| ID | 130940 |
| Title Proper | EU and Lebanon in the wake of the Arab uprisings |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Fakhoury, Tamirace |
| Publication | 2014. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Lebanon is a multisectarian state in which Muslim and Christian groups share political power. The executive elite is composed of a Maronite president, a Shiite speaker of parliament and a Sunni prime minister. The legislature is split 50-50 between Muslims and Christians, and communities enjoy educational and religious autonomy. Two pacts act as regulatory frameworks for these political arrangements: the 1943 National Pact and the 1989 Taif agreement, which put a halt to Lebanon's 15-year civil war (1975-90).
While Lebanon's prewar political system (1943-75) was often framed as a paradigmatic case of consociational or power-sharing democracy,1 most observers today agree that this system is an anarchistic model for the devolution of power. 2 Sectarian3 politics feeds on patronage ties and foreign alliances through which communities vie for control over resources. It further reifies partisanship in external conflicts. |
| `In' analytical Note | Middle East Policy Vol.21, No.1; Spring 2014: p.133-143 |
| Journal Source | Middle East Policy Vol.21, No.1; Spring 2014: p.133-143 |
| Key Words | International Relations - IR ; International Cooperation - IC ; International Organization - IO ; International Alliance - IA ; Middle East Allies ; Europe ; European Union - EU ; Strategic Interests ; Lebanon ; Arab World ; Arab Spring ; Arab Uprising ; Cooperation ; Political Cooperation ; NATO ; Conflicts ; Violence ; Regime ; Prewar Political System - 1943-75 ; Multisectarian State ; Religious Community ; Political Power ; Anarchistic Model ; Paradigmatic ; External Conflicts ; Foreign Alliances |