Parliamentary discussions often reveal the vast chasm between the people and the political class. In the budget sessions which began this week, and in the rare sessions discussing public policy, MPs give lengthy speeches that few have the stomach to follow.

Most Lebanese find themselves disinterested, finding it impossible to change the status quo or challenge the political and religious authorities that dominate public life. This variety of Lebanese cannot endure the lofty, pompous speeches in the halls of parliament. And yet, at the end of every four years—barring a constitutional vacuum—this “model” Lebanese citizen casts a vote, choosing to renew his own suffering.

This year in Lebanon, legislative sessions will tackle national and local issues ranging from fiscal solvency and state authority to the smallest details affecting everyday lives. And yet parliament is dominated by other concerns, principally the countdown to the upcoming parliamentary elections in May. As we grow closer to voting day, onlookers can expect increasingly ludicrous speeches in which MPs compete for the better soundbite.

The reality is that the upcoming elections, on schedule or not, offer little promise of meaningful change under current conditions. Even if the proportion of new faces increases, the system will likely be dominated by institutional forces, preventing any meaningful change. Electoral laws and sectarian dynamics will not yield when so long as status quo powers control the means to reform.

The dramatic failure of the 2019 Revolution was perhaps the harshest lesson about change in Lebanon. Despite a historic collapse of trust in the system, the revolution produced little actionable difference. Even if Hezbollah disarmament proceeds in the best case, structural legislative change remains unlikely.