The French President, Emmanuel Macron, with the Lebanese President, Joseph Aoun, the Parliament Speaker, Nabih Berri, and the caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, at Baabda Presidential Palace. Mohammad Yassin/L'Orient Le-Jour)
More than four years after his last visit, French President Emmanuel Macron returned to Lebanon with a measure of satisfaction, having seen parts of the "French initiative" come to fruition. In 2020, following the devastating Beirut port explosion, Macron had proposed a roadmap to address Lebanon's crisis. His proposal called for a comprehensive overhaul of governance, beginning with the formation of a technocratic government, the organization of early parliamentary elections and adherence to the timeline for presidential elections.Today, Macron's return coincides with the presidential election finally taking place, after two years of vacuum, and Nawaf Salam's appointment to form a new government. The previous French initiative had failed, largely due to Hezbollah's staunch opposition to many of its conditions, which led to Prime...
More than four years after his last visit, French President Emmanuel Macron returned to Lebanon with a measure of satisfaction, having seen parts of the "French initiative" come to fruition. In 2020, following the devastating Beirut port explosion, Macron had proposed a roadmap to address Lebanon's crisis. His proposal called for a comprehensive overhaul of governance, beginning with the formation of a technocratic government, the organization of early parliamentary elections and adherence to the timeline for presidential elections.Today, Macron's return coincides with the presidential election finally taking place, after two years of vacuum, and Nawaf Salam's appointment to form a new government. The previous French initiative had failed, largely due to Hezbollah's staunch opposition to many of its conditions, which led to Prime...