French Ambassador to Lebanon Patrick Durel at the Résidence des Pins on Sept. 30, 2026. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L’Orient-Le Jour)
Patrick Durel served as an adviser at the Élysée Palace from 2020 to 2024, with Lebanon among his main portfolios, before becoming France’s ambassador to Iraq. He arrived in Beirut at the end of the summer as a diplomat who already knows the country and the region well — and who speaks Arabic. One month into his tenure, Durel sat down exclusively with L’Orient-Le Jour. In the interview, he offers his assessment of the situation in Lebanon and speaks candidly about the key issues facing the country, from Hezbollah’s weapons and the army’s to the reform agenda. Another interview Joumblatt to L'Orient-Le Jour: South Lebanon destruction should push Hezbollah to dialogue with authorities You know Lebanon very well. What has surprised you most since you arrived?Without sugar-coating it, it’s the energy of the Lebanese people. We can no...
Patrick Durel served as an adviser at the Élysée Palace from 2020 to 2024, with Lebanon among his main portfolios, before becoming France’s ambassador to Iraq. He arrived in Beirut at the end of the summer as a diplomat who already knows the country and the region well — and who speaks Arabic. One month into his tenure, Durel sat down exclusively with L’Orient-Le Jour. In the interview, he offers his assessment of the situation in Lebanon and speaks candidly about the key issues facing the country, from Hezbollah’s weapons and the army’s to the reform agenda. Another interview Joumblatt to L'Orient-Le Jour: South Lebanon destruction should push Hezbollah to dialogue with authorities You know Lebanon very well. What has surprised you most since you arrived?Without sugar-coating it, it’s the energy of the Lebanese...
