Lebanon

Ghazi Zaiter is a Lebanese politician and a long-serving member of the Lebanese Parliament representing the Baalbek-Hermel district. A member of the Amal Movement, he has held several ministerial positions throughout his career, including Minister of Defense, Minister of Agriculture, and Minister of Public Works and Transportation. He has faced significant legal scrutiny and charges of negligence regarding his role as Minister of Public Works during the 2020 Beirut port explosion, as well as subsequent charges of obstruction of justice in 2026.

Adel Nassar is a Lebanese lawyer, legal scholar, and politician currently serving as the Minister of Justice in the cabinet of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam since February 2025. A member of the Beirut and Paris Bar Associations, he previously practiced law at Raphaël & Associés and served as a representative for Lebanon at the International Court of Arbitration. Since taking office, Nassar has prioritized judicial independence, overseen the finalization of long-awaited judicial appointments, and advocated for accountability regarding the 2020 Beirut Port explosion. He has also engaged in diplomatic efforts with Syria concerning security data and prison reform.

Ghassan Salamé is a Lebanese academic and politician who currently serves as the Minister of Culture in Lebanon, a position he assumed in February 2025. Previously, he held the same ministerial role from 2000 to 2003. A distinguished scholar in international relations, he served as the Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po and as the head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya from 2017 to 2020. Throughout his career, he has acted as a senior advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General and has been a prominent figure in international mediation, conflict resolution, and academic research on the Arab world.

Michel Menassa is a Lebanese politician and retired military officer who has served as the Minister of National Defense of Lebanon since February 2025. A former Major General in the Lebanese Army, he held various leadership roles including commander of the Beirut Air Base and Inspector General at the Ministry of Defense. Following his military retirement, he transitioned to the private sector, working in the shipping industry for the CMA CGM Group. His appointment to the cabinet of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is widely viewed as a strategic shift in Lebanese politics, signaling a potential move toward more neutral leadership and a reduction in the influence of Hezbollah.

Youssef Rajji is a Lebanese diplomat and politician currently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants in the cabinet of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam since February 2025. A career diplomat who joined the service in 1992, he previously held various international postings, including serving as Lebanon's ambassador to Jordan from 2022 to 2025. Rajji is known for advocating for Lebanon's neutrality in regional conflicts and has taken a firm stance against foreign interference, notably declaring the Iranian ambassador persona non grata in 2026. He has also prioritized digital reforms to improve consular services and voter registration for the Lebanese diaspora.

Nawaf Salam is a Lebanese politician, diplomat, jurist, and academic serving as the Prime Minister of Lebanon since February 2025. Born into a prominent family in Beirut, he pursued extensive education, earning doctorates from Sciences Po and the Sorbonne as well as a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School. Prior to his premiership, Salam had a distinguished career in international law and diplomacy, notably serving as Lebanon's ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations from 2007 to 2017 and as a judge of the International Court of Justice, where he also served as its president starting in 2024. Upon his nomination and confirmation as prime minister, he pledged to pursue comprehensive political and financial reforms, establish an independent judiciary, restore the state's monopoly over weapons, and implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.

Ghassan Hasbani is a Lebanese politician and businessman currently serving as a member of the Lebanese Parliament. Born in 1972, he previously held the positions of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health from 2016 to 2020. Before entering politics, Hasbani had a distinguished career in international business, notably serving as the CEO of STC International and holding leadership roles at Booz & Company. He is a member of the Strong Republic bloc and represents the Beirut I district.

Paula Yacoubian is a Lebanese politician, journalist, and television host who currently serves as a Member of the Lebanese Parliament. First elected in 2018 as the first Armenian woman to hold a seat in the legislature, she is a prominent advocate for women's rights, electoral reform, and anti-corruption efforts. Following the 2020 Beirut explosion, she briefly resigned from parliament but was re-elected in 2022 as part of the October 17 reformist bloc. Before her political career, she was a well-known media figure, hosting various talk shows on stations including Future TV, MTV, and LBCI, and serving as a consultant for the World Bank on diversity and inclusion.

Nadim Gemayel is a Lebanese politician and a member of the Lebanese Parliament, representing the Beirut I district. Born in 1982, he is the son of the assassinated president-elect Bachir Gemayel and a prominent figure within the Kataeb Party. Throughout his career, he has been a vocal advocate for Lebanese sovereignty, actively participating in the Cedar Revolution and opposing foreign influence in national affairs. He holds a law degree from Panthéon-Assas University and continues to serve as a key political voice for his constituency.

Nicolas Sehnaoui is a Lebanese politician currently serving as a Member of Parliament for the Beirut I District. He previously served as the Minister of Telecommunications from 2011 to 2014, where he oversaw significant infrastructure upgrades, including the deployment of fiber-optic networks and the expansion of 3G and 4G mobile services. A proponent of a secular political system, Sehnaoui has held leadership roles within the Free Patriotic Movement and has been active in promoting Lebanon's digital economy through initiatives like the Beirut Digital District.

Fouad Makhzoumi is a Lebanese billionaire, businessman, and politician who currently serves as a member of the Lebanese Parliament representing the Beirut II district. He is the founder of the National Dialogue Party and is affiliated with the Renewal Bloc. Before his political career, he established a significant business profile as the co-founder and long-time CEO of Future Pipe Industries. Educated in chemical engineering at Michigan Technological University, he remains an influential figure in both the Lebanese business community and national politics.

Waddah Sadek is a Lebanese politician and political strategist who currently serves as a Member of Parliament representing the Beirut II district. Born in Damascus, he built a career in television production, event management, and communications, notably serving as the head of communications for Prime Minister Rafic Hariri from 2001 to 2005. A prominent voice during the 2019 Lebanese uprising, he founded the progressive group Khatt Ahmar and was elected to parliament in 2022 as an independent reformist candidate. He initially joined the October 17 bloc but later withdrew due to internal political tensions.

Melhem Khalaf is a Lebanese politician, lawyer, and human rights activist currently serving as a member of the Lebanese Parliament. Elected in 2022 as an independent candidate representing the Beirut II district, he is a prominent figure associated with the Forces of Change movement. Previously, he served as the president of the Beirut Bar Association from 2019 to 2021, where he advocated for judicial independence and legal reforms. Khalaf is also a law professor and the founder of the non-governmental organization Offrejoie, which promotes national unity. He gained significant national attention for his prolonged sit-in at the Parliament building, aimed at pressuring lawmakers to resolve the country's presidential vacancy.

Jamil Al Sayyed is a Lebanese politician and a current member of the Parliament of Lebanon, representing the constituency of Baalbek-Hermel. A former Major General, he served as the Director-General of the General Directorate of General Security from 1998 to 2005, where he was recognized for his efforts in institutional reform and security coordination. Following the assassination of Rafik Hariri, he was detained for four years without charge before being released in 2009; the Special Tribunal for Lebanon later ruled his detention illegal. He entered parliamentary politics as an independent in 2018 and was re-elected in 2022.

Wael Abou Faour is a Lebanese politician and a senior member of the Progressive Socialist Party. He has served as a Member of Parliament representing the Western Bekaa and Rashaya district since 2005. Throughout his career, he has held several ministerial positions, including Minister of Social Affairs and Minister of Public Health. He is noted for launching a significant food safety campaign in 2014 to address violations in the restaurant industry. He holds a degree in Business Administration from the American University of Beirut.

Hussein Hajj Hassan is a Lebanese politician and a long-serving member of the Lebanese Parliament representing the Baalbek-Hermel constituency. A member of Hezbollah, he has held several ministerial positions, including Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Industry. He holds a PhD in Chemistry and Natural Physics from the University of Orléans and previously worked as a professor at the Lebanese University. Throughout his career, he has been a prominent figure within Hezbollah's political wing, focusing on agricultural policy and regional development within his constituencies.

Michel Daher is a Lebanese entrepreneur, investor, and politician serving as a Member of Parliament for the Zahle district. He is the founder of Daher Capital and Daher Foods, a major consumer goods company in the Middle East. Since his election in 2018, Daher has focused on economic reform, advocating for increased national productivity and reduced reliance on remittances. He has been a vocal critic of the country's economic model, proposing legislation for capital controls and the abolition of banking secrecy to address systemic financial instability.