A video has circulated on social media in Lebanon featuring former Minister of Economy Raoul Nehme breaking down in tears during a press conference. Nehme was speaking on the occasion of handing over responsibilities to the new minister, Amin Salam. He could not hold back his emotions while discussing the workers at the silos who fell victim to the Beirut port explosion last year, leading him to cry and pause his speech. This prompted his successor, the new minister Amin Salam, to respond by offering him a tissue amidst a press conference attended by media and other officials.
Most comments on the video were negative, with some suggesting that Nehme is competing with Prime Minister Najib Mikati in crying.
The new Lebanese government, which was formed two days ago under the leadership of Najib Mikati after a year and three months of delays, held its first meeting on Monday to establish a committee for preparing the ministerial statement, while the ministers begin the handover process.
Although most ministers in this government do not publicly and officially belong to any political bloc, their appointments came from leaders of prominent political parties, which translated into "political struggles" over shares and portfolios. This was a major reason for the delay in the government's formation, presenting a facade of specialized ministers while the underlying structure reflects the distribution of ruling political forces in the country.
