Lebanon and the plight of living under volcanoes

Description

This article examines how vulnerable Lebanon is with respect to a series of nested crises unfolding in the Middle East, while having little bearing on the course of events. In this regard, one can see the extent to which these crises are intertwined (in such a way that none can be solved in isolation) through a transversal examination of their reception in the Lebanese arena. On top of that, Lebanon is facing pressing economic challenges not adequately dealt with by the authorities whose dysfunctionality is mainly related to the confessional system of governance, further exposing the country to regional turbulence. The ruling political class’ reliance on wishful thinking solutions and social resilience in the face of shocks endangers Lebanon’s stability.

Rayan Haddad holds a PhD in International Relations from Sciences Po Paris (2007). He is a member of the Cercle des Chercheurs sur le Moyen-Orient (Paris). His main research interests lie in studying the importation of exogenous conflicts into the Lebanese arena and Hezbollah’s policies.