Young MPs in the Lebanese Parliament: Are they sellers of Illusions?

In the 2018 parliamentary elections, a number of young faces entered the Lebanese Parliament for the first time. Despite these individuals belonging to traditional parties that played prominent roles in the civil war and have governed the institutions of the post-Taif Agreement Lebanon, there was hope or anticipation regarding whether these young MPs would work with a mindset that differed, even if marginally, from what the Lebanese people have known, particularly in terms of the distorted political narratives that have been imposed on the youth.

In 2018, the young candidates raised several slogans for issues that had not received significant attention in their parties, except for the recurring slogan at every election cycle: providing job opportunities for Lebanese youth. These candidates primarily relied on social media platforms to highlight their tours in different areas and their interactions with delegations as part of their electoral campaigns, albeit with varying degrees of presence and activity. They could have used their election tours and media appearances to focus on their electoral programs, present, elaborate, and discuss them with their supporters as well as with those who were not within their electoral base. This belief is reinforced by the assumption that most of these candidates have educational backgrounds from abroad, and they are undoubtedly influenced by democratic lifestyle patterns or aspire to them more than their parents and grandparents, who experienced politics more through the trenches and civil war battles than through institutions. Election programs passed through general political speeches, and people voted based on legacy, regional affiliation, and political leadership rather than concrete plans and projects. Of course, we cannot place the absolute blame on these young MPs, especially given the electoral laws that make competing on programs a relatively easy task. Perhaps, had the electoral law been based on proportional representation, we would have seen more discussions of ideas on media platforms and social media than coverage of social events.

The elections ended, and a number of young faces entered the parliament, some of whom were entering for the first time, particularly the youngest ones, such as Sami Fatfat (born 1989), Tony Frangieh (born 1987), Tarek Al-Merehbi (born 1985), Taymour Jumblatt (born 1982), and Salim Khoury (born 1980). Following them in age and first-time entry into parliament were resigned MPs Cesar Maalouf (born 1978), Elias Hankach (born 1977), Ziad Hawat (born 1977), resigned MP Paula Yacoubian (born 1976), Eddie Maalouf (born 1972), and Faisal Karami (born 1971).

It was expected that these young MPs would focus their speeches, media appearances, and discussions on the term that we almost forgot existed in Lebanese politics: legislation or proposed laws. They were expected to contribute, as most of them are seen as role models or representatives of their supporters' aspirations, especially the youth, by raising the level of media discussions, particularly among their supporters, through their tweets on social media.

However, there was no change in the political-media performance of these young MPs after entering the parliament, except for the occasional "selfie" pictures of them and their colleagues during the few parliamentary sessions and committee meetings. There were no proposals for laws or discussions of proposed plans, if any. When Lebanon faced the crisis of forming its first government under Prime Minister Saad Hariri, their platforms turned into forums for launching political stances, particularly blaming their political opponents for the deadlock. Political problems increased, and the political discourse on their pages and in their media statements dominated the conversation, whether it was about the failure of the parliament and successive governments, political, financial, administrative, and judicial corruption, or the economic, social, and health crises. Instead of offering solutions or at least providing responses to the public regarding the collapse of the state, for which their parties bear the largest responsibility, given that they have been part of the parliament since 1990 and after 2005, and they themselves sit on committees that are primarily responsible for the country's financial and political situation, there were no plans, explanations, or admissions of responsibility. Instead, there was a back-and-forth exchange of accusations over responsibility and the constant question about the absence of the state, even though they and their parties form the state! So, who are they criticizing for the absence of the state? What have they done in the committees and in parliament? What projects have they tried to propose, and why were they blocked? Do they have the courage to apologize or admit failure?

In an attempt to gain answers regarding the work of the MPs, the pages and media statements of these politicians are almost devoid of discussions about the projects that were part of their electoral promises. However, as the upcoming parliamentary elections in 2022 draw near, several of them have recently stated their contributions to the drafting and approval of several laws in parliament. What stands out, though, is that followers can hardly notice any detailed coverage of these projects in the media, except for a few images on social media and scattered articles by journalists on special occasions.

For example, MP Tony Frangieh recently discussed his latest project regarding the electricity crisis and mentioned that he had presented several laws related to economic issues. However, none of these were featured on Frangieh's personal social media pages or in his television and newspaper interviews, except for the most recent proposal and a few brief appearances. Upon further research, supporters of Frangieh, through the "Mareh" website, claim that he organized an event months ago to showcase the laws he had worked on and proposed. However, there is no press release or news article detailing the content of these laws, and it was later revealed that the event was not truly media-focused but rather a gathering of friends and supporters.

Here, Frangieh cannot be solely held accountable for this media performance; the media itself bears a larger responsibility for deliberately avoiding discussions and accountability regarding the MPs' work and instead focusing on political headlines, allowing the media to become platforms for political battles. The majority of Frangieh's tweets and statements are centered around political stances, specifically blaming the current presidency and the Free Patriotic Movement for the crisis that Lebanon is currently facing.

In his only media appearance before the parliamentary elections, MP Taimur Jumblatt stated that his program is "serving the people." Despite media coverage of the public meetings he organized, Jumblatt's social media pages are nearly empty of any information regarding his parliamentary activities or the proposed laws he has been involved in, except for a news item about his signing of the "Old Age Insurance Law for Workers and Employees" in 2019 and a tweet advocating for the legalization of child marriage. His appearances and social media activity mainly focus on political stances on specific issues, especially attacking the "authority responsible for the collapse."

On the other hand, MP Tarek Meriabi had declared during his electoral campaign that he would prioritize youth issues and securing job opportunities for them. However, his electoral program has not been published in the media. A few points from his program have been mentioned in public meetings, but news reports from media outlets provide no information about any laws he has proposed. All the coverage focuses on public meetings and political stances, which vary between attacking the presidency and the Free Patriotic Movement and supporting Future Movement leader Saad Hariri. As for social, environmental, and economic issues, these appear only as calls and appeals on social media, asking the state officials to stop the collapse, except for news about the approval of "funding for the Arab highway" in parliament in 2020 and his signing of the anti-food-waste law in 2019.

MP Samy Fattfett, in one of his media appearances, promised to prioritize youth issues and securing jobs for them. He also announced during his electoral campaign the need to focus on developing the agricultural sector and upgrading infrastructure in his regions, specifically the Koura and Akkar areas. Upon reviewing media coverage of his statements, one can find a few items regarding his proposals, including an announcement about a housing law project, a donation to expand and develop the Port of Tripoli, and a bill submitted on 5/10/2021 to lower the voting age. However, most of his tweets and statements are centered around responding to and attacking the president, the presidency, the Free Patriotic Movement, and MP Jamil Sayyed.

MPs Salim Khoury and Eddy Maalouf’s actions are no different from their colleagues. Maalouf’s social media platforms have become a fierce outlet for responding to critics of the presidency, particularly the Lebanese Forces and some other MPs. Before his election, Maalouf stated in an interview that his electoral program would focus on helping people in health, social, and environmental matters, without exaggerating slogans. These topics appear in his tweets but lack any detailed information or updates on the developmental projects he repeatedly claimed to be working on. MP Salim Khoury, on the other hand, is less harsh than his colleague, but his political positions still focus on criticizing corruption in Lebanon and calling for the need for reform.

MP Faisal Karami, aside from announcing his involvement in the Port of Tripoli development project, has no media coverage of any development projects, except for news about securing asphalt for the Tripoli highway several months ago.

Of course, responsibility cannot be solely placed on these new MPs, especially given the internal obstacles that have plagued their parliamentary terms, which have been created and contributed to by their own political parties. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted global affairs. However, this article highlights the performance of these young MPs in front of the Lebanese public. Today, social media has become the primary tool for political action globally, even playing significant roles in changing public opinion during the U.S. presidential elections, among others. As we approach a possible parliamentary election, the question arises: What have these MPs, who presented themselves as the voice of Lebanon’s ambitious youth seeking opportunities, really achieved? Have they delivered a political discourse and performance outside the realm of their traditional parties, even if only symbolically? Are these young MPs selling illusions? The answer to this question is left for public opinion, as "Dialektik" will hold them accountable for their work over the past four years, which will be published on their website.

Note: This article excludes independent MPs.