Kataeb political bureau member and former economy minister Alain Hakim said Lebanon remains trapped under the weight of overlapping global and domestic economic crises, warning that the country’s prolonged instability and ongoing war are preventing any meaningful economic recovery.

Speaking on Voice of Lebanon 100.5 and VDL24, Hakim said Lebanese citizens and the State continue to bear a heavy burden amid years of financial collapse and political paralysis.

“We are living under the pressure of both the global economic crisis and Lebanon’s own structural crisis, and that is placing an enormous burden on the country and its people,” Hakim said.

He noted that Lebanon has spent the past seven years mired in an economic crisis without any practical solutions, adding that the prolonged collapse has triggered major social transformations across the country.

“We have gone through seven years of economic collapse without any serious practical solutions, and during that long period, profound social changes have taken place,” he said.

Hakim also criticized the lack of progress on banking sector reforms, saying even the long-discussed restructuring law remains stalled without concrete action.

“Even the banking sector restructuring law is sitting on the table without anyone seriously addressing it or offering practical solutions,” he said.

According to Hakim, Lebanon’s core problem is no longer a shortage of financial resources, but rather the absence of a clear economic vision and political decision-making.

“The issue today is not a lack of money. The real problem is the absence of an economic vision and the absence of political will,” he said.

Hakim argued that Hezbollah bears primary responsibility for Lebanon’s economic collapse, saying the group’s role has undermined investor confidence and blocked economic recovery.

“The main cause of the economic collapse is Hezbollah,” he said. “Ending this abnormal situation is the only way Lebanon can regain investments, because without investment there can be no economic revival.”

He called for a transition away from Lebanon’s traditional rentier economy toward a productive model centered on investment, industry and development.

“We need to move from a rentier economy to a productive economy by creating economic zones and taking advantage of Lebanon’s geographic position,” Hakim said.

He added that under current wartime conditions, authorities are merely managing day-to-day survival rather than implementing genuine reforms.

“The solutions available during war are survival solutions,” he said. “What is happening today may be acceptable at a general level, but oversight remains extremely weak.”

Hakim warned that Lebanon cannot evolve into a stable and prosperous state while military conflict and political instability continue.

“The State cannot move from economic and political chaos to stability and a productive economy while this war continues,” he said.

He also urged the Economy Ministry to strengthen oversight mechanisms and adopt modern technological tools to improve market transparency and consumer protection.

“The ministry should strengthen monitoring and use technology through an electronic platform that gives citizens the ability to track prices and points of sale,” he said.

Hakim concluded by stressing the urgent need for a comprehensive national economic strategy capable of delivering sustainable long-term recovery.

“What Lebanon needs today is a comprehensive economic vision that offers long-term solutions within the framework of a full recovery plan,” he said.