ATFL VP of Policy and Communications Patricia Karam writes for the Arab Center.
❝ Today, Lebanon may be better positioned than in years past, but it is still far from recovery. The country has regained some executive coherence and a clearer governing logic centered around sovereignty and reform. The government has taken important steps to reassert state authority, to manage the fragile southern border, and to signal its seriousness on reform, while reengaging international partners. But limitations persist. Disarmament has advanced only where it is least contested, while the most difficult phases remain ahead. Border stability remains incomplete and reconstruction has barely begun at the scale required to alter conditions on the ground. Economic confidence has not been restored, and the financial crisis continues to cast a shadow over reform efforts.
A good start has restored the idea of state sovereignty and has reopened pathways for reform. Now, full disarmament, pursued carefully and with national legitimacy, must remain the priority as the gateway to everything else. Without it, durable peace, meaningful reconstruction, and economic recovery will remain elusive. ❞
Photo credit: FB/Lebanese Presidency