Alain Aoun: Lebanon faces deadlock amid "dialogue of the deaf"
1/27/2026 7:14:00 PM
During the parliamentary session on the 2026 budget, MP Alain Aoun addressed several key issues facing Lebanon.
He expressed support for the Minister of Energy, saying: “We commend the Minister of Energy for working to improve Electricité du Liban’s capacity and fight off electricity theft.”
Aoun also urged clarity on the government’s approach to public sector reforms, stating: “We hope the Prime Minister will tell us at the end of today’s session how the government plans to manage higher public sector wages while carrying out reforms.”
On fiscal matters, he emphasized the need for a surplus, noting: “The state must generate a budget surplus and use it to repay its debt, a goal that is achievable if reforms are implemented, revenue collection improves, waste is reduced, and public institutions are strengthened and streamlined, particularly through partnerships with the private sector.”
On the contentious issue of arms, Aoun commented: “We are currently locked in what has become a dialogue of the deaf over the issue of handing over weapons, and no understanding will be reached unless each side is willing to put itself in the other’s place and seriously engage with the other’s concerns.”
He expressed support for the Minister of Energy, saying: “We commend the Minister of Energy for working to improve Electricité du Liban’s capacity and fight off electricity theft.”
Aoun also urged clarity on the government’s approach to public sector reforms, stating: “We hope the Prime Minister will tell us at the end of today’s session how the government plans to manage higher public sector wages while carrying out reforms.”
On fiscal matters, he emphasized the need for a surplus, noting: “The state must generate a budget surplus and use it to repay its debt, a goal that is achievable if reforms are implemented, revenue collection improves, waste is reduced, and public institutions are strengthened and streamlined, particularly through partnerships with the private sector.”
On the contentious issue of arms, Aoun commented: “We are currently locked in what has become a dialogue of the deaf over the issue of handing over weapons, and no understanding will be reached unless each side is willing to put itself in the other’s place and seriously engage with the other’s concerns.”