After the previous week's events, which included the visit of Lebanese Armed Forces Commander Major General Joseph Aoun to Doha and the meeting between Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last Saturday in Riyadh, the political scene changed course.
Opinions appeared to agree regarding "the availability of new external factors that may translate in the presidential elections dossier, as they do not have to be solutions."
Aoun's presence in Doha and Mikati's in Riyadh brought about two conclusions. First, "supporting the army commander as a presidential candidate is no longer just analyses." The second is that "the Saudis have opened a window for the French to dialogue regarding the Lebanese file."
This comes amid reports that Riyadh is talking with the French and Americans about the idea of supporting the army commander's candidacy if he is involved in a program that mirrors their concerns.
The army commander who returned to Beirut didn't involve anyone in the atmosphere of his visit, even though it garnered a lot of attention.
He is one of the most prominent presidential candidates. He is the only serious rival to Sleiman Frangieh, the leader of the Marada Movement.
For the first time, the commander's travel was not restricted to seeking out the assistance of the military establishment. Instead, there is a conviction that Aoun's invitation to Qatar is part of an ongoing "getting to know" him process in anticipation of a new stage in the presidential process that could include an official declaration of his candidacy.
Parallel to this, the announcement of the meeting between Mikati and Bin Salman carried a glaring indication of the kingdom's retreat "in principle" from the firm "no" it was raising in the face of anyone attempting to approach it regarding the Lebanese file.
According to reliable sources, the request for Bin Salman to receive Mikati was made by French President Emmanuel Macron.
This is especially true given that Mikati still enjoys favor with the French, who are attempting to persuade the Saudis to accept him as a prime minister after the election of a new president, whoever he may be.
Noting that the Saudi support comes with the requirement of adhering to the Saudi policy outlined in the summit's final statement.
This statement emphasized "the importance of carrying out the necessary reforms, dialogue, and consultations to ensure that Lebanon overcomes its crisis, to avoid it becoming a platform for any terrorist acts and incubating terrorist organizations and groups that destabilize security and stability in the region or even to avoid it becoming a source or a crossing point for drug smuggling."
Mikati emphasized following the meeting "all measures will be taken to prevent harm to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."
Mikati also used his time in Riyadh to improve his image among Arabs, so he met with Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and said he would visit Kuwait "at the head of a ministerial delegation at the beginning of the year, and there are many files that will be discussed," before meeting with the Prime Ministers of Iraq and Algeria.