Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel on Sunday said Lebanon has taken a significant step forward on the path to restoring state authority, crediting political perseverance, rejection of compromise, and a leadership free from foreign tutelage.

Speaking at a large luncheon held in his honor in the town of Al-Ghabat, Jbeil district, Gemayel declared that the vision set out by the Kataeb Party since its founding in 1936 was now gradually becoming reality.

“What we have achieved over the past year marks a qualitative leap in the process of reclaiming the state,” he said, addressing a crowd of political officials, party members and local leaders. “This was made possible through persistence, a refusal to bargain, and a political authority that functions independently of any external guardianship.”

The luncheon was hosted by Tony Karam, Deputy Head of Kataeb’s Jbeil regional office, at his residence. Among the attendees were MP . Salim Sayegh, Lebanese Olympic Committee President Pierre Jalakh, former MP Fares Souaid, and Political Bureau members Bachir Assaker, Roustom Sayegh, Georges Jamhouri, Sassine Sassine, and Lina Jalakh. Also present were Jbeil regional head Halim Al-Hajj, Keserwan regional head Michel Al-Hakim, Baabda regional head Bachir Bou Tanios, as well as mayors, local mukhtars, former regional leaders, and a broad representation of Kataeb activists.

Gemayel argued that Lebanon had made a “very significant” move toward change, but warned that dismantling entrenched power structures would not happen overnight.

“Forty years of occupation and foreign tutelage cannot be undone in two or three months,” he said. “We are dealing with a deeply rooted system that is now being gradually taken apart. This requires time, perseverance and struggle.”

He called on the Lebanese to allow the current political leadership room to operate, “so long as there is no retreat, no structural missteps, and no compromises.”

Gemayel also paid tribute to the sacrifices made over the decades, urging supporters not to regret the past.

“We should never regret the sacrifices or a single drop of blood that was shed,” he said. “All of those sacrifices have borne fruit in the form of a functioning state and a renewed sense of hope for a better future.”

He emphasized that many political actors had now returned to the same national principles long advocated by the Kataeb Party: “A sovereign, free and independent state, a final homeland for all its citizens, liberated from all forms of foreign control.”

According to Gemayel, the political shifts underway today represent the beginning of the Kataeb Party’s long-term vision taking shape; a path toward a Lebanon defined by cultural advancement, openness and neutrality.

“This is the Lebanon we dream of rebuilding,” he said, “the Lebanon for which thousands gave their lives.”

“Responsibility demands that we remain alert and steadfast, so we don’t slip backward. We must press forward to achieve the goal," Gemayel concluded.