Triumph or compromise: The decline of political Maronitism in Lebanon after the civil war

The Maronite Community had played a dominant role in the Lebanese political system at least from the late eighteenth century. However, from 1943, the Maronites had to compromise on a power‐sharing formukla with the Muslim community in view of the addition of Muslim areas to Greater Lebanon since 1920. Since the National Pact formula was undermined by internal and external factors, from the late 1960s, the Maronites attempted to rectify the formula by engaging in the Civil War of 1975–90. Since then political Maronitism has been in decline, mainly due to internal divisions, the modification of the National Pact Formula through the Al‐Taif Agreement in favour of Muslims and the growing Syrian influence. Though the decline of political Maronitism will result in an unhappy sectarian imbalance for the Christian community and lead to further Lebanese entanglement in Arab affairs, it could free the hands of Lebanese decision‐makers in handling Lebanon's relations with the Arab and Middle Eastern countries, especially Syria, more successfully.