BEIRUT—On Thursday, Lebanon’s parliament sent a decisive signal: political blackmail no longer guarantees paralysis.

Despite an aggressive boycott campaign led by the Lebanese Forces (LF) party and its leader Samir Geagea, lawmakers convened, restored quorum, and reactivated the legislative process, reclaiming institutional authority from partisan veto.

The session proceeded with 75 MPs, resuming the September 29 agenda deliberately left open by Speaker Nabih Berri after quorum had been lost. 

The first rupture in the boycott came from the National Moderation Bloc, whose attendance punctured Geagea’s claim to control quorum.

Their move was followed by several Change MPs, who joined once quorum was secured—sealing the boycott’s collapse.

Within the “New Lebanon” bloc, MP Nabil Badr openly rejected continued suspension of public interests for a single political agenda. 

His remarks reflected a broader Sunni unease with attempts by Maarab (where Geagea hosts foreign dignitaries, such as ambassadors and international delegations) to commandeer independent MPs—an anxiety previously acknowledged by LF figures themselves.

A second blow came from the presidency. President Joseph Aoun, via Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab, urged attendance to prevent institutional obstruction.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reinforced this stance, helped secure participation, and attended with his ministers. The government notably avoided inflaming tensions by shelving proposed electoral-law amendments, prioritizing functionality over escalation.

Sources confirm Salam pressed for the session to unblock laws stalled for three months, many government-originated, underscoring that the goal was continuity, not confrontation.

Geagea’s sharpest setback, however, was his failed showdown with Berri. 

After accusations of betrayal and last-minute calls urging boycott, the strategy faltered. Coordinated executive–legislative action ended the paralysis bid.
Ironically, the LF’s position reversed earlier stances—particularly on expatriate voting provisions once championed in 2017, now opposed as political calculus shifted.

The optics told their own story: MP George Adwan appeared alone at Nejmeh Square, attempting damage control with claims that rang hollow after the outcome.

Substantively, parliament delivered: approval of a $250 million World Bank loan for post-aggression reconstruction, judicial reform legislation, repeal of a Sudan tax treaty, and laws on solid waste management and judicial organization. 

When quorum later dipped, Berri ratified the minutes, rendering decisions effective pending promulgation.

This was more than a sitting. It was a reset. Parliament reasserted its mandate, signaling that hostage-taking politics faces firmer resistance and that legislative paralysis is no longer a guaranteed tactic.