Future Movement

Future Movement
تيار المستقبل
AbbreviationFM
ChairpersonSaad Hariri
General SecretaryAhmad Hariri
FounderRafic Hariri
Founded1995
HeadquartersBeirut
NewspaperAl-Mustaqbal
IdeologyLebanese nationalism
Classical liberalism
Economic liberalism
Political positionCentre-right[1]
ReligionSunni Islam
National affiliationMarch 14 Alliance
International affiliationLiberal International
Regional affiliationArab Liberal Federation
Colours  Blue
Parliamentary blocLebanon First
Parliament of Lebanon
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Cabinet of Lebanon
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Party flag
Website
www.almustaqbal.org

The Future Movement (Arabic: تيار المستقبل) is a Lebanese political party affiliated with the Sunni sect. The party was founded as a coalition in 1995 led by Rafic Hariri which was known as the Hariri Bloc but was officially founded in 2007. The party is led by Saad Hariri.[2]

Saad Hariri

The party is the largest member of the March 14 Alliance, which governed Lebanon from 2005 to 2018 except for the period 2011–2013. The coalition lost its majority in the 2018 parliamentary elections.

In mid-October 2019, a popular protest movement began calling for increased accountability and transparency in politics. On 29 October, Chairman Hariri offered his resignation as a concession, saying "This is in response to the will and demand of the thousands of Lebanese demanding change".[3] However, as of December 2019, President Michel Aoun has yet to accept his resignation, and it is possible the Hariri will suspend his resignation a second time. His purported resignation has, however, been confirmed as a stunt by one of his aides.[4]

The party was officially founded in August 2007, yet it was only declared on April 5, 2009, in a convention held at the BIEL convention center in Beirut. The Future Movement is economically liberal and affiliated with the Sunni Muslim sect.[5] The party is a full member of the Liberal International[6] and a founding member of Al Hurriya Liberal Network.[7]

Saad Hariri surprisingly announced his retirement from politics on 24 January 2022. The Future Movement announced it would thereafter not take part in the 2022 Lebanese general election.[8]

  1. ^ "Lebanon: Country Risk". Société Générale. Archived from the original on 31 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  2. ^ ""تيار المستقبل": ارتجال التأسيس واختبار المِحن (3/1)". 180Post. 2020-07-20. Retrieved 2021-04-03.
  3. ^ "Lebanon Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigns after mass protests". Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera Network. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  4. ^ "As Lebanon's economy drowns in debt, Syria's begins to sink as well". The Economist. 12 December 2019.
  5. ^ Carla E. Humud, Lebanon's 2018 Elections, CRS Insight, May 11, 2018 (IN10900).
  6. ^ Full Members Archived 2014-05-25 at the Wayback Machine, Liberal International
  7. ^ "شبكة الحرية الليبرالية تطلق اجتماعها الأول من الأردن عبر منصة "زووم" | ثقافة | وكالة أنباء سرايا الإخبارية - حرية سقفها السماء". www.sarayanews.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  8. ^ "Lebanon's Future Movement left reeling as Hariri bows out of politics". The National. 2022-01-24. Retrieved 2022-01-25.