Lebanon has been facing serious political, economic and social challenges for years, which have been greatly exacerbated by the multiple disasters and crises that have recently struck the country. But it seems that Lebanon is now facing a very difficult phase that requires great efforts at all levels to rebuild and recover.
It will face greater challenges in the areas of reconstruction, political and governmental reform, economic recovery, and providing humanitarian assistance to those affected. The ongoing political and sectarian tensions will also be a major obstacle to recovery and national cohesion. Therefore, it will be of utmost importance for all political and social parties in Lebanon to come together and cooperate sincerely to rescue it from its complex crises. Based on the developments that Lebanon has witnessed since August 2023, there are several basic steps that Lebanon must take to recover from the current crisis, the first of which is political and governmental reforms, as comprehensive reforms must be carried out in the political and governmental system to combat corruption, favoritism, and sectarianism, and a national salvation government must be formed that includes representatives from various sects and political movements, in addition to implementing constitutional and legal reforms to strengthen democratic institutions and the rule of law.
Regarding economic recovery, an integrated plan must be prepared to revive the economy and public finances, reform the banking sector, and restructure public debt, in terms of encouraging foreign investment and international aid to support reconstruction, assessing damage and losses, preparing comprehensive plans for reconstruction and reform, and then mobilizing international aid and local resources to finance reconstruction projects. Most importantly, civil society and the private sector must be involved in reconstruction efforts. Immediate humanitarian assistance must also be provided to those affected by disasters and crises, social support and rehabilitation programs must be implemented for affected communities, fair and transparent access to basic services must be ensured, and national reconciliation and social cohesion must be sought through a comprehensive reconciliation process, the role of civil society and non-governmental organizations must be strengthened in these efforts, and awareness and community dialogue programs must be implemented to restore the social fabric.
These are some of the key steps that should be at the heart of Lebanon’s recovery efforts. Of course, there will be major challenges to implementing them, but if they are addressed positively and collectively, Lebanon will be able to overcome this crisis and rise again. As for the most important political and economic challenges that may hinder the implementation of Lebanon’s recovery plan.
These are the most prominent challenges facing Lebanon in this regard: deep political and sectarian divisions and conflicts between the various Lebanese political parties, in addition to the lack of consensus and real will among the main powers to implement the required reforms, the dominance of sectarian quotas over government institutions, the failure to separate politics from administration, and finally the interference of regional powers in Lebanese political affairs and their impact on internal balances.
Lebanon is experiencing severe economic and financial crises, high poverty and unemployment rates, deteriorating infrastructure, collapse of public services such as electricity, water and health, shortage of cash and heavy reliance on remittances from expatriates, lack of trust in financial and banking institutions, inability to access deposits, weak investment environment, and failure to attract foreign direct investment. These political and economic challenges pose major obstacles to the implementation of Lebanon’s comprehensive recovery plan.
It requires real political will and the concerted efforts of all national and international parties to overcome it. An open and comprehensive national dialogue will be needed to build consensus on the vision and priorities.
As a reminder, international support plays a pivotal role in helping Lebanon implement its economic and political recovery plan. Financial and economic assistance consists of providing financial loans and debt restructuring, providing technical support to improve public finance management and government services, and helping to rebuild damaged infrastructure. The support of the international community will be crucial to the success of Lebanon’s recovery plan, but it requires strong political will and support from all national stakeholders to achieve success.
*Saudi writer
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