Yet despite the attention given to foreign influence and geopolitical competition, I believe the most important question facing Lebanon today is a domestic one: Can the Lebanese state regain the authority, legitimacy and public trust necessary to govern effectively? A crisis of governanceThe Lebanese state has struggled to provide many of the services that citizens expect from modern institutions. Competing centers of influence and authority have often shaped Lebanon’s political environment. This reality has generated recurring debates about sovereignty, national decision-making and the relationship between state institutions and non-state actors. Lebanon’s path forward begins with a simple principle: The state must be strong enough to serve its citizens, and citizens must be able to trust the state in return.