Macron's siding with Hezbollah hurts France's allies

He ignored the countless crimes this party is still committing, and the fact that Hezbollah's victims have included not only Lebanese, Syrians, Yemenis, and Iraqis, but also French.

Lebanon envoy appointed

A few weeks ago, the French presidency announced that French President Emmanuel Macron had appointed former Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian as a special envoy to Lebanon in a new attempt to end the political crisis in the country.

According to an official at the French presidency who requested anonymity, Le Drian will be tasked with helping to find a consensual and effective solution to the Lebanese crisis, which has worsened, especially following the Beirut port explosion.

Le Drian arrived in Lebanon on a visit described as exploratory and met with several Lebanese officials. Some of those officials believed there was a new French initiative related to the presidential file after the parliament had failed 12 times to elect a president.

France, as has become clear to everyone, supports the candidacy of former MP Suleiman Frangieh, who Hezbollah and the Amal movement support.

Other forces have recently agreed to support the candidacy of former minister Jihad Azour, including the Free Patriotic Movement, which has recently been at loggerheads with its ally, Hezbollah, over the presidential file and the party's support for Frangieh.

The head of the movement, former minister Gebran Bassil, had hoped to inherit the presidency from his father-in-law, former President Michel Aoun, and gain the party's support for his candidacy, but this did not happen.

The alliance opposing Frangieh's candidacy includes the Lebanese Forces Party, the Free Patriotic Movement, the Progressive Socialist Party, independents, and a number of the Change and Reform bloc MPs.

Christian parties emphasise the importance of respecting the will of the Christians after reaching an agreement on a candidate, namely Azour.

However, contrary to expectations, the Speaker of the House and the head of the Amal movement Nabih Berri not only announced their support for Frangieh's candidacy but also confirmed that "the French have not closed the chapter on Frangieh's candidacy." He denied the claims that the United States was interfering in the Lebanese presidential elections.

He said that "the US would cooperate with any elected president," but that they "preferred the army commander." He also said Saudi Arabia "was maintaining its position of not vetoing any name."

Hezbollah is the root of Lebanon's crisis

It is widely acknowledged both regionally and internationally, as well as within Lebanon itself, that the crisis in the country is primarily rooted in Hezbollah and its armed activities.

The presence of this internationally-recognised terrorist organisation, which imposes its will and agenda on the Lebanese state and its people through the use of force, is a significant obstacle to establishing a true democracy, ensuring accountability, and combating pervasive corruption.

While Suleiman Frangieh openly aligns himself as an ally and friend of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, and candidate Jihad Azour represents the opposing side of the alliances, it is widely understood among the majority of Lebanese political factions that resolving the issue of Hezbollah's arms extends beyond internal matters.

It is subject to regional and international disputes and understandings, and Lebanon alone will be unable to address this dilemma.

Unresolved issues

However, other crucial issues have been neglected amidst the discourse surrounding the candidates and their supporting factions. These include the ongoing problem of illegal and legal border crossings and smuggling, which continue to inflict significant financial losses on the Lebanese state treasury on a daily basis.

Additionally, there is the issue of the manufacturing and trade of Captagon, which has led to the suspension of Lebanese agricultural exports to several Gulf countries, resulting in billions of dollars in losses for the agricultural and industrial sectors. Moreover, concerns remain regarding money laundering and suspicious operations involving Lebanese banks.

The investigation into the port explosion and the promise made by the French president to support Lebanon and help uncover the truth and deliver justice is still impeded due to the obstruction by political forces led by Hezbollah. These issues demand attention and resolution in order to address Lebanon's multifaceted challenges.

It is commendable that France is seeking to solve Lebanon's problems and end the presidential vacuum.

However, it is surprising to see their envoy sitting with individuals subject to sanctions or their representatives and adopting their political stance, especially considering that Hezbollah's policies harm the interests of France's allies in the region, particularly Saudi Arabia, and not only the interests of the Lebanese.

This is not the first time Macron has attempted to use the carrot-and-stick approach with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and it will not be the first time the party fails to uphold its commitments after obtaining what it wants from the French.

This raises several questions: What does Macron want from Lebanon? And what does he expect in return for his supportive stance towards Hezbollah?