Gebran Bassil
Gebran Gerge Bassil (Arabic: جبران جرجي باسيل; born 21 June 1970) is a Lebanese politician who is the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement since 2015 and leader of the Strong Lebanon bloc in the Lebanese parliament since 2018. A Maronite Christian, he is the son-in-law of President Michel Aoun, and has been his most senior advisor since 2005.
Gebran Bassil | |
|---|---|
| جبران باسيل | |
Bassil in 2016 | |
| President of the Free Patriotic Movement | |
| Assumed office 27 August 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Michel Aoun |
| Member of Lebanese Parliament | |
| Assumed office 22 May 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Boutros Harb |
| Constituency | Batroun District |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants | |
| In office 15 February 2014 – 21 January 2020 | |
| Prime Minister | Tammam Salam Saad Hariri |
| Preceded by | Adnan Mansour |
| Succeeded by | Nassif Hitti |
| Minister of Energy and Water | |
| In office 9 November 2009 – 14 February 2014 | |
| Prime Minister | Saad Hariri Najib Mikati |
| Preceded by | Alain Tabourian |
| Succeeded by | Arthur Nazarian |
| Minister of Telecommunications | |
| In office 11 July 2008 – 8 November 2009 | |
| Prime Minister | Fouad Siniora |
| Preceded by | Marwan Hamadeh |
| Succeeded by | Charbel Nahas |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 June 1970 Batroun, Lebanon |
| Political party | Free Patriotic Movement |
| Spouse |
Chantal Aoun (m. 1999) |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Byblos, Lebanon |
| Education | American University of Beirut |
| Profession | Civil engineering |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Maronite politics |
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| Lebanon portal |
Born in Batroun, Bassil joined the FPM, becoming a prominent activist in it. He ran in the general election of 2005 and 2009, and was appointed as the Minister of Telecommunications in the First Cabinet of Saad Hariri. In 2011, Bassil and all ministers of the opposition announced their resignation, leading to the collapse of the government.
He subsequently held the position of Minister of Energy and Water between 2011 and 2014, as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants from 2014 to 2020. He won a parliamentary seat for Batroun district and the Maronite sect in the general election in 2018. He was highly targeted in the widespread Lebanese protests which began by the end of 2019.
Bassil remains a controversial figure in the country. He is often accused of corruption, racism and nepotism, and was labeled the "most hated man in Lebanon". These claims are denied by Bassil, stating that they are part of a wider character assassination plot. He was sanctioned by the United States under the Magnitsky Act.