List of political parties in Lebanon

Lebanon has over 90 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

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.

Parties

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.

Parties currently represented in parliament

	Abbr.	Leader or Chairman	MPs	Political position & ideology	Alliance	Primary demographic
Lebanese Forces القوات اللبنانية al-Quwwāt al-Lubnānīyah	LF	Samir Geagea	19 / 128	Christian democracy Liberal conservatism Lebanese nationalism	Opposition	Christian
Free Patriotic Movement التيار الحرّ at-Tayyār al-Waṭanī al-Horr	FPM	Gebran Bassil	17 / 128	Civic nationalism Christian democracy Economic liberalism	March 8	Christian
Amal Movement حركة أمل Ḥarakat Amal	Amal أمل	Nabih Berri	14 / 128	Conservatism Populism	March 8	Shiite
Hezbollah حزب الله Ḥizbu 'llāh	HA	Hassan Nasrallah	13 / 128	Islamism Anti-Zionism Anti-Western	March 8	Shiite
Progressive Socialist Party الحزب التقدمي الإشتراكي Ḥizb at-Taqadummi al-Ishtiraki	PSP	Taymour Jumblatt	8 / 128	Social democracy Progressivism Third Way	None	Officially secular Mainly Druze
Future Movement تيار المستقبل Tayyār al-Mustaqbal	FM	Saad Hariri	8 / 128	Classical liberalism Economic liberalism Lebanese nationalism	Opposition	Officially Sunni
Kataeb Party (Phalanges) حزب الكتائب اللبنانية Ḥizb al-Katā'ib al-Lubnānīya	Kataeb	Samy Gemayel	5 / 128	Lebanese nationalism Christian democracy Social conservatism Maronite politics	Opposition	Officially secular Mainly Maronite
Armenian Revolutionary Federation Հայ Յեղափոխական Դաշնակցութիւն Hay Heghapokhagan Tashnagtsutiun	ARF ՀՅԴ	Hagop Pakradounian	3 / 128	Democratic socialism Armenian nationalism United Armenia	March 8	Secular Mainly Armenian
Marada Movement تيار المردة Tayyār al-Marada	MM	Suleiman Frangieh	2 / 128	Christian democracy Lebanese nationalism Pro-Syrianism	March 8	Mainly Maronite
Independence Movement حركة الاستقلال Harakat al-Istiklal	IM	Michel Moawad	2 / 128	Lebanese nationalism	Opposition	Nonsectarian (official) Maronite (majority)
Taqaddom Party حزب التقدم Ḥizb al-TaKadum	-	Collective leadership	2 / 128	Reformism Social democracy	October 17	Secular
Islamic Charitable Projects Association جمعية المشاريع الخيرية الإسلامية Jamʿīyah al-Mashārīʿ al-Khayrīyah al-ʾIslāmīyah	ICPA الأحباش al-Aḥbāsh	Shaykh Hussam Qaraqira	2 / 128	Salafism	March 8	Sunni
Islamic Group الجماعة الإسلامية al-Jama'ah al-Islamiyah	IG	Azzam Al-Ayyoubi	1 / 128	Islamic democracy Pan-Islamism	Opposition	Sunni
Union Party حزب الإتحاد Ḥizb al-Ittiḥād	UP	Abdul Rahim Mrad	1 / 128	Nasserism	March 8	Officially secular Mainly Sunni
Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party in Lebanon حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي في لبنان Ḥizb al-Ba‘th al-‘Arabī al-Ishtirākī fī Lubnān	Ba'ath	Disputed	1 / 128	Socialism Arab nationalism	March 8	Secular
National Liberal Party حزب الوطنيين الأحرار Ḥizb al-Waṭaniyyīn al-Aḥrār	NLP	Camille Dory Chamoun	1 / 128	Economic liberalism Lebanese nationalism National liberalism	Opposition	Maronite
Lebanese Communist Party الحزب الشيوعي اللبناني al-Ḥizb aš-Šuyūʿī al-Lubnānī	LCP	Hanna Gharib	1 / 128	Communism Marxism–Leninism Anti-Zionism	October 17	Secular
Lana – Social Democratic Party لـنا - حزب ديمقراطي اجتماعي Lana - hizb dimuqratiun ajtimaeiun	Lana	Collective leadership	1 / 128	Reformism Social democracy	October 17	Secular
Popular Nasserist Organization التنظيم الشعبي الناصري at-Tanzim ash-Shaabi an-Nassiri	PNO	Ossama Saad	1 / 128	Nasserism Socialism Arab nationalism	March 8	Sunni
National Dialogue Party حزب الحوار الوطني Ḥizb al-Hiwar al-Watani	NDP	Fouad Makhzoumi	1 / 128	Economic liberalism Secular liberalism	None	Officially secular Mainly Sunni
Dignity Movement تيار الكرامة Tayyār al-Karāma	DM	Faisal Karami	1 / 128	Arab nationalism Anti-Zionism Pan-Arabism	March 8	Sunni Muslim

Other parties

March 8 Alliance

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	Pan-Syrianism	Alawite
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 Druze
Lebanese Democratic Party الحزب الديمقراطي اللبناني al-Ḥizb ad-Dimoqrati al-Lubnāni	LDP	Prince Talal Arslan	Conservatism	Officially Druze
Toilers League رابطة الشغيلة Rabitat ash-Shaghila	LT	Zaher Khatib	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	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

March 14 Alliance

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	Armenian
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	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	Armenian
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	Mainly Syriac
Shuraya Party ܫܘܖܝܐ حزب شوريا Ḥizb ash-Shuraya	Shuraya		Assyrianism	Assyrian
Change Movement^[4] حركة التغـيير	CM	Elie Mahfoud^[4]	Democracy	Christian

Non-aligned

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	Green politics	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 - Lebanonحزب البيئة اللبناني	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

Defunct parties

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 National Bloc	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	-	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		Marxism-Leninism	Secular
Lebanese Republican Party الحزب الجمهوري اللباني Al Hezb Al Joumhouri Al Loubnani	LRP; PRL	Imad Geara		Republicanism Secularism Nationalism	Secular

References

^ In 1943, The National Covenant (Al-Methak Al- Watani) conditioned the seats according to the sects. The President, was to be a Christian Maronite, The Premiership to a Muslim Sunni and the Speakership to a Muslim Shiaa.
^ "Lebanon's Constitution of 1926 with Amendments through 2004" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-05-11. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
^ Nash, Matt (2017-09-13). "The anti-establishment - Executive Magazine". Executive. Archived from the original on 2020-08-13. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
^ ^a ^b "Change Movement head Elie Mahfoud to MTV: The President was required to take a firmer stance following the Minister of Culture's words and his threat that the Lebanese would witness something they had never seen before". MTV Lebanon. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2021-10-15.

[1] In 1943, The National Covenant (Al-Methak Al- Watani) conditioned the seats according to the sects. The President, was to be a Christian Maronite, The Premiership to a Muslim Sunni and the Speakership to a Muslim Shiaa.

[2] "Lebanon's Constitution of 1926 with Amendments through 2004" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-05-11. Retrieved 2019-02-07.

[3] Nash, Matt (2017-09-13). "The anti-establishment - Executive Magazine". Executive. Archived from the original on 2020-08-13. Retrieved 2019-10-30.

[:0-4] "Change Movement head Elie Mahfoud to MTV: The President was required to take a firmer stance following the Minister of Culture's words and his threat that the Lebanese would witness something they had never seen before". MTV Lebanon. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2021-10-15.

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