Macron sends his ex-minister Le Drian to Lebanon to try to resolve the political crisis

Away from political life, after the re-election of Emmanuel Macron, former Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was appointed by the president as “personal envoy for Lebanon”. He will soon visit the country of cedars to “promote” a “consensual and effective” solution to the serious political impasse the country is in, the Elysee Palace announced on Wednesday.

Former Defense Minister François Hollande (2012-2017), before joining Emmanuel Macron and becoming his confidant on the Quai d’Orsay (2017-2022), 75-year-old Jean-Yves Le Drian has gained popularity in the political world since the last presidential elections.

Presented as someone with solid experience in “crisis management,” the ex-minister “plans to go to Lebanon very quickly,” the adviser to the head of state added. The president asked him to “quickly report the situation to him.”

The country is currently in a dual economic and political crisis and has been without a head of state for more than seven months due to political deadlocks in this complexly balanced system. No candidate has succeeded Michel Aoun, whose presidential term expired on 31 October. “The situation in Lebanon remains difficult due to the need to “avoid both a political crisis and economic and financial difficulties,” said Jean-Yves Le Drian, recalling that Emmanuel Macron personally “worked hard on this matter.”

Parliament convened

On June 14, the Lebanese parliament convenes to try again to elect a president. But it is deeply divided between the camp of the pro-Iranian Shiite movement Hezbollah, which does not have the necessary majority to impose its candidate, ex-minister Suleiman Frangieh, and its opponents, in particular the Christian parties, who also cannot enter the name of Michel Moawad here. The latter withdrew his candidacy in support of Jihad Azur, a senior official of the International Monetary Fund, who, however, is not yet an official candidate.

Paris said there was an urgent need to “come to a consensus” to allow the election of the president, as well as speed up the implementation of “necessary reforms.” “Since Parliament is convened, this deadline should be useful”, “we must not miss any opportunity,” the Élysée urged, noting the appearance of two candidates, Suleiman Frangieh and Jihad Azur. “Our line remains the same,” namely that getting out of the crisis “requires more than a name agreement,” the French chairman added.