Inside Parliament: A budget debate hijacked by political score-settling

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi  

Deep political divisions dominated a parliamentary session in Lebanon that was formally dedicated to debating the 2026 state budget, as partisan disputes eclipsed any substantive financial discussion.

Hezbollah lawmakers directly accused the ministers of foreign affairs and justice, as well as the Banque du Liban (BDL) governor, of exerting pressure on the group's support base. Justice Minister Adel Nassar, who was present at the session, did not respond to the accusations, though he was seen holding side discussions with Hezbollah MP Ali Fayad. 

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji did not attend any of the budget sessions, and the political response to the accusations came from outside the government benches.

The debate over Hezbollah's weapons and a proposal by MP Mark Daou to raise the level of political representation and move toward direct negotiations with Israel were not the only contentious political issues raised. 

The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) used the budget discussion as an entry point to question the Lebanese Forces Party about electricity and water policies, as well as the relevance and future of the Ministry of the Displaced.

Despite the sharp political rhetoric, moments of humor surfaced in the session, particularly when references were made to Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, who arrived about an hour late due to other government commitments.

While lawmakers carried their respective regions' concerns into the debate, none directly acknowledged responsibility for past failures toward their constituents, nor did they clearly address the fate of the upcoming elections. 

However, Interior Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar sought to distance himself from the issue by announcing that he would call on electoral bodies to convene on May 3, in line with constitutional deadlines.