The Progressive Socialist Party () is a Lebanese political party. Its confessional base is in the Druze sect and its regional base is in

Mount Lebanon Governorate Mount Lebanon Governorate () is one of the nine governorates of Lebanon, of which it is the most populous. Its capital is Baabda. Other notable towns and cities include Aley, Bikfaya, and Beit Mery. This governorate is named after the mount ...

, especially the

Chouf District Chouf (also spelled Shouf, Shuf or Chuf; ) is a historic region of Lebanon, as well as an administrative district in the governorate ( muhafazat) of Mount Lebanon. Geography Located south-east of Beirut, the region comprises a narrow coastal stri ...

. Founded by

Kamal Jumblatt Kamal Fouad Jumblatt (; 6 December 1917 – 16 March 1977) was a Lebanese politician who founded the Progressive Socialist Party. He led the National Movement during the Lebanese Civil War. He was a major ally of the Palestine Liberation Organ ...

in 1949, the party was led by his son

Walid Jumblatt Walid Kamal Jumblatt (; born 7 August 1949) is a Lebanese politician who was the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party from 1977 until 2023. A Druze and former militia commander, Jumblatt led the Lebanese National Resistance Front, allying ...

between 1977 and 25 May 2023. On 25 June 2023 the son of Walid, Taymur Jumblatt, was officially consecrated as leader of the PSP.

Origins

From 1951 through 1972 the party had between three and six deputies in parliament.

Emblem

The white color in the logo and emblem symbolizes the idea of internal collective peace and global international peace, which it aims to achieve in accordance with what was stated in its charter when explaining doctrine and work. The blue color symbolizes that the party does not deny the spiritual phenomenon in the life of the human being and in explaining the development of the individual and the group.On the contrary, it takes into account this phenomenon, believing that it is permanent throughout the ages in the life of the individual and the group. The globe symbolizes the manifestation of human unity and its consolidation in this comprehensive popular movement that ultimately aims to unite the countries of the world in an international union that includes the entire globe, the unity of the human race, and the brotherhood and cooperation that must prevail among all peoples, regardless of their different colors, races, and beliefs. The connection between the pen and the pickaxe symbolizes the two basic elements that operate in the development of systems, civilization, and history, “material labor and the effort of thought.” In the union of the social groups that belong to them, victory is guaranteed in the cause of socialist progressivism. The red color symbolizes the idea of a comprehensive revolution in systems and mentalities, as stated in the party’s charter. The triangle symbolizes the party’s adoption of moral force, that means the direct action, and the principle of sacrifice as an approach and goal for its struggle.

The PSP in the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990)

Under Kamal Jumblatt's leadership, the PSP was a major element in the

Lebanese National Movement The Lebanese National Movement (LNM; , ''Al-Harakat al-Wataniyya al-Lubnaniyya'') was a front of Leftist, pan-Arabist and Syrian nationalist parties and organizations active during the early years of the Lebanese Civil War, which supported ...

(LNM), which supported Lebanon's Arab identity and sympathised with the Palestinians. Despite Jumblatt's initial reluctance to engage in paramilitarism, it built its own military wing, the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

(PLA) which proved to be one of the strongest private armies in the

Lebanese Civil War The Lebanese Civil War ( ) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 150,000 fatalities and led to the exodus of almost one million people from Lebanon. The religious diversity of the ...

of 1975 to 1990. It conquered much of

Mount Lebanon Mount Lebanon (, ; , ; ) is a mountain range in Lebanon. It is about long and averages above in elevation, with its peak at . The range provides a typical alpine climate year-round. Mount Lebanon is well-known for its snow-covered mountains, ...

and the

. Its main adversaries were the

Kataeb Regulatory Forces The Kataeb Regulatory Forces – KRF () or Forces Régulatoires des Kataeb (FRK) in French language, French, were the military wing of the right-wing Christianity in Lebanon, Lebanese Christian Kataeb Party, otherwise known as the 'Phalange', fr ...

militia, and later the

Lebanese Forces The Lebanese Forces ( ') is a Lebanon, Lebanese Christianity in Lebanon, Christian-based political party and Lebanese Forces (militia), former militia during the Lebanese Civil War. It currently holds 19 of the 128 seats in Lebanon's Parliamen ...

militia (which absorbed the Kataeb). The PSP suffered a setback in 1977, when Kamal Jumblatt was assassinated. His son Walid succeeded him as leader of the party. From the Israeli withdrawal from the Chouf in 1983 to the end of the civil war, the PSP ran the Civil Administration of the Mountain in the area under its control. Tolls levied at PSP/PLA militia checkpoints provided a major source of income for the administration, which provided social and public services. The PSP played an important role in the

Mountain War The Mountain War ( , ''Harb al-Jabal)'', also known as the War of the Mountain, was a subconflict between the Lebanese Civil War#Second phase of the war.2C 1982-1983, 1982–83 and the Lebanese Civil War#Third phase of the war.2C 1984-1989, 19 ...

under the leadership of Walid Jumblatt: after the

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...

(IDF) retreated from the

, important battles took place there between the PSP/PLA and the Lebanese Forces militia. Both the Lebanese Forces and the PSP/PLA were accused of committing massacres and atrocities against one another as tit-for-tat (revenge killings). The PSP also systematically displaced many Christian civilians in the Chouf region by committing massacres and mass executions. During the war years, the PSP controlled the seaport at

Jieh Jieh (or Jiyé, Jiyeh, ) is a seaside town in Lebanon with an estimated population of 5000, 23 km south of Beirut, in the Chouf District via a 20-minute drive along the Beirut to Sidon highway south of the capital. In Phoenician times, it was ...

. In March 1989 General Michel Aoun established a blockade of the port which resulted in artillery exchanges between his forces and a combination of PSP, Amal and the

Syrian Army The Syrian Army is the land force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. Up until the fall of the Assad regime, the Syrian Arab Army existed as a land force branch of the Syrian Arab Armed Forces, which dominanted the military service of the fo ...

in which at least 90 people were killed and several hundred wounded.

The post-war years

After the restoration of constitutional rule in 1989, the PSP was the major ally of Syria in Lebanon and its leader Walid Jumblatt was in close relations with the Syrian Army and intelligence generals in Lebanon, such as

Ghazi Kanaan Ghazi Kanaan (; 1942 – 12 October 2005; also known by his nickname Abu Yo'roub) was a Syrian Officer (armed forces), military officer and intelligence chief who served as Syria's interior minister from 2004 to 2005. He was also the long-tim ...

, and also with the Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam. In the 1992 general election it won four seats. In the post-Civil War period, Jumblatt was known for switching allegiances and acting as a kingmaker in deals between factions. The PSP participated in a number of governments, but, after the Syria Accountability Act and the UN Resolution 1559 and the change of the balance of powers in the region after the occupation of Iraq, joined the opposition and took up a position opposed to the role of Syria in Lebanon's politics. Unlike some opponents of the Syrian presence, Jumblatt did not oppose the presence of the Syrian army per se, but contended that the Syrian intelligence services were exerting undue influence. Following the passage of

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 United Nations Security Council resolution 1559, adopted on 2 September 2004, after recalling resolutions 425 (1978), 426 (1978), 520 (1982) and 1553 (2004) on the situation in Lebanon, the Council supported free and fair presidential electio ...

in September 2004, calling for a Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon, Jumblatt was particularly prominent in the opposition. However, he was opposed to the demand that

Hezbollah Hezbollah ( ; , , ) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. I ...

be disarmed, and insisted on maintaining relations with the

Shia Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

Islamist party. Later, he has drifted into sharp opposition towards the group, and has decided to support their disarmament, claiming that Syria and Iran are trying to take over Lebanon through Hezbollah. After the

assassination of Rafic Hariri On 14 February 2005, former Prime Minister of Lebanon Rafic Hariri was assassinated along with 21 others in an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. Explosives equivalent to around 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) of TNT were detonated as his motorcad ...

in February 2005, Jumblatt joined the anti-Syria camp, despite his long support to Syria. As part of the

March 14 Alliance The March 14 Alliance (), named after the date of the Cedar Revolution, was a coalition of political party, political parties and independents in Lebanon formed in 2005 that were united by their anti-Ba'athist Syria, Assad stance and by their opp ...

, the PSP won 16 seats in the general elections held in 2005. It won eleven seats in the

2009 Lebanese general election Parliamentary elections were held in Lebanon on 7 June 2009 to elect all 128 members of the Parliament of Lebanon. Although general elections are held every four years, this parliament due to various reasons stayed in power until the 2018 gene ...

and had three ministers in the 2009 First Cabinet of Saad Hariri (

Ghazi Aridi Ghazi Aridi (born 17 October 1954) is a Lebanese politician who has held various cabinet portfolios. He was the minister of public works and transportation from 13 June 2011 to December 2013. Early life Aridi was born into a Druze family in Ba ...

, Akram Chehayeb, and Wael Abou Faour, all Druze). However, after the

March 8 Alliance 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 ...

regained power in 2011, the PSP positioned itself in the political centre, and gave allegiance to the new government. Under the banner of the Democratic Gathering bloc, had three ministers ( Alaaeddine Terro, Sunni, plus Aridi and Faour) in the 2011 Second Cabinet of Najib Mikati. In late January 2011, Jumblatt declared not to support the disarming of Hezbollah. In 2013, it endorsed the 15 March alliance-led Cabinet of Tammam Salam (it had two ministers in this government, Faour and Akram Chehayeb). By 2015, the PLP was allied with the

Future Movement The Future Movement () is a Lebanese political party affiliated with the Sunni sect. The party was founded as a coalition in 1995 led by Rafic Hariri which was known as the Hariri Bloc but was officially founded in 2007. The party is led by Saad ...

and it had two ministers (

Marwan Hamadeh Marwan Hamadeh (; born 11 September 1939) is a Lebanese journalist and politician, who served in various capacities in different cabinets, including minister of education, minister of telecommunications, minister of economy and trade, minister o ...

and Ayman Shkeir) in the 2016 Second Cabinet of Saad Hariri, led by the Future Movement and two ministers again (Chehayeb and Faour) in the 2019 Third Cabinet of Saad Hariri. With the onset of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Jumblatt and the PSP clearly showed their support for the Syrian opposition, and urged the Syrian Druze community to stand against the Assad government, and join the rebels. At the ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of the killing of Kamal Jumblatt in

Moukhtara Moukhtara () is a small town in the Chouf District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon. The town's inhabitants are divided between Druze and Maronites. It is the hometown of Walid Jumblatt, the leader of Lebanon's Progressive Socialist ...

on 19 February 2017, Walid Jumblatt symbolically gave his ''

keffiyeh The keffiyeh (), also regionally known as a hattah (), ghutrah (), or shemagh (), is a traditional headdress worn by men from parts of the Middle East. It is fashioned from a square scarf, and is usually made of cotton. The keffiyeh is commonly ...

'' to his son Taymour Jumblatt, symbolically marking the generational shift in the party leadership. That year, Jumblatt again refrained from saying Hezbollah should be disarmed. In the

2018 Lebanese general election General elections were held in Lebanon on 6 May 2018. Although originally scheduled for 2013, the election was postponed three times in 2013, 2014 and 2017 for various reasons, including the security situation, the failure of the Parliament to ...

, the Democratic Gathering bloc, the PSP's parliamentary platform, fielded 10 candidates across the country. For the first time since 1992, Walid Jumblatt did not stand as a candidate, with Taymour taking over as the party leader. The party fielded candidates for 3 out of 4 Druze seats in Mount Lebanon IV, keeping with the tradition of leaving a seat uncontested to help Lebanese Democratic Party chief

Talal Arslan Emir Talal Arslan () is a Lebanese politician and political chief of the Druze sect. He is the chief of the Arslan family, who claim to be descendants of the Lakhmids. Early life Arslan was born in Choueifat to the late Druze leader Emir Maj ...

get elected.''Daily Star''.
Jumblatt to step down as PSP announces candidates
'' PSP joined joint lists with the Future Movement in Beirut II, Bekaa II and Mount Lebanon IV, and with Lebanese Forces in Mount Lebanon III and Mount Lebanon IV.''Daily Star''.
What to watch for in every electoral region in Lebanon
'' It dropped to just nine seats in the 2018 election. The party served in the opposition to the short-lived 2019

Cabinet of Hassan Diab A Lebanese cabinet led by Hassan Diab was formed in Lebanon on 21 January 2020, after an agreement was reached by the heads of the involved political parties after nearly three months. Diab was appointed prime minister by president Michel Aoun ...

, returning to power as part of the Third Cabinet of Najib Mikati in 2021, with just one minister, Abbas Halabi. In late May 2023, Walid Jumblatt declared his resignation as leader of the Progressive Socialist Party after a 46-year tenure. Around 2,000 supporters gathered in Ain Zhalta, a Druze town in the Chouf mountains, where members of the Progressive Socialist Party named political heir, Taymour Jumblatt, as their new leader. Taymour was the sole contender. In February 2025, Lebanese Prime Minister

Nawaf Salam Nawaf Abdallah Salim Salam (; born 15 December 1953) is a Lebanese politician, diplomat, jurist and academic who has been serving as the 53rd prime minister of Lebanon since 8 February 2025. Salam previously sat on the International Court of Ju ...

announced his government, which consists of 24 ministers; the Progressive Socialist Party controls two portfolios: the Public Works and Transport Ministry, headed by Fayez Rasamny, and Agriculture Ministry, under Nizar Hani.

Electoral summary

Notes

References

Edgar O'Ballance Major Edgar "Paddy" O'Ballance (17 July 1918, Dublin, Ireland – 8 July 2009, Wakebridge, Derbyshire, England) was an Irish-born British military journalist, researcher, defence commentator and academic lecturer specialising in internatio ...

, ''Civil War in Lebanon, 1975-92'', Palgrave Macmillan, London 1998. *Farid El-Kazen, ''The Breakdown of the State in Lebanon 1967-1976'', I.B. Tauris, London 2000. *Fawwaz Traboulsi, ''Identités et solidarités croisées dans les conflits du Liban contemporain; Chapitre 12: L'économie politique des milices: le phénomène mafieux'', Thèse de Doctorat d'Histoire – 1993, Université de Paris VIII, 2007. (in French) *Ken Guest, ''Lebanon'', in ''Flashpoint! At the Front Line of Today’s Wars'', Arms and Armour Press, London 1994, pp. 97–111. *Tom Najem and Roy C. Amore, ''Historical Dictionary of Lebanon'', Second Edition, Historical Dictionaries of Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Lanham, Boulder, New York & London 2021. , 1538120437 *Walid Khalidi, ''Conflict and Violence in Lebanon: Confrontation in the Middle East'', fourth printing (Cambridge, MA: Harvard Studies in International Affairs, 1984).

External links

Progressive Socialist Party official site
(in Arabic) redirect to http://anbaaonline.com as of 8 January 2021
PSP Al Anbaa official newspaper site
(in Arabic) *