Following President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s reshuffle of governors and ministers, questions have emerged over whether the appointments reflect growing public discontent or signal a preference for trust and security control over participation and competence. The post Al-Sharaa’s shakeup: A merit-based state, or a circle of trust? appeared first on Syria Direct .

Syrian president discusses security with Lebanon PM Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met in Damascus on Saturday to strengthen ties established since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. According to a statement from the Syrian presidency, the two sides discussed “developing economic and trade cooperation” as well as “bolstering security coordination in order to support stability and confront challenges”.