L ebanon has formed a new government following months of deadlock sparked by mass protests against the country’s ruling elite and its worst economic crisis in decades.

Hassan Diab, the prime minister, said his new cabinet would “strive to do everything required to meet all the protesters’ demands” when announcing his line up on Tuesday evening.

Mr Diab, a 61-year-old former electrical engineering professor, described his government as a “rescue team” made up of experts that would pull the country through its current difficulties.

The new government was pulled together by the Lebanese group Hezbollah and its allies, who make up the largest bloc in parliament, nearly three months after the former prime minister Saad Hariri resigned in the face of nationwide protests.

But just hours after the new government was announced, protesters were back on the streets outside of parliament in the capital Beirut.

“They are mocking us. This new government is made from one colour. Nothing has changed and nothing will change,” said Nour, a teacher from Beirut who gave only her first name, at a demonstration against the new cabinet on Tuesday evening.

“They just want us to be desperate and for us to settle for this new government but it’s not right. We are calling for a new country,” she added.

Lebanon rocked by nationwide protests Show all 16 1 /16 Lebanon rocked by nationwide protests Lebanon rocked by nationwide protests Protestors burn buildings in downtown Beirut The protests in Lebanon began as a spontaneous burst of anger over new taxes. On October 17, mostly young men came on to the streets in the capital Beirut and across the country. They clashed with police and lit fires. Richard Hall / The Independent Lebanon rocked by nationwide protests A large fire is constructed near Lebanon's parliament building The new taxes included a levy on the messaging service WhatsApp. In a country where people were already struggling, it was the final nail in the coffin. Richard Hall / The Independent Lebanon rocked by nationwide protests Protesters fight running battles with police Protesters continued to clash with police into the second night. Downtown Beirut became a battleground as volleys of tear gas rained down on demonstrators. Richard Hall / The Independent Lebanon rocked by nationwide protests The joker makes an appearance By the third day, the mood changed. The violence of the first two nights ebbed and numbers swelled. People came out by their thousands across the country. Richard Hall / The Independent Lebanon rocked by nationwide protests Protesters occupy an abandoned theatre in downtown Beirut The protesters took control of the streets. They also reclaimed public space that had been off limits to them for years. This image was taken from a grand theatre in downtown Beirut that had been shuttered since the civil war. Richard Hall / The Independent Lebanon rocked by nationwide protests Protesters look down from an abandoned building Here, two protesters look towards downtown from the top of a building nicknamed "the egg" for its dome-like structure. It was part of a complex that was under construction when war broke out in 1975, and it has remained empty and off-limits ever since. Richard Hall / The Independent Lebanon rocked by nationwide protests A protester faces off with a police officer Women have played a key role in these protests. They have been on the frontline of demonstrations and sit-ins — which had a marked effect reducing violence. For the first week, police didn't know how to deal with them. In this picture, a woman police officer tries to negotiate with a protester to remove a road block. She was part of a team of women police officers sent out on this day. Richard Hall / The Independent Lebanon rocked by nationwide protests A group of women resists police attempts to remove their sit-in This image was taken during a police attempt to remove people from blocking a road. Again, the presence of woman at the front of the sit-in led to the police abandoning the attempt. Richard Hall / The Independent Lebanon rocked by nationwide protests A woman chants at a roadblock protest on Beirut's ring road Protesters said the road blocks were vital in keeping up pressure on the government. Without them, they would be ignored. Richard Hall / The Independent Lebanon rocked by nationwide protests A living room is set up on one of Beirut's busiest roads Some of the roadblocks were more relaxed than others. Richard Hall / The Independent Lebanon rocked by nationwide protests Tens of thousands pack Tripoli's Nour Square The protests may have started in Beirut, but they have sprung up around the country. This photograph was taken in Tripoli, Lebanon's second largest city. Protests there have outsized those in the capital Beirut. The city has been called the "bride of the revolution." Richard Hall / The Independent Lebanon rocked by nationwide protests The crowd looks up as a singer performs for protesters in Tripoli's Nour Square The scenes in Tripoli are even more remarkable given its recent history. For years it has been plagued by extremism and violence. These mass displays of unity in the city's main square every night have done a lot to counter other Lebanese citizens' perception of Tripoli. Richard Hall / The Independent Lebanon rocked by nationwide protests Young men take photographs of protests in Tripoli's Nour Square Tripoli is also one of Lebanon's poorest cities. The protests here have been fuelled by desperation of poor people struggling to get by. Richard Hall / The Independent Lebanon rocked by nationwide protests Police protect protesters from Hezbollah supporters But the protests have not been without their opponents. As demonstrations entered their second week, the Lebanese Hezbollah movement began to show anger at protesters for their demand that all Lebanon's political leaders stand down. In this image, police stand between protesters and a group of Hezbollah supporters in downtown Beirut. Clashes broke out when they left. Richard Hall / The Independent Lebanon rocked by nationwide protests A group of Hezbollah and Amal supporters attacks peaceful protesters in Beirut The worst violence of the protests came towards the end of the second week. Several hundred supporters of Hezbollah and its political ally Amal attacked protesters who were blocking the main ring road in Beirut. Afterwards, they stormed into downtown and destroyed a protest encampment. Richard Hall / The Independent Lebanon rocked by nationwide protests Protesters pile tent poles in downtown Beirut after they were destroyed by Hezbollah and Amal supporters But the protesters came back to the main square, made a mountain from the poles of destroyed tents and placed a flag in it. The same day, Lebanon's prime minister Saad Hariri resigned, given protesters their first major victory. Richard Hall / The Independent

Hundreds gathered for the protest following Mr Diab’s announcement. Small scale clashes broke out after midnight between protesters and police, who fired teargas and sound grenades to disperse the crowds. It came after huge protests over the weekend that saw more than 500 people injured on both sides.

Nationwide protests broke out three months ago in response to a new tax on the messaging service WhatsApp – a measure aimed at alleviating Lebanon’s financial woes.

The protests spiralled into a wider movement that aimed to overthrow the country’s entire political system and the parties who have held power since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war.

One of the key demands from protesters was the forming of a non-political, technocratic government that could see Lebanon through its current crisis.

Mr Diab claimed that “every minister in this government is a technocrat and functions away from political parties”.

But observers have noted that many of the supposedly independent experts have links to political parties, and the fact that they were all picked by one political bloc has led to accusations of it being a “one colour government”.

The cabinet’s make-up was decided by the Christian Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), led by the current president, Michel Aoun, and its parliamentary allies, of which the Iran-backed Hezbollah is one.

The party of the former Sunni prime minister, Mr Hariri, along with his allies the Progressive Socialist Party and the Lebanese Forces, will not be a part of the government – an oddity in Lebanon, where governments are usually formed by consensus among the country’s different sects.

“Ever since Mr Diab was nominated as prime minister, the writing was on the wall,” said Sami Atallah, executive director of the Lebanese Centre for Policy Studies in Beirut.

“The process of selecting the candidates, how the decisions were being made, all indicated that we were back to the same rules of engagement where the seats were being divided among the political parties. The essence of the game didn’t change. It’s old wine in a new bottle.”

Mr Atallah added that “nothing was fundamentally changing” in the way Lebanon has been governed for decades.

Mr Diab’s 20-member cabinet is made up of experts in their field. It includes a record six women, who hold the key ministries of defence, justice and labour.

At the cabinet’s first meeting on Wednesday, Lebanon’s president, Mr Aoun, told the ministers that they had a “delicate” mission ahead of them.

“It is necessary to work to tackle the economic situation, restore the confidence of the international community in Lebanese institutions and reassure the Lebanese about their future,” the president said.

Financial support from the international community is seen as crucial for helping the country drag itself out of its economic crisis.

Lebanon is one of the most indebted countries in the world, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 152 per cent. In the 2016 budget, interest payments accounted for almost half of all government spending.

Lebanon protests: Prime minister Saad Hariri resigns amid mass demonstrations

The economic crisis has deepened in recent weeks as banks have imposed informal capital controls, which have placed restrictions on how much money customers can withdraw. As the value of the Lebanese pound continues to slide, many people are seeing their savings disappear.

But many countries who have traditionally provided financial aid to Lebanon, especially in the Gulf, have grown increasingly concerned over Hezbollah’s rising influence in the country.

Mr Diab said on Tuesday that his first trip abroad would be to the Gulf region. With a “one colour government” that is heavily influenced by the Shia militant group, Lebanon may struggle to secure support there, and further afield in Washington, where the administration of Donald Trump has taken a much tougher approach to Hezbollah.

More immediately, however, it is unlikely that the new government will quell the protests that have gripped the country for the last three months.

“We saw the reaction on the street already. I think it might get even louder,” said Mr Atallah.