After a political deadlock that has lasted for over two years, the recent election of Michel Aoun as the new president of Lebanon on October 31st 2016 has generated more questions than answers. The dramatic consequences of the Syrian conflict make for a delicate balance in this small country, where the cultures of mountain and sea are intertwined. To understand what made this new governing alliance possible, and what is at stake in the coming months, we have interviewed Ghassan Saliba, president of the Information Centre for foreign workers of the CCOO trade union of Catalonia, who is also responsible for social cohesion and Arab world politics.
Alex Anfruns: Lebanon has been steeped in a long lasting political crisis for more then two years. In your view, what dysfunctions has this crisis brought to light?
Ghassan Saliba: The crisis in Lebanon is not limited to these past two years with no president. It is a generalized crisis of the regime. The system divided along confessional lines, the hegemony of a political class that also represents the oligarchy, feudalism, and the use of religion by this political class to defend its interests. This class has no scruples and is willing to resort to any means to defend its interests and its power. It makes use of religion and appeals to foreign powers, both regional and international.
Since the so-called “national pact” of 1943 that established the confessional division, through the civil wars, foreign…