Gebran Bassil

Gebran Bassil
جبران باسيل
Bassil in 2016
President of the Free Patriotic Movement
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 August 2015
Preceded by	Michel Aoun
Member of Lebanese Parliament
Incumbent
Assumed office 22 May 2018
Preceded by	Boutros Harb
Constituency	Batroun District
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants
In office 15 February 2014 – 21 January 2020
Prime Minister	Tammam Salam Saad Hariri
Preceded by	Adnan Mansour
Succeeded by	Nassif Hitti
Minister of Energy and Water
In office 9 November 2009 – 14 February 2014
Prime Minister	Saad Hariri Najib Mikati
Preceded by	Alain Tabourian
Succeeded by	Arthur Nazarian
Minister of Telecommunications
In office 11 July 2008 – 8 November 2009
Prime Minister	Fouad Siniora
Preceded by	Marwan Hamadeh
Succeeded by	Charbel Nahas
Personal details
Born	(1970-06-21) 21 June 1970 (age 54) Batroun, Lebanon
Political party	Free Patriotic Movement
Spouse	Chantal Aoun ​ (m. 1999)​
Children	3
Residence	Byblos, Lebanon
Education	American University of Beirut
Profession	Civil engineering

This article is part of a series on
Maronite politics
People Samir Geagea Émile Eddé Bechara El Khoury Alfred Naqqache Camille Chamoun Suleiman Frangieh Pierre Gemayel Bachir Gemayel Amine Gemayel Michel Aoun Gebran Bassil
Families Chamoun Frangieh Gemayel Khazen Moawad
Parties Lebanese Forces National Bloc Constitutional Bloc Kataeb National Liberal Marada Movement Free Patriotic Movement
Militias Lebanese Forces (Lebanese Resistance) Kataeb Regulatory Forces Tigers Al-Tanzim Guardians of the Cedars
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Gebran Gerge Bassil (Arabic: جبران جرجي باسيل; born 21 June 1970) is a Lebanese politician who is the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement since 2015 and leader of the Strong Lebanon bloc in the Lebanese parliament since 2018. A Maronite Christian, he is the son-in-law of President Michel Aoun, and has been his most senior advisor since 2005.^[1]

Born in Batroun, Bassil joined the FPM, becoming a prominent activist in it. He ran in the general election of 2005 and 2009, and was appointed as the Minister of Telecommunications in the First Cabinet of Saad Hariri. In 2011, Bassil and all ministers of the opposition announced their resignation, leading to the collapse of the government.^[2]

He subsequently held the position of Minister of Energy and Water between 2011 and 2014, as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants from 2014 to 2020. He won a parliamentary seat for Batroun district and the Maronite sect in the general election in 2018. He was highly targeted in the widespread Lebanese protests which began by the end of 2019.

Bassil remains a controversial figure in the country. He is often accused of corruption, racism and nepotism,^[3][4] and was labeled the "most hated man in Lebanon".^[5][6][7] These claims are denied by Bassil, stating that they are part of a wider character assassination plot. He was sanctioned by the United States under the Magnitsky Act.