The Protest Movement in Lebanon and the Potential for Change

Abstract

Abstract On 17 November 2019, mass protests erupted in Lebanon with demonstrators expressing a general discontent with the system and the political elite. Despite the general discontent, the traditional elite secured the majority of parliamentary seats. A 2019 survey by Arab Barometer indicated that 9 out of 10 Lebanese believe their political elite is corrupt (Arab Barometer 2019). Another survey published in 2021 showed that 9 out of 10 Lebanese are dissatisfied with the current sectarian political system (Arab Barometer 2021). Yet, the traditional parties won most of the parliamentary seats and the hirak (protest movement) candidates only won 13 seats, ironically, 1 in 10 of the total seats in the parliament. These results give rise to the question of why the elections did not reflect the general change in public opinion. The paper analyses the hirak – the social movement that was born out of the 17 November protests – and the protestors’ attempt to become a political force in the national elections in the light of the current system.