Publication

This paper examines how the conflict in Syria is affecting the stability of Lebanon's political institutions. The author contends that in spite of irreconcilable differences on the Syrian civil war, Lebanon's main political actors have reached a fragile consensus that has made it possible for the country's political institutions to function. However, he also suggests that this consensus is precarious and threatened by the political ambitions and regional tensions. He then discusses what Germany and the EU can do to support dialogue between Lebanon's political factions and to reduce the possibility of a Hezbollah-Israeli military confrontation.