Are Public Sector Salaries at Risk Amid Quorum Concerns?

Roughly twenty days ago, a month before due, Lebanon's Ministry of Finance made a candid announcement from the Grand Serail: there would be no salaries if the Parliament did not approve the appropriations. 

This decision has implications for approximately 310,000 state employees, including retirees and military personnel, whose salaries hinge on a preoccupied Parliament tackling a presidential session on June 14.

Two weeks following the Ministry of Finance's warning, it reiterated its position, confirming that nothing has changed and the salary problem is stuck pending a legislative session. 

Will the Speaker of the Parliament call a legislative session to solve the salary issue after the government approves it?

Sources from Ain el-Tineh confirmed that the priority is the presidency, and no other issue will be discussed before Wednesday. So, what happens after the presidential session?

The same sources hinted that the Speaker of the Parliament will not call a legislative session until it's assured that the legislative quorum—half plus one—is met. 

This leads us back to the constitutional issue regarding the Parliament's ability to exercise its legislative powers, a problem that was put under the spotlight after the session concerning the extension for municipalities.

Among those who oppose attending legislative sessions before the election of a president, opposition deputies, some independents, and the change-makers boycotted after 46 deputies signed a petition refusing to attend any session not dedicated to electing a president of the republic. 

However, the Free Patriotic Movement attended the session, considering that the country cannot be paralyzed with the local authorities' operations at a halt.

What about the salary session? Will the goal of the session justify its convening this time? 

The Strong Republic bloc, the Renewal bloc, and the Change deputies will not attend the session. 

The Kataeb deputies and other deputies, despite their clear stance of not attending any legislative parliamentary session before electing a president, have not yet decided on their position regarding the salary session. 

The Free Patriotic Movement's stance remains inaccessible.

With around 20 days left until Eid al-Adha, will public sector employees have to celebrate without their salaries? The question remains open as Lebanon continues to navigate a multifaceted crisis.