Is the end of the presidential vacuum in sight?

The political impasse in Lebanon has extended until 2023 after the possibility of a dialogue that Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri had called for twice but had been turned down by the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and the Lebanese Forces (LF).

Thus, some sources explained that the dialogue is now more important than ever, and some are counting on it to happen as soon as possible, not just to agree on the name of the president but also to prevent the escalation of internal conflicts, particularly between the FPM and the caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

Furthermore, Mikati believes managing the country's affairs is possible only by holding cabinet sessions, while the FPM refuses to hold similar sessions.

According to information obtained by LBCI, holding a new ministerial session was temporarily suspended to prevent the internal tensions from worsening and to make way for the success of opportunities for dialogue.

However, it is expected that Berri would call for a dialogue in case things remain as they are.

Will international community get involved in Lebanese presidential file?

As of mid-January, the Lebanese file will be discussed in Paris in an upcoming meeting between France and the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, the new guest in this meeting.

The meeting will probably discuss two priorities:

The first is the economic level, which revolves around the oil and gas extraction file, whether in investment or protecting the maritime border demarcation agreement. This level is a priority for France and Qatar.

The second is the political level and is based on finding a solution to the governance crisis as a priority over economic interests. It begins with electing an independent president who puts Lebanon's interest first and gains the international community's confidence by supporting the path of reforms—followed by naming a PM who works in Lebanon's interest and implements reforms. This political track is a priority for Saudi Arabia.