Around six weeks after the parliamentary elections in Lebanon, the previous Prime Minister Nadjib Mikati was once again tasked with forming a government.

During the nomination process, most MPs voted in favor of the 66-year-old billionaire on Thursday.

Head of state Michel Aoun then officially gave him the corresponding mandate, as the presidential office announced.

Because of the economic crisis, Mikati is under time pressure.

In the past, the formation of a government had often dragged on for months due to power struggles.

The Mediterranean country is suffering from the worst economic and financial crisis in its history.

In addition, it is still feeling the effects of the devastating explosion in the port of the capital Beirut almost two years ago.

Around three quarters of the population now live below the poverty line.

The local currency has lost more than 95 percent of its value.

Potential international donors are asking the government to introduce reforms that have yet to materialize before supporting the country on a larger scale.

Many representatives of the protest movement in the new parliament

In multi-confessional Lebanon, power is traditionally divided among religious groups according to a system of proportional representation.

The president is always a Christian, the head of government a Sunni and the speaker of the parliament a Shia.

The Shiite Hizbullah, which is closely allied with Iran and has its own militia, is particularly influential.

However, the bloc around the “Party of God” suffered losses in the general election in May.

Instead, unexpectedly many representatives of the protest movement moved into parliament.

The entrepreneur Mikati is considered one of the richest men in the country.

He made his money in the telecommunications industry, among other things.

Mikati had previously formed a government three times, most recently in September last year.

In general, the Lebanese's confidence in their political leadership has been shaken, which is why expectations of the new government are low.

Critics accuse the elite of exploiting the country.

They speak of a "corrupt government mafia" to which they also count Mikati.

In autumn 2019 there were mass protests against the leadership, which resulted in candidates in the election.