Sharing Power and Faking Governance? Lebanese State and Non-State Institutions during the War in Syria

ABSTRACT

The war in Syria has caused both external and internal pressures on the Lebanese political system and state institutions. Yet, the Lebanese power-sharing system rests on a set of institutional mechanisms, both state and non-state, which allow its politicians to continue to govern, even in this tumultuous situation, and to respond to crisis. Empirical evidence on how policies were negotiated concerning security, elections, and refugees between 2012 and 2018 shows an interaction between state and non-state institutions and highlights the role of such mechanisms in power-sharing institutions.

KEYWORDS:

• Lebanon
• Syria
• power-sharing
• governance
• crisis

Acknowledgments

Research for this article was made possible through funding from the University Research Board at the American University of Beirut. Special thanks to Joumana Talhouk who helped in collecting data and conducting interviews, and to her support in thinking through some of the claims made in this analysis.

Notes

¹ Legal consultant, confidential interview with author, Beirut, 10 December 2017.

² Ministry advisor, confidential interview with author, Beirut, 11 December 2017.

³ Ministry advisor, confidential interview with author, Beirut, 7 December 2017.

⁴ Ministry advisor, confidential interview with author, Beirut, 7 December 2018.

⁵ Ministry advisor, confidential interview with author, Beirut, 1 December 2018.

⁶ Ministry advisor, confidential interview with author, Beirut, 11 December 2017.

⁷ Ibid.

⁸ Advisor to Office of Prime Minister, confidential interview with author, Beirut, 6 December 2017.

⁹ Ministry advisor, confidential interview with author, Beirut, 11 December 2017.

¹⁰ Political party spokesperson, confidential interview with author, Beirut, 13 December 2017.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Carmen Geha

Carmen Geha is Assistant Professor at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.