Geagea: Lebanon Faces the ‘Choice of Necessity’… and a General Amnesty Is Necessary After Years of Manipulation of the Judiciary

Geagea considered that anger within the Sunni street “is not linked only to the amnesty file, but reflects a general state of tension that Lebanese are experiencing as a result of the war and the economic collapse.”

He went on to say that Lebanese, whether in the south or in other regions, are paying the price of the war directly and indirectly, whether through fear, the loss of businesses and livelihoods, or the decline in the state’s financial capacity.

He pointed out that the Lebanese state “set the 2026 budget on the basis of specific revenues, but the war led to a drop in income of no less than 40%, against an increase in expenditures ranging between 10 and 20%.” He asked: “How will the state be able to continue under this reality?”

On the political and security front, Geagea said that Lebanon has come to face the “choice of necessity,” noting that the majority of Lebanese now support the Lebanese state taking charge of negotiations with the aim of reaching lasting stability, not merely a temporary ceasefire.

Responding to a question, the Lebanese Forces leader paused at the May 17 Agreement, considering that “its downfall more than four decades ago led to dragging Lebanon into a long سلسلة of crises and wars.” He said that what Lebanon has reached after the wars of 2023 and 2024 and their extensions into 2025 and 2026 has led Lebanese to ask a fundamental question: “What is the alternative?” Therefore, what is required today is not merely another ceasefire, but reaching a “stable and fixed situation” that ends the chronic state of anxiety the south has lived with for decades.

Regarding the Lebanese state’s ability to impose its sovereignty amid the continued presence of Hezbollah’s weapons, Geagea explained that “the problem does not lie in the weakness of the state in and of itself, but rather that there are those who have worked for decades to weaken and marginalize it. Hence, if the Lebanese state takes the appropriate political decision and makes some changes in sensitive positions, it can turn into a ‘strong state.’”

After calling on those in charge of the state to take a final decision regarding the establishment of an actual state, Geagea affirmed that Lebanon cannot continue as “half a state,” in which the legitimate authority is responsible for administration and services while decisions of war and peace remain outside its authority. He noted that the Lebanese people, “if they are not convinced by the state’s performance, can politically bring down the authority through Parliament.”

Geagea revealed that he had sent a clear message to the President of the Republic, namely that attempts to address matters “the Lebanese way” are no longer useful, and that a policy of appeasement toward Hezbollah has not produced results. He said the state only needs “to roar” for things to begin to change, considering that continuing to deal with Hezbollah through the logic of mediation and inconclusive understandings will not lead to any real result.

Geagea also touched on the centenary of the Lebanese constitution, considering that “the Lebanese experience since the establishment of the state shows that there is a ‘structural flaw’ in the existing political formula.”

He said that Lebanon “has lived through successive crises since independence, from the 1958 crisis to the civil war, all the way to the successive crises after the Taif Agreement,” stressing that this reality imposes a comprehensive reassessment of the Lebanese system, given that Lebanon is now classified in many diplomatic circles as a “failed state.”

The Lebanese Forces leader stressed that the only constant for him is preserving Lebanon within its internationally recognized borders. As for the internal situation, an objective discussion must be opened on the reasons that brought the country to this reality, and on the search for a formula that guarantees stability for all Lebanese.

As for the Taif Agreement, Geagea commented by saying: “No formula should be rejected or accepted absolutely. Rather, it is necessary to assess what remains valid in it and what needs amendment or development,” affirming that the Lebanese deserve “to live in a stable and respected state.”