It is with a cry expressing the fed-up of the international community at the delay in forming the new government in Lebanon that the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, spoke again yesterday at the subject of the country of the Cedar.
“I would be tempted (to accuse) Lebanese politicians of non-assistance to endangered countries, whatever they may be,” Le Drian told reporters. He was speaking at a joint press conference with his German, Egyptian and Jordanian counterparts, on the sidelines of a meeting in Paris on the Middle East peace process.
Denouncing the inaction of the political class in the face of the risk of “collapse” of the country, Mr. Le Drian recalled that during the last two visits of French President Emmanuel Macron to Beirut (August 6 and September 1, 2020), “All political actors were committed to act both for the rapid composition of an inclusive government and (for the implementation) of essential reforms”. “It was seven months ago. And nothing is moving, “lamented the head of French diplomacy, adding:” It is not yet too late to act, but the deadlines are very short before the collapse. “It is up to the Lebanese authorities to take the destiny of their country in hand, knowing that the international community is watching with anguish” the situation deteriorating, he warned. “If Lebanon collapsed, it would be a catastrophe for the Lebanese (…), for the Palestinian refugees, Syrians and for the whole region”, he estimated. “We cannot take the place of the Lebanese political forces which must assume their responsibilities. There is still time to act, because tomorrow it will be too late, ”concluded Mr. Le Drian.
The head of French diplomacy is known for his shocking formulas that he uses to decipher the situation in the country of the Cedars and encourage the local protagonists to move forward in the recovery process. Speaking to the French Senate last July, Mr. Le Drian launched his famous “help us to help you, damn it!” », Addressed to Lebanese leaders, who are failing to put on track the structural reforms demanded by the international community with a view to unlocking the aid promised from donor countries.
A few weeks later, Mr. Le Drian warned, during an interview with RTL radio at the end of August, that “the risk today is the disappearance of Lebanon”.
Aoun and Bassil in the viewfinder
A French political source deciphers for L’Orient-Le Jour the statements of the head of the Quai d’Orsay. “In France, when you are sentenced for failing to assist a person in danger, you risk prison,” explains this source, stressing that through this kind of position, “the international community begins to become more threatening and exercises pressure to hold Lebanese leaders to account to the people ”.
The same source confides that “Jean-Yves Le Drian is exacerbated. He wants to say to the Lebanese ruling class: enough is enough, in the sense that the time has not come for the blockages of the government process for presidential calculations ”: an obvious spike in the direction of the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement and son-in-law of the head of the state, Gebran Bassil, accused by his detractors of obstructing ministerial negotiations, in particular for premature presidential calculations.
The source ensures that the words of Jean-Yves Le Drian show that for the international community, it is time for general mobilization. “We are maximizing international pressure, to press the local protagonists, starting with the President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, and his son-in-law, Gebran Bassil,” she said. A position that goes against the attempts of the Aounist camp to blame the Prime Minister designate, Saad Hariri, for the current impasse.
This new phase of mobilization in favor of Lebanon, France shares with its international and regional partners. This is what the French political source quoted above assures us, indicating that Paris evokes the Lebanese file with Russia, whose Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov, had met Saad Hariri in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday; with Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the Arab League. She also mentions “coordination” with Washington.
The concerned GIS
For its part, the International Support Group for Lebanon (bringing together the UN, China, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as the European Union and the Arab League), too, called on Lebanese leaders to form a cabinet without delay.
In a press release published at the end of a meeting that it held yesterday in isolation, the GIS recalled with dismay that seven months have passed since the resignation of the last government (of Hassane Diab, August 10, 2020), and that this has “hampered Lebanon’s ability to face its increasingly complex political, social, financial, economic and institutional challenges and to meet the needs and aspirations of the Lebanese people”.
“We reiterate our urgent call to the Lebanese leadership to no longer delay the formation of a fully competent government capable of responding to the country’s urgent needs and implementing crucial reforms,” the group added.
Commenting on the latest popular protests caused by the soaring exchange rate of the pound against the dollar, GIS expressed concern over growing tensions in the country, including recent protests, calling for them to remain peaceful and that human rights are respected.
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It is with a cry expressing the fed-up of the international community at the delay in forming the new government in Lebanon that the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, spoke again yesterday at the subject of the country of the Cedar.
“I would be tempted (to accuse) the Lebanese political leaders of non-assistance to countries in danger, all …
