Samir Frangieh


Samir Bey Frangieh was a Lebanese politician and a leftist intellectual.

Early life

Frangieh was born in Zgharta on 12 April 1945. He hails from an old political family, the Frangieh family. He is the son of Hamid Kabalan Frangieh and Lamia Michel. Hamid Frangieh was the elder brother of Suleiman Frangieh, who was President of Lebanon. Suleiman Frangieh Jr. was Samir Frangieh's cousin.

Career

Frangieh was a leading journalist. During the term of president Émile Lahoud, he was one of the opposition leaders, who tried to challenge close allies of the president. The opposition group was also led by Rafik Hariri and Walid Jumblatt. Frangieh was a political ally of Jumblatt.
Frangieh was also one of the founders of the Qornet Shehwan Gathering. In addition, he was part of the 14 March alliance and a member of its general secretariat. He was the author of "Beirut manifesto" that was published in Le Monde on 22 June 2004. The manifesto, which was signed by Lebanese intellectuals and eminent public figures, challenged the dominance of Syria in Lebanon.
In the 2005 general elections, he became a member of the Lebanese parliament, representing Zgharta. However, in the general elections of 2009, Frangieh was not included to the election list of the March 14 alliance.

Personal life and death

Frangieh was the author of The Journey to the Extreme of Violence that was published in 2011. He died on 11 April 2017 in Beirut's Hotel Dieu Hospital before his birthday.