The Lebanese Politics Podcast

May 21 2022 114 ep. 46 mins 525

The Lebanese Politics Podcast artwork

A couple of nerds talking about Lebanese politics.

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Episode 114 - Election results and unresolved questions

May 21 2022 67 mins

In Lebanon's first election since the Oct. 17 uprising, voters sent a sizable contingent of change candidates to Parliament, while clipping the wings of both Amal and the Free Patriotic Movement. Nizar and Ben take a look at the vote, its translation to seats in Parliament, the new MPs, and what all this means for Lebanon in the coming months. Follow us on Twitter for updates @leb

Episode 113 - Lebanon's elections: What to expect

May 13 2022 51 mins

Ahead of Sunday's national elections, Nizar and Ben run through what to expect, both in terms of voting and results — and what's in store for Lebanon in the aftermath. Follow us on Twitter for updates @lebpoliticspod Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other work @elepheel

Ep 112 - Rhetoric: Change the faces or change the system?

May 06 2022 82 mins

Elections have begun! As expats head to the polls around the world this weekend, Nizar and Ben take a deep dive into what political parties are saying — and what that tells us about how they see Lebanon's problems and their proposed solutions. 0:00 - 4:51: Intro *Diagnosing the problem* 4:51 - 14:00: The establishment and/or hezbollah? 14:05 - 19:00: Hezbollah's reasoning

Episode 111 - Election Strategy, allies... and money

Apr 29 2022 69 mins

In our second episode focusing on Lebanon's 2022 parliamentary elections, Nizar and Ben analyze the strategic responses to two major developments — Hariri's withdrawal and the FPM's perceived weakness — and what they tell us about how moneyed interests interact with politics. Follow us on Twitter for updates @lebpoliticspod Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other

Episode 110 - New elections.. what changed?

Apr 23 2022 55 mins

Elections are coming! Returning after a long break, Ben and Nizar review major developments since the last parliamentary elections in 2018 and examine to what extent the two electoral moments are different or similar. We zoom in on the gradual deterioration of the economic situation alongside political deadlock and a campaign by financial elites and their allies to protect their i

Episode 109 - One year on: Who's responsible for the Beirut Blast?

Aug 02 2021 66 mins

Discussion of HRW's Beirut Blast report begins at 07:30. Ben and Timour are joined this week by Aya Majzoub, Lebanon and Bahrain researcher at Human Right's Watch, to walk through HRW's mammoth 700+ page report: “They Killed Us from the Inside” An Investigation into the August 4 Beirut Blast. (https://www.hrw.org/report/2021/08/03/they-killed-us-inside/investigation-august-4-b

Episode 108 - Nine months for nothing

Jul 18 2021 48 mins

Discussion on Hariri's resignation starts at 17:50. Ben, Nizar and Timour are back to analyse the latest in Lebanon's ongoing crisis, including protests over the lack of progress in the Beirut Port explosion investigation, potential sanctions against Lebanon's political class and our main focus, the resignation of PM-designate Saad Hariri. Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check ou

Episode 107 - Fall into financial chaos

Jun 06 2021 47 mins

Discussion on Lebanon's finances begins at 07:19. After a week packed with financial news, Ben and Timour are joined by Omar Tamo, journalist at L'Orient Today focused on banking and finance, to discuss the latest array of confusing decisions and negotiations between Lebanon's central bank and commerical banks and what it all means for ordinary depositors and Lebanon's struggling

Episode 106 - The new opposition

May 30 2021 61 mins

Discussion on the new opposition in Lebanon begins at 11:00. Nizar and Timo are joined this week by Hussein El Achi, lawyer, activist and secretary general of new political movement Minteshreen, to talk about the landscape of Lebanon's opposition, the dynamics of coalition forming and early projections for next year's parliamentary elections. Also discussed: Assad's election vict

Episode 105 - Palestine

May 23 2021 56 mins

Discussion on Palestine starts at 11:11. Ben and Nizar are joined this week by Laura Albast, communications and social media manager at the Institute for Palestine Studies, to discuss Palestine, the #SaveSheikhJarrah campaign and if the momentum and solidarity in response to the latest violence can translate into improvements for Palestinians on the ground. Also discussed: Lebano