The March 8 Alliance (Arabic: تحالف 8 آذار, romanized: taḥāluf 8 adhār) is a coalition of political parties and independents in Lebanon formed in 2005 that are united by their pro-Syrian[1] stance and their opposition to the former March 14 Alliance. It was the ruling coalition in Lebanon with the government headed by Prime Minister Najib Mikati from June 2011 until March 2013.[2] Main parties of the March 8 Alliance are part of the third Cabinet of Najib Mikati since 2021.[3]
March 8 Alliance تحالف 8 آذار | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Gebran Bassil |
| General Secretary | Mohammad Raad |
| Founded | 8 March 2005 |
| Ideology | Pro-Syria Anti-Zionism Factions Arab socialism Syrian nationalism Lebanese nationalism Arab nationalism Shia Islamism Baathism Christian democracy Social democracy Pro-Iran |
| Political position | Big tent |
| Colors | Orange, white |
| Parliament of Lebanon | 61 / 128 |
| Cabinet of Lebanon | 16 / 24 |
History
The name dates back to 8 March 2005 when different parties called for a mass demonstration in downtown Beirut in response to the Cedar Revolution.[4] The demonstration thanked Syria for helping stop the Lebanese Civil War and the aid in stabilising Lebanon and supporting the Lebanese resistance to the Israeli occupation.[5] Free Patriotic Movement led by Michel Aoun eventually joined the rival March 8 Alliance, becoming one of its principal coalition partners.
Inclusion of Free Patriotic Movement
The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) was the basis of the March 14 Alliance movement. FPM launched the Liberation War against the Syrian Army on 14 March 1989 and participated in all demonstrations against the Syrian occupation until the Cedar Revolution's mass demonstration on 14 March 2005.[6] The FPM split from the March 14 Alliance on 6 February 2006, when its leader Michel Aoun signed a memorandum of understanding with Hezbollah.[7] FPM considered its project against the Syrian government completed when the Syrian Army left Lebanon at the end of April 2005.[8]
Ruling Alliance (2011–2013)
The Progressive Socialist Party left the March 14 alliance in January 2011 after being one of its cornerstones and ostensibly aligned itself with the alliance's Change and Reform bloc after Walid Jumblatt visited Damascus. This move gave the alliance and its partners a majority in the parliament, enabling them to name Najib Mikati as prime minister to form the Lebanese government of June 2011.[9]
The government led by March 8 Alliance survived 22 months until Mikati's resignation on 23 March 2013.[10]
2016 presidential elections
After a presidential vacuum that lasted from 23 April 2014 until 31 October 2016, the Parliament was able to elect MP and former General Michel Aoun, who in turn nominated March 14 member Saad Hariri as Prime Minister.
2018 legislative elections
The alliance emerged victorious as they gathered 76 seats out of 128 (60%), in the first legislative elections since 2009.
2019 cabinet
The Alliance had 18 out of 30 ministers (60%) in the Lebanese Cabinet; it was equally represented in both parliament and cabinet.
| Name | Party | Portfolio (Ministry) | Religion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elias Bou Saab | Free Patriotic Movement | Minister of Defense | Greek Orthodox |
| Gebran Bassil | Free Patriotic Movement | Minister of Exterior and Expatriates | Maronite |
| Saleh Gharib | Lebanese Democratic Party | State Minister for Refugees Affairs | Druze |
| Ghassan Atallah | Free Patriotic Movement | Minister of Displaced | Greek Catholic |
| Nada Boustani | Free Patriotic Movement | Minister of Energy and Water | Maronite |
| Avedis Guidanian | Tashnag | Minister of Tourism | Armenian Orthodox |
| Hassan Mrad | Union Party | State Minister for Foreign Trade | Sunni |
| Albert Serhan | Free Patriotic Movement | Minister of Justice | Greek Orthodox |
| Salim Jreissati | Free Patriotic Movement | State Minister for Presidential Affairs | Greek Catholic |
| Mansour Bteich | Free Patriotic Movement | Minister of Economy and Trade | Maronite |
| Fadi Jreissati | Free Patriotic Movement | Minister of Environment | Greek Catholic |
| Youssef Finianos | Marada Movement | Minister of Public Works and Transport | Maronite |
| Ali Hassan Khalil | Amal Movement | Minister of Finance | Shia |
| Muhammad Daoud | Amal Movement | Minister of Culture | Shia |
| Hassan Lakkis | Amal Movement | Minister of Agriculture | Shia |
| Jamil Jabak | Independent | Minister of Public Health | Shia |
| Muhammad Fneish | Hezbollah | Minister of Youth and Sports | Shia |
| Mahmoud Kmati | Hezbollah | State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs | Shia |
September 2021 Cabinet
The Alliance has 16 out of 24 ministers (66%) in the current Lebanese Cabinet; it is equally represented in both parliament and cabinet.
| Portfolio | name | party | Religious |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deputy Prime Minister | Saadeh Al Shami | Syrian Social Nationalist Party | Greek Orthodox |
| Telecommunications | Johnny Corm | Marada Movement | Maronite |
| Information | |||
| Ziad Makary | Marada Movement | Maronite | |
| Defense | Maurice Slim | Free Patriotic Movement | Greek Orthodox |
| Tourism | Walid Nassar | Free Patriotic Movement | Maronite |
| Social Affairs | Hector Hajjar | Free Patriotic Movement | Greek Catholic |
| Energy and Water | Walid Fayad | Free Patriotic Movement | Greek Orthodox |
| Justice | Henry Khoury | Free Patriotic Movement | Maronite |
| Foreign Affairs | Abdallah Bou Habib | Free Patriotic Movement | Maronite |
| Displaced | Issam Charafeddine | Lebanese Democratic Party | Druze |
| Labor | Moustafa Bayram | Amal Movement | Shia |
| Finance | Youssef Khalil | Amal Movement | Shia |
| Agriculture | Abbas Al Haj Hassan | Amal Movement | Shia |
| Public Works | Ali Hamiyeh | Hezbollah | Shia |
| Culture | Mohammad Mortada | Hezbollah | Shia |
| Industry | George Bojikan | Tashnag | Armenian Orthodox |
2022 legislative elections
The alliance gathered 61 seats out of 128 (47%) and lost their parliamentary majority but still won the Parliament speaker election.[11]
The 2022 Strong Lebanon bloc was formed by FPM (17), Tashnaq (3) and Akkar MP Mohamad Yehya.[12]
The March 8 Alliance Today
Since 2020, the governance of Lebanon has been led by the March 8 alliance, with notable economic changes observed during this period. Lebanon's GDP experienced a significant decline, dropping from 51.8 billion in 2019 to 23.13 billion in 2023.[13]
Constituent parties
It currently holds 61 of 128 seats in the parliament after the 2022 elections and consists of:[14][15]