The March 8 Alliance () is a loose coalition of political parties and independents in Lebanon formed in 2005 that are united by their pro-Ba'athist Syria 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.March 8 finished, Aoun out in the cold The Daily Star 10 July 2013 The Amal and Hezbollah parties, both members of the March 8 Alliance, have been part of the Nawaf Salam cabinet since February 2025.
On 22 October 2024, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil, announced the termination of his alliance with Hezbollah, having disagreed with it, specifically regarding the Gaza support war, out of a total of differences.
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. 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. The Free Patriotic Movement led by Michel Aoun eventually joined the rival March 8 Alliance, becoming one of its principal coalition partners.
Inclusion of Free Patriotic Movement The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) was the basis of the March 14 Alliance movement. FPM launched the Liberation War against the Syrian Army on 14 March 1989 and participated in all demonstrations against the Syrian occupation until the Cedar Revolution's mass demonstration on 14 March 2005. The FPM split from the March 14 Alliance on 6 February 2006, when its leader Michel Aoun signed a memorandum of understanding with Hezbollah. The FPM considered its project against the Syrian government completed when the Syrian Army left Lebanon at the end of April 2005.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.
Ruling Alliance (2011–2013) The Progressive Socialist Party left the March 14 alliance in January 2011 after being one of its cornerstones and ostensibly aligned itself with the alliance's Change and Reform bloc after Walid Jumblatt visited Damascus. This move gave the alliance and its partners a majority in the parliament, enabling them to name Najib Mikati as prime minister to form the Lebanese government of June 2011.
The government led by March 8 Alliance survived 22 months until Mikati's resignation on 23 March 2013.
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 14 March 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. Name Party/Bloc District ReligionAlain Aoun Free Patriotic MovementBaabda MaroniteHikmat Dib Free Patriotic MovementBaabda MaroniteRoger Azar Free Patriotic MovementKeserwanMaroniteSimon Abi Ramia Free Patriotic MovementByblos MaroniteIbrahim Kanaan Free Patriotic MovementMetn MaroniteEdgard Maalouf Free Patriotic MovementMetn Greek CatholicElias Bou Saab Free Patriotic MovementMetn Greek OrthodoxHagop Pakradounian TashnaqMetn Armenian OrthodoxTalal Arslan Lebanese Democratic PartyAley DruzeCesar Abi Khalil Free Patriotic MovementAley MaroniteZiad Assouad Free Patriotic MovementJezzine MaroniteSalim Khoury Free Patriotic MovementJezzine Greek CatholicAssaad Dargham Free Patriotic MovementAkkar Greek OrthodoxMustapha Ali Hussein IndependentAkkar AlawiteGeorges Atallah Free Patriotic MovementKoura Greek OrthodoxGebran Bassil Free Patriotic MovementBatroun MaroniteMario Aoun Free Patriotic MovementChouf MaroniteFarid Boustany Free Patriotic MovementChouf MaroniteNicolas Sehnaoui Free Patriotic MovementBeirut I Greek CatholicAntoine Pano Free Patriotic MovementBeirut I Christian MinoritiesAlexander Matossian TashnaqBeirut I Armenian OrthodoxHagop Terzian TashnaqBeirut I Armenian OrthodoxEdgard Traboulsi Free Patriotic MovementBeirut II ProtestantSalim Aoun Free Patriotic MovementZahle MaroniteMichel Daher IndependentZahle Greek CatholicElie Ferzli IndependentWest Bekaa Greek OrthodoxAli Ammar HezbollahBaabda ShiaAmin Sharri HezbollahBeirut II ShiaNawwaf Musawi HezbollahTyre/ZahraniShiaHussein Jashi HezbollahTyre/ZahraniShiaHassan Fadlallah HezbollahBint Jbeil ShiaMohammad Raad HezbollahNabatieh ShiaAli Fayyad HezbollahHasbaya/Marjeyoun ShiaAnwar Jomma HezbollahZahle ShiaHussein el Hage Hassan HezbollahBaalbeck/Hermil ShiaIbrahim Mousawi HezbollahBaalbeck/Hermil ShiaAli Mekdad HezbollahBaalbeck/Hermil ShiaElwalid Succariyeh HezbollahBaalbeck/Hermil SunniIhab Hamadeh HezbollahBaalbeck/Hermil ShiaMohamed Khawaja Amal MovementBeirut IIShiaFadi Alameh Amal MovementBaabdaShiaNabih Berri Amal MovementZahraniShiaAli Osseiran Amal MovementZahraniShiaMichel Moussa Amal MovementZahraniGreek CatholicAli Khreis Amal MovementTyrShiaInaya Ezzeddine Amal MovementTyrShiaYassine Jaber Amal MovementNabatiehShiaKassem Hachem Arab Socialist Ba'ath PartyMarjeyoun HasbayaSunniHani Kobeissi Amal MovementNabatiehShiaAli Bazzi Amal MovementBint JbeilShiaAyoub Hmayed Amal MovementBint JbeilShiaAli Hassan Khalil Amal MovementMarjeyoun HasbayaShiaAnwar Khalil Amal MovementMarjeyoun HasbayaDruzeMohamed Nasrallah Amal MovementWest Bekaa RashayaShiaGhazi Zaiter Amal MovementBaalbeck HermelShiaSalim Saadeh Syrian Social Nationalist Party in LebanonKouraGreek OrthodoxAssaad Hardan Syrian Social Nationalist Party in LebanonMarjeyoun HasbayaGreek OrthodoxAlbert Mansour Syrian Social Nationalist Party in LebanonBaalbeck HermelGreek CatholicTony Frangieh Marada MovementZghartaMaroniteEstephan Douaihy Marada MovementZghartaMaroniteFayez Ghosn Marada MovementKouraGreek OrthodoxOssama Saad Popular Nasserist OrganizationSaidaSunniAdnan Traboulsi Al-AhbashBeirut IISunniAbdul Rahim Mrad Union PartyWest Bekaa RashayaSunniFaisal Karami Arab Liberation PartyTripoliSunni
2019 cabinet The Alliance had 18 out of 30 ministers (60%) in the Lebanese Cabinet; it was equally represented in both parliament and cabinet. Name Party Portfolio (Ministry) ReligionElias Bou Saab Free Patriotic MovementMinister of DefenseGreek OrthodoxGebran Bassil Free Patriotic MovementMinister of Exterior and ExpatriatesMaroniteSaleh Gharib Lebanese Democratic PartyState Minister for Refugees Affairs DruzeGhassan Atallah Free Patriotic MovementMinister of DisplacedGreek CatholicNada Boustani Free Patriotic MovementMinister of Energy and Water MaroniteAvedis Guidanian TashnagMinister of TourismArmenian OrthodoxHassan Mrad Union PartyState Minister for Foreign TradeSunniAlbert Serhan Free Patriotic MovementMinister of JusticeGreek OrthodoxSalim Jreissati Free Patriotic MovementState Minister for Presidential AffairsGreek CatholicMansour Bteich Free Patriotic MovementMinister of Economy and TradeMaroniteFadi Jreissati Free Patriotic MovementMinister of EnvironmentGreek CatholicYoussef Finianos Marada MovementMinister of Public Works and TransportMaroniteAli Hassan Khalil Amal MovementMinister of FinanceShiaMuhammad Daoud Amal MovementMinister of CultureShiaHassan Lakkis Amal MovementMinister of AgricultureShiaJamil Jabak IndependentMinister of Public HealthShiaMuhammad Fneish HezbollahMinister of Youth and SportsShiaMahmoud Kmati HezbollahState Minister for Parliamentary AffairsShia
September 2021 Cabinet The Alliance has 16 out of 24 ministers (66%) in the current Lebanese Cabinet; it is equally represented in both parliament and cabinet. PortfolionamepartyReligiousDeputy Prime MinisterSaadeh Al Shami Syrian Social Nationalist PartyGreek OrthodoxTelecommunicationsJohnny Corm Marada MovementMaroniteInformationGeorge Kurdahi (resigned) Marada MovementMaroniteZiad Makary Marada MovementMaroniteDefenseMaurice Slim Free Patriotic MovementGreek OrthodoxTourismWalid Nassar Free Patriotic MovementMaroniteSocial AffairsHector Hajjar Free Patriotic MovementGreek CatholicEnergy and WaterWalid Fayad Free Patriotic MovementGreek OrthodoxJusticeHenry Khoury Free Patriotic MovementMaroniteForeign AffairsAbdallah Bou Habib Free Patriotic MovementMaroniteDisplacedIssam Charafeddine Lebanese Democratic PartyDruzeLaborMoustafa Bayram Amal MovementShiaFinanceYoussef Khalil Amal MovementShiaAgricultureAbbas Al Haj Hassan Amal MovementShiaPublic WorksAli Hamiyeh HezbollahShiaCultureMohammad Mortada HezbollahShiaIndustryGeorge Bojikan TashnagArmenian Orthodox
2022 legislative elections The alliance gathered 61 seats out of 128 (47%) and lost their parliamentary majority but still won the Parliament speaker election.
The 2022 Strong Lebanon bloc was formed by FPM (17), Tashnaq (3) and Akkar MP Mohamad Yehya.
Constituent parties
It currently holds roughly 51 of 128 seats in the parliament after the 2022 elections and consists of: Party Arabic name Ideology Parliament of Lebanon Government Hezbollah حزب الله Shia IslamismAnti-Zionism Amal Movement حركة أمل ConservatismPopulism Armenian Revolutionary Federation الإتحاد الثوري الأرمني - الطاشناق Armenian nationalismDemocratic socialism Islamic Charitable Projects Associationجمعية المشاريع الخيرية الإسلاميةReligious pluralismIslamic neo-traditionalismAnti-Salafism Marada Movement تيار المردة Lebanese nationalismChristian democracy Union Party حزب الإتحاد Nasserism National Banner Party حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي في لبنان Arab nationalism Dignity Movement حزب التحرر العربي Arab nationalismAnti-Zionism Syrian Social Nationalist Party الحزب السوري القومي الاجتماعي Syrian nationalismSocial nationalism Lebanese Democratic Party الحزب الديمقراطي اللبناني ConservatismDruze politics Arab Democratic Party االحزب العربي الديمقراطي Arab nationalismNeo-Ba'athism Arab Unification Partyحزب التوحيد العربي Arab Nationalism Solidarity Partyحزب التضامن Liberalism Lebanese Arab Struggle Movementحركة النضال العربي اللبناني Arab Nationalism Toilers League رابطة الشغيلةMarxism–Leninism Pan-Arabismnot in government
Former or inactive members Popular Nasserist Organization Toilers League People's Movement Al-Mourabitoun Nasserist Unionists Movement Free Patriotic Movement
References