Simon Abi Ramia
Simon Abi Ramia | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 3, 1965 Ehmej, Byblos District, Lebanon |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Known for | Former representative of the Strong Lebanon bloc in the Lebanese Parliament; head of the parliamentary committee on youth and sports |
Simon Abi Ramia (; born 3 June 1965) is a Lebanese political figure and former representative of the Strong Lebanon bloc in the Lebanese Parliament. Closely connected to President Michel Aoun, he was associated with the Free Patriotic Movement. Abi Ramia served as the head of the parliamentary committee on youth and sports.
Early life and family
Originating from Ehmej, located in the Byblos District, Abi Ramia is the son of Farid Abi Ramia (deceased 2003) and Nour Hardan. His early education took place at Christian Brothers institutions and Collège Mont La Salle. In 1983, he relocated to France where he obtained a management baccalaureate from University of Paris 1 and later earned a diploma in Optometry from L'École Supérieure d'Optométrie in Paris.
Career
Abi Ramia’s political involvement began following the contested prime ministership of Michel Aoun in 1998. He was among the founders of Rassemblement pour le Liban (Rally for Lebanon), a movement endorsing Aoun’s policies. While leading Lebanese communities throughout France, he was chosen as president of this organization in 1989.
In 2005, Abi Ramia returned to Lebanon alongside Aoun after their period of exile. After the 2006 Lebanon War, he moved his family back to Lebanon. He secured a parliamentary seat representing Jbeil in 2009 under the Free Patriotic Movement Bloc and successfully retained it in both the 2018 and 2022 elections. Following his election, he chaired the Youth and Sports Committee and assumed leadership of the parliamentary friendship group between Lebanon and France.
On 8 August 2024, Abi Ramia announced his departure from the Free Patriotic Movement, attributing his resignation to rising "individualism" within the party and conflicts with its leader, Gebran Bassil.
Personal life
In 1997, Abi Ramia entered into marriage with French political figure Fabienne Blineau; their union ended in divorce in 2017. The couple has three sons named Paul, Mathieu, and Lucas.