Malik Ben Achour, a socialist deputy in the Belgian parliament, worked toward passing Friday's resolution. (Credit: Facebook)
BEIRUT — Belgium's parliament on Friday approved a resolution urging European Union members to activate sanctions against Lebanese officials accused of corruption.
Ben Achour Malik, who leads the parliamentary committee that headed the resolution, tweeted afterward: "My resolution was passed in plenary! The [Belgians] support the people of [Lebanon] in their fight for their sovereignty in the face of this political and financial caste that has taken them away. It also gives a clear mandate to put the issue of sanctions on the agenda."
The resolution received 117 votes in favor, 12 abstentions, while none voted against it, according to the official transcript of the parliament session.
The principle of sanctions was adopted by the European Council through a legal framework established in July 2021 but was never applied. The decision of the Council was followed two months later by a European Parliament resolution calling on Lebanese leaders to put an end to political deadlock and initiate reforms.
Lebanon has lacked a fully empowered cabinet since May 2022 elections and since Nov. 1 has had no president.
The Belgian Parliament urged Lebanon's "future government to rapidly implement economic and governance reforms that will ensure political and economic recovery, including credible regulation of key economic sectors such as the electricity sector," according to the official parliament transcript.