Editing Samir Geagea (section)

=== Lebanese crisis (2019–present) ===
During the beginning of the [[17 October Revolution|October 17 protests]], Geagea called for the resignation of the Prime Minister, due to the "resounding failure to halt the deterioration of the [country's] economic situation".<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 October 2019 |title=Geagea appelle Hariri à démissionner |url=https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1191589/geagea-appelle-hariri-a-demissionner.html |access-date=18 October 2019 |website=L'Orient-Le Jour |language=fr}}</ref> Geagea had previously blamed his opponents for "obstructing the necessary reforms," but since declared his "lack of confidence in the current cabinet." His party held four seats within the government: Minister of Labor [[Camille Abou Sleiman]], Minister of Administrative Development [[May Chidiac]], Deputy Prime Minister [[Ghassan Hasbani]], and Minister of Social Affairs [[Richard Kouyumdjian|Richard Kouyumjian]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Azar |first=Georgi |date=20 October 2019 |title=Lebanese Forces resign from Cabinet |url=https://en.annahar.com/article/1052943-lebanese-forces-resign-from-cabinet |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191130155815/https://en.annahar.com/article/1052943-lebanese-forces-resign-from-cabinet |archive-date=2019-11-30 |access-date=19 October 2019 |website=An-Nahar}}</ref>

On 6 August 2020, Geagea was the first politician to visit [[Beirut]] after the [[2020 Beirut explosion|explosion]]<ref>[https://www.alarabiya.net/arab-and-world/2020/08/06/%D8%AC%D8%B9%D8%AC%D8%B9-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%81%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%85%D9%88%D9%82%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%85 "جعجع عن انفجار بيروت: طرف ما خزن تلك المواد القاتلة"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125114057/https://www.alarabiya.net/arab-and-world/2020/08/06/%D8%AC%D8%B9%D8%AC%D8%B9-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%81%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%85%D9%88%D9%82%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%85|date=25 January 2022}}, ''[[Al Arabiya]]'', Lebanon, 6 August 2020</ref> and launched from there a relief committee, Ground-0, under the leadership of the former minister [[May Chidiac|Dr. May Chidiac]] to support in rebuilding Beirut. In December 2020, the committee achieved repairing 709 houses, assisted 5300 individuals and 2300 families, distributed 14000 food rations, made 2540 medical consultations, and provided 2030 individuals with medicine. In addition, the committee distributed more than 150 scholarships for Beirut schools' students.<ref>{{cite web |author=جبران خليل جبران |date= |title=Ground Zero Beirut |url=https://groundzerobeirut.org/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813004945/https://groundzerobeirut.org/ |archive-date=13 August 2022 |accessdate=3 August 2022 |publisher=Ground Zero Beirut}}</ref>

After the [[2021 Beirut clashes]], Geagea was summoned by military intelligence to testify about the events, as both [[Hezbollah]] and the Amal Movement accused his party of instigating the violence.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chehayeb |first=Kareem |title=Lebanese Forces leader summoned to testify about Beirut clashes |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/25/lebanese-forces-leader-samir-geagea-summoned-beirut-clashes |access-date=2024-07-19 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref> Geagea denied these allegations, asserting that his supporters acted in self-defense against an attack by Hezbollah loyalists who had vandalized property in the area. On the day he was scheduled to appear, Geagea did not show up, and his supporters protested the summons, blocking roads in support. On 14 October 2021, protests were held in the Tayouneh neighborhood of Beirut by supporters of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement; several of the demonstrators were armed. They were calling for the removal of [[Tarek Bitar]], the judge appointed to investigate the Beirut port explosion in which [[Hassan Nasrallah]] called bias.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Abi-Nassif |first=Christophe |date=15 October 2021 |title=Making sense of the Beirut clashes |url=https://www.mei.edu/publications/making-sense-beirut-clashes |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211015204012/https://www.mei.edu/publications/making-sense-beirut-clashes |archive-date=2021-10-15 |website=[[Middle East Institute]]}}</ref> The demonstrators were shot at by [[snipers]] from nearby buildings, though the latter's identity was unclear but Geagea's rivals alleged it was the Lebanese Forces.<ref name="apusn">{{Cite web |title=Gunfire Breaks Out in Beirut During Protest of Judge; 6 Dead {{!}} AP News {{!}} 14. 10.2021 |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2021-10-14/armed-clash-erupts-in-beirut-in-protest-against-blast-judge |access-date=2021-10-19 |website=USNEWS |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name="newsweek">[https://www.newsweek.com/economic-collapse-energy-crisis-fear-civil-war-lebanon-1639122 Economic Collapse, Energy Crisis, Now Fear of Civil War In Lebanon],  10/14/21  [[Newsweek]]</ref>

After the [[2022 Lebanese general election|elections of 2022]], Geagea’s Lebanese Forces managed to win eighteen seats, up from fourteen seats making it the biggest party in the [[Lebanese parliament]] and the biggest Christian party in the country as for the first time the LF had surpassed the [[Free Patriotic Movement]] in votes largely due to further Christian distrust of [[Hezbollah]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Why the Lebanese Forces’ election victory is (still) not materializing |url=https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1301962/why-the-lebanese-forces-election-victory-is-still-not-materializing.html |work=L'Orient Today |date=7 June 2022 |language=en}}</ref> Being the last year of Aoun’s presidency, parliament was charged with electing a new president and the LF vowed to not allow any candidate close to Hezbollah and its allies to be elected. Similarly, Geagea’s MPs refused to vote for Amal Movement leader [[Nabih Berri]] who at the time had been [[Speaker of Parliament]] for then thirty years. Geagea faced the difficulties of a divided opposition as many of the newly elected “October 17” MPs refused to conform to the opposition’s decision to back candidates such as [[Michel Moawad]] and later [[Jihad Azour]].

In 2022, Geagea was very critical of then-President Michel Aoun, describing Aoun as the “weakest president in Lebanon’s history”  and added that "Michel Aoun sacrificed his people and nation for his personal gain,” <ref>{{cite news |title=Geagea: Aoun Is Worst President in Lebanon’s History |url=https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3855886/geagea-aoun-worst-president-lebanon%E2%80%99s-history |work=english.aawsat.com |language=en}}</ref>