Berri reports a 'breach in the presidential wall' after meeting with Le Drian

BEIRUT — Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said Tuesday afternoon that a "breach in the presidential wall" has been opened following a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron's special envoy for Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, who arrived in Beirut Tuesday.

This is the French envoy's second visit in a bid to find a way out of the presidential impasse that has plagued the country for over eight months.

"We can say that a breach in the presidential wall has been opened," Berri said, describing his meeting with the envoy in Ain el-Tineh as "good," according to the state-run National News Agency.

Le Drian subsequently held talks with Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader Taymour Joumblatt and the leader of Kataeb party Samy Gemayel at the Résidence des Pins. He is also due tovisit other local leaders during his visit, which according to several local media outlets, will continue until Thursday.

'Lebanon is in danger'

In an interview with the American channel al-Hurra published on Tuesday, Berri said he felt that "Lebanon is in danger if a president is not elected before the end of the year."

"We have involved in our crisis the foreign countries that want our interest and those that do not. In the end, the only solution is dialogue," he said, assuring that he would continue to support Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh in the presidential elections.

He also thanked the ambassadors of the Group of Five (France, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt) "for their help and for supporting the person we will choose."

Le Drian's visit comes a week after the meeting in Doha of the Group of Five. During the meeting, Le Drian won the support of the other four countries for his mediation, based on coordination within the group.

The Quai d'Orsay issued a press release prior to the emissary's visit, stating that "this second trip to Lebanon is part of his facilitating mission, aiming to ensure that all the concerned stakeholders create the conditions conducive to the emergence of a consensual solution for the election of the President of the Republic, an essential step towards the reactivation of the political institutions that Lebanon urgently needs to embark on the road to recovery."

While Amal and Hezbollah is backing the presidential candidacy of Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh, most Christian parties and the rest of the opposition are backing the candidacy of International Monetary Fund regional director Jihad Azour. Paris had initially proposed that the presidency go to Sleiman Frangieh in return for reserving the position of Prime Minister to judge and diplomat Nawaf Salam. This proposal was rejected by both local and international actors.