Kataeb Party leader and lawmaker Samy Gemayel on Wednesday delivered a sweeping critique of the draft 2026 budget, warning that Lebanon cannot escape its financial collapse without restoring state sovereignty, boosting revenues, and ending the logic of war and armed militias.

Speaking in parliament during the budget debate, Gemayel said the budget was “quite simply the State’s revenues and expenditures,” stressing that citizens expect lawmakers to ensure real inflows of money into the treasury.

“The State cannot spend if it does not have solid revenues,” he said, pointing to mounting needs related to people’s rights, comprehensive health coverage, especially for the elderly, public sector employees without social protection, as well as the rehabilitation of public schools and the Lebanese University.

Gemayel said public education institutions should be a “safe haven” for citizens, but warned that the public school system needs to be rescued and that the Lebanese University requires “special care.” He added that Lebanon’s deteriorating infrastructure—roads, electricity, transportation and the absence of public transport—also requires massive funding.

Looking at the budget from what he described as a “top-down perspective,” Gemayel said the core objective must be to increase State revenues.

He recalled the political moment that followed the election of President Joseph Aoun and the designation of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, saying hopes were high because both men came from outside Lebanon’s entrenched political class.

“When we elected President Joseph Aoun and named Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, we felt reassured,” Gemayel said. “We entrusted power to two individuals who did not come from the routine that destroyed the country, but from outside the political class, with reformist ambitions.”

He urged both leaders not to allow entrenched bureaucratic routines to erode those ambitions, calling on the president and government, after one year in office, to step back, reassess their performance and return to their original reform agenda. That reassessment, he said, should apply not only to governance and appointments but also to the budget itself and to efforts to restore state sovereignty.

Gemayel reiterated his long-standing objection to approving a budget without close the previous year's accounts, saying they are a prerequisite for sound fiscal management.

“We must not evade them,” he said, arguing that waste and corruption channels must be dismantled. 

Gemayel criticized what he described as a “half-baked” budget based on numbers rather than strategy, insisting that any budget must be built around a clear vision.  

“A budget must be built around a goal. If restoring sovereignty is the goal, then we must strengthen the army, for example. A budget must be built on a vision and an objective.”

Gemayel also highlighted what he called a deep imbalance in tax collection, saying the State collects revenues from only half of citizens while spending on behalf of the other half. As a result, those who comply with the law shoulder a disproportionate burden, while those operating in the informal economy face little pressure. Expanding revenues, he said, requires confronting the non-formal economy, whose scale is widely known.

“We draft a budget while tax collection comes from only half of the citizens, to be spent on more than the other half,” he said. “Instead of collecting from 100 percent, we collect from half, and we place additional burdens on those who respect the law and pay taxes, while those operating outside the legal economy are comfortable.”

Gemayel linked revenues directly to economic activity and investment, arguing that Lebanon’s war-like conditions make growth impossible.

“State revenues come from economic activity,” Gemayel said. “But why are there no investments? Because we are in a state of war. No one invests a single pound in a country with armed militias.”

Drafting a conventional budget under such conditions, he argued, was unrealistic. As long as Lebanon remains vulnerable to conflict and armed groups operate outside State authority, foreign companies will stay away. Without asserting sovereignty and demonstrating political stability, he said, Lebanon will fail to attract investment or expand its economy, leading to continued capital flight.

Gemayel said restoring sovereignty is a prerequisite for recovery.

“If we do not impose sovereignty and send a message that the country has become sovereign and independent, and that the State enjoys political stability, we will not attract investment or grow the economy,” he said. “The executive authority must address the causes of capital flight by strengthening the legal economy and restoring state sovereignty; otherwise, our work is futile.”

“Investment comes after we recover our country,” he said. “Why make an effort and take steps if we do not restore sovereignty?”

Addressing fellow Lebanese across political and sectarian lines, Gemayel said he was committed to every citizen and called for renewed belief in national partnership, mutual respect and reassurance. He warned against relying on non-state actors for protection, saying Lebanon had already paid a heavy price for “adventures” and regional alignments that ended in failure.

“We care about every Lebanese living on this land. We must return, as Lebanese, to believing in partnership, respecting one another, reassuring one another.”

“Enough betting on axes,” he said, arguing that Lebanese citizens must be each other’s guarantee. He expressed concern that some Lebanese remain unconvinced by this message, noting that external actors had failed them in times of need, while internal solidarity had endured.

“To those who believe that something other than the State protects them: we have tried adventures, we hit a wall,” he said. “We tried regional projects and paid the price. Betting on Arab nationalisms and regional conflicts led us — and them — into a dead end.”

Gemayel said his party would not accept any community being marginalized or “broken,” emphasizing that equality among citizens was essential. He said he was trying to bridge fear and mistrust between communities, adding that some forces seemed intent on keeping Lebanese divided and isolated from one another.

He also questioned the role of weapons outside State control, asking whether they were meant to defend Lebanon or serve unattainable regional objectives. Citing the outcomes of past confrontations, he asked whether the country should continue following the same strategy.

Gemayel acknowledged that his remarks might be unsettling, invoking the legacy of former president-elect Bashir Gemayel and expressing solidarity with the pain and anger of residents in southern Lebanon. However, he said the repeated failure of external bets made a change in strategy unavoidable.

"We have a great leader, Bashir Gemayel, who was martyred while affirming Lebanon’s 10,452 square kilometers. We feel the pain of our people in the south and their anger.”

“But all we are saying,” he added, “is that it is time to change strategy, especially since betting on the outside has proven to be a failure.”

In closing, Gemayel called on the president and prime minister to convene a frank national dialogue between Lebanese factions, including Hezbollah, under the auspices of the State. Lebanon, he said, needs clarity about its future.

“We want to know our fate and the fate of the country,” he said. 

“We want to talk about artificial intelligence, development and progress,” he concluded. “But first, we must resolve this issue and decide whether we want to build the country together.”