Bassil cannot back down… and Hezbollah will deal piecemeal


In light of the ongoing attempts by the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, to amend his political discourse related to Hezbollah’s military operations in the south, as part of reconnecting part of what was severed, it seems that a “hidden force” has become more powerful than Bassil and more capable of directing the Aounist media discourse, as the attack that Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was subjected to after his last speech by Aounists via social media suggests that a party decision from within the “movement” has been taken regarding the matter.

The wings within the “current” have become stronger than Bassil, despite the suggestion by some Aounist officials that they are under the wing of the “current” leader. However, the anti-party discourse, or even the pro-party discourse within the “current,” now has a wide Aounist audience in light of Bassil’s continuous attempts to reconcile the two discourses, which does not satisfy either party. Accordingly, the “current” leader has become incapable of actually carrying out any real political repositioning, for fear of losing this or that group, which translates into a certain popular loss.

Bassil is no longer able to make any real change, at least at this stage when he needs political steps that make him part of this or that trench to benefit from the settlements that have begun to appear on the horizon. In practice, Bassil is no longer the one leading the “current,” but rather the Aounist street is leading Bassil and limiting his steps. Sometimes he flirts with the party and sometimes he attacks it, to the point that he adopted a discourse that pleases the Alawite street when he visited Akkar. Bassil acts on the basis of “the public wants it this way,” without realizing that he is in a real crisis that cannot be easily gotten out of.

The head of the “current” believes that he is able to satisfy the party whenever he wants, knowing that this theory is incorrect in the party’s permanent dealings with all political forces “piecemeal”, meaning that Haret Hreik no longer wants to form close alliances with parties and forces, especially those who do not share its internal political and strategic ideas at the same time. Accordingly, dealing with the “Progressive Socialist” party will be piecemeal, as well as with the Sunni representatives, and the “Future” movement in the event of its return to political work.

As for the “current”, with Bassil taking over the reins of decision-making, it cannot be a full ally of the party, and Haret Hreik cannot constitute a real political lever for it. Therefore, dealing with it “piecemeal” will be inevitable, without going into a comprehensive and final disagreement with it. Therefore, Bassil, who is unable to make any practical change in his political path, has also become unable to guarantee the restoration of the political gains that he had achieved in the previous stage in light of his alliance with “Hezbollah.”

Anyone who knows the leader of the “Current” confirms that he prefers the right-wing discourse over the centrist discourse adopted by his uncle, President Michel Aoun, but at the same time he has experienced the importance of the alliance with “Hezbollah” given the partisan and authoritarian gains he has obtained with the party’s support. Thus, the conflict facing Bassil is no longer just political, but rather a serious personal conflict, from which he may not find a way out without exposing his movement to huge losses.

« The truth about Joao Cancelo’s approach to joining Juventus

[previous_post_link]


get mobile application