Lebanon and the IMF

The Lebanese journey of, and into, uncertainty is continuing, for the fifth consecutive year – and the nth time in the century-long history of this republic. Albeit under new management, the state remains stuck between a mountain of debt, a sea of social and economic inequalities, and a black hole in place of once efficient (more or less) institutions. No local or global stakeholder disagrees on the baseline: the country urgently needs tangible trust and solidarity – in form of investments and loans – as much as extreme determination to have a chance of escaping this maelstrom. Thus in spring 2025, the Lebanese search for a sustainable path leads once again to the doors of potent investors, wealthy expatriates, friends, and international financial institutions (IFIs). But in contrast to the struggle for independence or the post-conflict landscape of 1992, the path this time appears to inescapably meander through a bureaucratic