Lebanese forces but Samir Geagea did not seem to complain until after the "17 October revolution" in Lebanon which Samir Geagea tried his best in trying to impress but to no avail. Namely, sides that were against the election of Michel Aoun as president in the 2016 elections, consisted of traditional sectarian parties such as the Kataeb party, and the National Liberal Party. Since then, the political scene has been witnessing the emergence of new non-sectarian political groups such as Lihaqqi and Citizens in a State (MMFIDAWLA), in addition to many civil society groups who were loosely allied during the last parliamentary elections. Although they share a common goal to replace what they consider a failed political model, that was introduced following the end of the civil war leading to the 2020 economic crisis, they are not unified in order to assimilate and conquer the prevailing government.The then-elected government has failed its duties as a government and the Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, attempted to resign while he was in Saudi Arabia in 2017, but it was ruled unconstitutional. Later on, during the October protests he resigned as Prime Minister. Moreover, he was later designated in October,2020 once again as Prime Minister nevertheless his attempt at creating a government did not take place.
The consociational power-sharing model that tries to minimise conflict and promote equality are not written in the Constitution of 1926, nor has it appeared in the post-Civil War Taef Agreement.[1] Lebanon's unique experiment of a Sectarian Democracy trying to blend democratic principles and religious allocation of roles and functions together with 18 religious laws being applied to citizens’ personal status, in contradiction with the fundamental principles of democracy, the sovereignty of the people and equality of rights between the citizens has led to the sectarian division of the Lebanese people by law, to politically weak institutions, a divided nation and the chain of historical events such as the 1958 crisis and the 1975 civil war, Palestinian militant attacks against Israel from Lebanese territory, occupation of Lebanon by Syrian forces in 1976 and by Israeli forces in 1982 and the actual presence of weapons in the hands of Hezbollah outside the control of the Lebanese Government. Article 24 of the Constitution assigns half the seats in the national's legislature, the Chamber of Deputies, to Christians and the other half to Muslims.[2]
However, after the 2018 parliamentary elections, the political power in Lebanon shifted dramatically, with the Free Patriotic Movement leading in the number of seats in the Parliament and the Future Movement losing almost half of its seats. The Lebanese Forces almost doubled their seats in the Parliament.
Although most parties maintain that they are secular, the major political parties in Lebanon are loosely representative of a certain faith community. In 2005, the political scene became strongly polarized with most active political parties belonging to either the 8th and 14 March alliances. Since then, this division has become less and less significant as coalition governments became the norm. The following list places political parties within the two alliances.
| Party | Abbr. | Leader or Chairman | Political position & ideology | Primary demographic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arab Democratic Party الحزب العربي الدمقراطي al-Ḥizb al-Arabi ad-Dimoqraty | ADP | Rifaat Eid | Arab nationalism Arab socialism Baathism Pan-Syrianism | ||
| Syrian Social Nationalist Party الحزب السوري القومي الإجتماعي al-Ḥizb as-Sūrī al-Qawmī al-'Ijtimā'ī | SSNP | Rabi Banat | Syrian nationalism Left-wing nationalism | Secular | |
| Independent Nasserite Movement - Al-Mourabitoun حركة الناصريين المستقلين - المرابطون Ḥarakat an-Nassiriyin al-Mustakilleen - al-Mourabitoon | INM | Ibrahim Kulaylat | Arab nationalism Nasserism Anti-imperialism Pan-Arabism Arab socialism | Mainly Sunni Muslim Some Shiite and Druze | |
| Lebanese Democratic Party الحزب الديمقراطي اللبناني al-Ḥizb ad-Dimoqrati al-Lubnāni | LDP | Prince Talal Arslan | Conservatism | Officially Secular Mainly Druze | |
| Toilers League رابطة الشغيلة Rabitat ash-Shaghila | LT | Zaher Khatib | Communism Marxism-Leninism Socialism Arab nationalism (Left-wing nationalism) | Secular | |
| Solidarity Party حزب التضامن Ḥizb at-Tadamon | Tadamon | Emile Rahme | Christian liberalism | Christianity | |
| People's Movement حركة الشعب Ḥarakat ash-Shaeb | SHAAB | Ibrahim al-Halabi | Nasserism Socialism Arab nationalism | Secular | |
| Christian Democratic Union الحزب المسيحي الدمقراطي al-Hizb al-Massihi al-Dimoqrati | CDU | Neemtallah Abi Nasr | Christian democracy | Christian | |
| Nasserite Unionists Movement الحركة التوحيدية الناصرية al-Ḥaraka at-Tawhidiyya an-Nassiriyya | NUM | - | Nasserism | Secular | |
| Islamic Labor Front جبهة العمل الإسلامي Jebhat al-A'amal al-Islamy | ILF | Fathi Yakan | Islamism | Sunni Muslim | |
| Arab Unification Party تيار النوحيد اللبناني Tayyār at-Tawhid al-Lubnany | LUM | Wiam Wahhab | Arab nationalism | Officially secular Mainly Druze | |
| Promise Party حزب الوعد Ḥizb al-Waad | NSDP | Gina Hobeika | Secularism | Officially secular Mainly Maronite Christian | |
| Federation of Popular Leagues and Committees تجمع اللجان والروابط الشعبية Tajamo' al-Lijan wal Rawabit ash-Shaabiya | FPLC | Maan Bashour | Nasserism Arab Nationalism | Officially secular Mainly Sunni Muslim | |
| Arab Socialist Union الإتحاد الإشتراكي العربي al-Ittiḥād al-Ishtiraki al-Arabi | SAU | Omar Harb | Arab socialism | Secular | |
| Democratic Nasserite Movement حركة الناصريين الدمقراطيون Ḥarakat al-Nassiriyin ad-Dimocratiyoon | DNM | - | Nasserism | Sunni Muslim | |
| Lebanese Arab Struggle Movement حركة النضال العربي اللبناني Ḥarakat an-Nidal al-Arabi al-Lubnani | LASM | Faysal Dawood | Arabism | Officially secular Mainly Druze | |
| Islamic Unification Movement حركة التوحيد الإسلامي Ḥarakat at-Tawhid al-Islamy | IUM | Said Shaaban | Islamism | Sunni Muslim |
| Party | Abbr. | Leader or Chairman | Political position & ideology | Primary demographic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Democrat Hunchakian Party حزب الهنشاق (حزب الهنشاق الديمقراطي الإجتماعي) Ḥizb al-Henchag Սոցիալ Դեմոկրատ Հնչակեան Կուսակցութիւն Sotsial Demokrat Hnchakyan Kusaktsutyun | SDHP ՍԴՀԿ | - | Democratic socialism Social democracy Armenian nationalism Secularism | ||
| Democratic Left Movement حركة اليسار الديمقراطي Ḥarakat al-Yassar ad-Dimoqrati | DL | Elias Attallah | Left-wing | Secular | |
| Democratic Renewal حركة التجدد الدمقراطي Ḥarakat at-Tajaddod ad-Dimoqrati | DRM | Farouk Jabre | Social liberalism Secularism Reformism Nonsectarianism | Secular | |
| Armenian Democratic Liberal Party - Ramgavar حزب الرمغفار (الحزب الديمقراطي الليبرالي الأرمني) Ḥizb ar-Ramgavar Ռամկավար Ազատական Կուսակցութիւն Ramgavar Azadagan Gusagtsutyun | ADL ՌԱԿ | Hagop Kassardjian | Armenian nationalism National liberalism Classical liberalism Pro-Europeanism | ||
| Free Lebanese Armenian Movement حركة اللبنانيين الأرمن الأحرار Ḥarakat al-Lubnaniyin al-Arman al-Ahrar | FLAM | - | Secular liberalism | Armenian | |
| Free Shia Movement التيار الشيعي الحرّ at-Tayyār ash-Shi'iy al-Hurr | TSH | Mohammad Al Hajj Hassan | Islamism | Shiite Muslim | |
| Lebanese Peace Party حزب السلام اللبناني Ḥizb as-Salam al-Lubnany | LPP | Roger Edde | Centrism Decentralization Big tent[3] | Secular | |
| Syriac Union Party ܓܒܐ ܕܚܘܝܕܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ ܒܠܒܢܢ حزب الاتحاد السرياني Ḥizb al-Ittiḥād as-Siryani | SUP | Ibrahim Mrad | Assyrian nationalism | ||
| Shuraya Party ܫܘܖܝܐ حزب شوريا Ḥizb ash-Shuraya | Shuraya | Assyrianism | Assyrian | ||
| Change Movement[4] حركة التغـيير | CM | Elie Mahfoud | Democracy | Christian |
| Party | Abbr. | Leader or Chairman | Political position & ideology | Primary demographic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citizens in a State مواطنون ومواطنات في دولة Mouwatinoun wa Mouwatinat fi Dawla | MMFD | Charbel Nahas | Civic nationalism Progressivism Secularism | Secular |
| Mada Network شبكة مدى Shabaket Mada | Mada | Horizontal Leadership | Secularism Democracy Social justice | Secular |
| Popular Bloc التكتّل الشعبي at-Takattol ash-Shaa'bi | - | Myriam Skaff | Christian democracy | Greek Catholic |
| Azm Movement تيار العزم Tayyār al-Azm | Azm | Najib Mikati | Centrism Secularism | Secular Mainly Sunni |
| Sabaa Party حزب سبعة Hizb Sabea | Sabaa | Hassan Baz Chamas | Liberalism | Secular |
| Lebanese Social Democratic Party حزب الدمقراطي الإشتراكي Ḥizb ad-Dimoqraty al-Ishtiraki | DSPL | Kamel Asaad | Socialism Secularism Lebanese nationalism Islamic socialism Social democracy Democratic socialism Red Shi'ism | Secular Mainly Shiite Muslim |
| National Bloc حزب الكتلة الوطنية Ḥizb al-Kitla al-Wataniya | NB | Michel Helou | Centrism Lebanese nationalism | Secular Historically Maronite |
| Green Party of Lebanon حزب الخضر اللبناني Ḥizb al-Khodor al-Lubnanī | GPL | Philip Skaf | Secular | |
| Hizb ut-Tahrir حزب التحرير Ḥizb at-Taḥrīr | HT | Ata Abu Rashta | Officially Islamism | Officially Islamic Mainly Sunni |
| Phoenician Party حزب فينيقيا Hizb alFiniki | Antonios Abidaoud | Phoenician Nationalism | Secular | |
| Socialist Arab Lebanon Vanguard Party حزب طليعة لبنان العربي الاشتراكي Ḥizb at-Taliyeh Lubnan al-'Arabi al-Ishtiraki | HT | Abd al-Majid Rafei | Ba'athism | Secular |
| Movement of Lebanese Nationalism حركة القومية اللبنانية Ḥarakat al-Qawmiyya al-Lubnaniyya | MLN | Etienne Saqr | Right-wing nationalism | Secular Traditionally Christian |
| Aramean Democratic Organization ܛܘܟܣܐ ܐܪܡܝܐ ܕܝܡܘܩܪܛܝܐ Ṭukoso Oromoyo Dimoqraṭoyo التنظيم الآرامي الديمقراطي at-Tanzim al-Arami ad-Dimoqraty | ArDO | Gabi Gallo | Arameanism National conservatism Christian democracy Religious nationalism Pro-Europeanism | Aramean |
| Lihaqqi لِ حقي Lihaqqi | Collective Leadership | Left-libertarianism Grassroots democracy Economic democracy Radical democracy | Secular | |
| Lebanese Democratic Movement تيار لبنان الديمقراطي Tayyār Lubnan ad-Dimoqraty | - | Jack Tamer | Social democracy | Secular |
| Lebanese Option Party تيار الإنتماء اللبناني Tayyār al-Intimaa' al-Lubnani | LOG | Ahmad al-Asaad | Liberalism | Secular Mainly Shiite Muslim |
| Liberty Front جبهة الحرية Jabhat al-Horriya | - | Fouad Abou Nader | Center-right | Secular Traditionally Christian |
| Najjadeh Party حزب النجادة Ḥizb an-Nejjadeh | Mustapha Hakim | Arab nationalism | Sunni Muslim | |
| New Lebanese Movement حركة اللبنانيين الجدد Ḥarakat al-Lubnaniyin al-Jodod | Danny Abdel Khalek | Secularism | Secular | |
| Arab Socialist Party الحزب العربي الإشتراكي al-Ḥizb al-Arabi al-Ishtiraki | - | - | Socialism | Secular |
| Lebanese Ecology Party حزب البيئة اللبناني Ḥizb al-Bi'a al-Lubnany | - | Habib Maalouf | Ecology | Secular |
| Popular Democratic Party الحزب الشعبي الديمقراطي al-Ḥizb ash-Shaabi ad-Dimoqraty | - | Nazih Hamza | Marxism-Leninism | Secular |
| Take Back Parliament - Lebanonإسترجعوا البرلمان | TBP | Various | Secularism | Secular |
| Lebanese Arab Movement حركة لبنان العربي Ḥarakat Lubnan al-Arabi | - | - | Nasserism | Sunni Muslim |
| Organization of Communist Action منظمة العمل الشيوعي Munaẓẓamah al-‘Amal ash-Shuyū‘ī | - | Ibrahim Muhsen | Communism Marxism–Leninism Socialism Maoism | Secular |
| Kurdish Democratic Party الحزب الديمقراطي الكردي في لبنان al-Ḥizb ad-Dimuqrati al-Kurdi fi Lubnan | - | Riyad Mihhu | Kurdish nationalism | Kurdish |
| Razkari Party حزب رزكاري Ḥizb Rizkārī | - | Mahmoud Khodr Fattah Ahmad | Kurdish nationalism | Kurdish |
| Party | Abbr. | Leader or Chairman | Notes | Ideology | Primary demographic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Tanzim Party حركة المقاومة اللبنانية - التنظيم Ḥarakat al-Moqawama al-Lubnaniya (Tanzim) | Tanzim | - | Political wing of the Al-Tanzim militia. | Ultranationalism Christian right | Maronite | |
| Constitutional Bloc الكتلة الدستورية al-Kutla ad-Dustuuriyya | - | Khalil El-Khoury | Created by Bechara El Khoury to oppose Émile Eddé's National Bloc | Secular liberalism Liberal nationalism Nonsectarianism Pro-National Pact | Secular | |
| The Great Lebanese Labor Party الحزب العمالي اللبناني الكبير al-Ḥizb al-'Ommali al-Lubnany al-Kabir | - | - | This party existed during the French Mandate of Lebanon | Communism | Secular | |
| Deprived Movement حركة المحرومين Ḥarakat al-Mahrumin | - | Musa al-Sadr | Ancestor of Amal | - | Shia | |
| Arab Nationalist Movement حركة القوميين العرب Ḥarakat al-Qawmiyyin al-'Arab | - | - | Split, most merged into the Arab Socialist Action Party – Lebanon | Pan-Arabism Arab socialism Anti-Zionism Secularism National liberation | - | |
| Syrian–Lebanese Communist Party الحزب الشيوعي السوري اللبناني al-Ḥizb ash-Shuyū'ī as-Sūrī al-Lubnānī | - | Khalid Bakdash | - | Communism Marxism-Leninism | Secular | |
| Arab Socialist Action Party – Lebanon حزب العمل الاشتراكي العربي - لبنان Ḥizb al-'Amal al-Ishtiraki al-'Arabi - Lubnan | ASAP-L | Hussein Hamdan | - | Marxism Arab nationalism | Secular | |
| National Youth Party حزب الشباب الوطني Ḥizb ash-Shabab al-Watani | - | Ahmad Karami | - | - | Secular | |
| Party of Socialist Revolution حزب الثورة الإشتراكية Ḥizb at-Thawra al-Ishtirakiyya | - | - | - | Maoism | Secular | |
| Communist Action Organization in Lebanon منظمة العمل الشيوعي في لبنان Munaẓẓamah al-‘Amal al-Shuyū‘ī fī Lubnān | CAOL; OCAL | Mohsen Ibrahim | Communism Marxism-Leninism | Secular | ||
| Lebanese Republican Party الحزب الجمهوري اللباني Al Hezb Al Joumhouri Al Loubnani | LRP; PRL | Imad Geara | Republicanism Secularism Nationalism | Secular |