President Carlos Eddé | Founder Émile Eddé Political position Centre-right | |
Founded 1943; 74 years ago (1943) Ideology Liberal conservatism,Francophilie (historical) | ||
Founded in 1936, National Bloc (Arabic: الكتلة الوطنية; Al-Kutlah Al-Wataniyyah), is one of the first Lebanese political party.
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History
The National Bloc was founded as political association by Émile Eddé, under the French Mandate in 1936. Only after the effective independence of Lebanon in 1943 the National Bloc became an official party. His son, Raymond Eddé, succeeded him as head of the party.
In 1968, the National Bloc joined the Helf Alliance, a coalition which included former President Camille Chamoun's National Liberal Party and Pierre Gemayel's Kataeb Party. The alliance was relatively successful in Parliamentary elections held the same year, winning 30 seats (out of 99). Nevertheless, in 1969, the Bloc left the alliance after the Cairo Agreement.
During the Lebanese civil war, although mainly Christian, the party refused to rejoin the Lebanese Front, formed by his former allies. During the war years, the party refused to arm a militia and kept a moderate line consisting mainly in defending the independence and unity of Lebanon aligning itself with the positions of the Sunni bourgeoisie, represented by Rashid Karami and Saeb Salam.
The exile (in 1976) and the death (in 2000) of its leader, combined with the rise of the Lebanese Forces and Aounist current, contributed to the decline of the party. At present, the party is now a portion of an anti-Syrian coalition, March 14 Alliance.
The party's current leader is Carlos Eddé.