The March 8 Alliance (Arabic: تحالف 8 آذار, romanized: taḥāluf 8 adhār) is a loose coalition of political parties and independents in Lebanon formed in 2005 that are united by their pro-Syrian[1] stance and their opposition to the former March 14 Alliance. It was the ruling coalition in Lebanon with the government headed by Prime Minister Najib Mikati from June 2011 until March 2013.[2] Main parties of the March 8 Alliance are part of the third Cabinet of Najib Mikati since 2021.[3]
History
The name dates back to 8 March 2005 when different parties called for a mass demonstration in downtown Beirut in response to the Cedar Revolution.[4] The demonstration thanked Syria for helping stop the Lebanese Civil War and the aid in stabilising Lebanon and supporting the Lebanese resistance to the Israeli occupation.[5]Free Patriotic Movement led by Michel Aoun eventually joined the rival March 8 Alliance, becoming one of its principal coalition partners.
The government led by March 8 Alliance survived 22 months until Mikati's resignation on 23 March 2013.[10]
2016 presidential elections
After a presidential vacuum that lasted from 23 April 2014 until 31 October 2016, the Parliament was able to elect MP and former General Michel Aoun, who in turn nominated March 14 member Saad Hariri as Prime Minister.
2018 legislative elections
The alliance emerged victorious as they gathered 76 seats out of 128 (60%), in the first legislative elections since 2009.
The alliance gathered 61 seats out of 128 (47%) and lost their parliamentary majority but still won the Parliament speaker election.[11]
The 2022 Strong Lebanon bloc was formed by FPM (17), Tashnaq (3) and Akkar MP Mohamad Yehya.[12]
The March 8 Alliance Today
Since 2020, the governance of Lebanon has been led by the March 8 alliance, with notable economic changes observed during this period. Lebanon's GDP experienced a significant decline, dropping from 51.8 billion in 2019 to 23.13 billion in 2023.[13]
^Rudy Jaafar and Maria J. Stephan, "Lebanon's Independence Intifada: How an Unarmed Insurrection Expelled Syrian Forces", in Maria J. Stephan (ed.), Civilian Jihad: Nonviolent Struggle, Democratization, and Governance in the Middle East, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2009, pp. 169-85.