Leadership and foreign engagement: evidence from the Lebanese Parliament

Abstract

Parliamentary friendship groups are a common yet understudied feature of legislative politics, especially in hybrid regimes. Despite their growing role in international diplomacy, little is known about how these groups form, who leads them, and what domestic logics shape them. This article examines Lebanon to explore how hybrid and internal power-sharing structures influence external parliamentary alignments. Drawing on a novel dataset of Lebanese Members of Parliament (2005–2024) and elite interviews, the study uses a mixed-methods approach to explain leadership selection. Results show that age and legislative experience increase the likelihood of heading a group, while women are less likely to be selected. Religious identity is not a consistent predictor; however, MPs are more likely to lead groups aligned with their own religion, particularly Muslim MPs. Interviews reveal informal patterns behind appointments. The article contributes to legislative studies and foreign affairs by showing how domestic identities structure international parliamentary behaviour.