Le Drian's mission: A French turn in approaching the Lebanese Presidential election

In a "traditional" scene, President Emmanuel Macron appointing former Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian as a Personal Envoy to Lebanon is considered a continuation of the endless French initiatives.   

This article was originally published in and translated from Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al-Watan.    

 

The roots of the relations between the two countries go deep into history, culturally strong and politically heterogeneous; at times, the "compassionate mother" runs to embrace her "naughty son," and at other times, she "pushes" over him.  

As for timing and selection, the "Macronian leap" is considered to have essential indicators and implications. It resembles a Parisian "diplomatic landing" on the Lebanese crisis file.  

It is clear that the Elysee meeting between the Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi and French President Emmanuel Macron, and the accompanying internal developments and political and parliamentary intersections, "nominated" a French turn in the approach to the presidential election through the selection of former Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to follow up on the Lebanese file.  

In addition to working to achieve an "effective Lebanese consensus," which practically means ending the services of the presidential advisor, Patrick Durel, the "godfather" of the French-Frangieh settlement, especially since the French advisor is supportive of the Sleiman Frangieh-Nawaf Salam equation.  

According to Nidaa al-Watan, Le Drian's relationship is not based on much understanding and harmony with Durel and Emmanuel Bonne.  

Le Drian knows that the task entrusted to him "urgently" is difficult in a rapidly deteriorating country, where its officials would instead break the thorn of the constitution than break their transgressions against it.   

He knows that his adventure is difficult on board a ship he described as "the Titanic without an orchestra […] The Lebanese are in complete denial as they drown, and there is no music."   

However, as one of Macron's advisors said, he "has strong experience in crisis management."  

He added that Le Drian "is planning to go to Lebanon very soon," noting that Macron had asked him "to quickly prepare a report on the situation in this country that includes work proposals."  

According to Paris, "There is an urgent need to reach a consensus that allows the election of a president for Lebanon, which has been witnessing a state of presidential vacuum for more than seven months due to political obstacles in a system with complex balances, as well as speeding up the implementation of the necessary reforms."   

The "engineer of French diplomacy" did not hesitate to reprimand Lebanese officials, and use clear and direct expressions in describing the reality, especially when he visited Lebanon during the era of Hassan Diab's government, as he is considered the first senior Western official to do so after the October 17, 2019 uprising and the COVID-19 pandemic.   

He called on officials to "avoid illusions," saying several times: "Help yourselves so that we can help you."  

It is worth noting that Le Drian (who was born and lived in a Catholic family) was the one who took over the file of Catholic schools in Lebanon and announced financial aid in 2022 when he visited Lebanon with about 15 million euros.  

Le Drian is known for being discreet and cautious and works very hard and at a high pace. During the five years he spent as Minister of Defence under President François Hollande (2012-2017), he visited 64 countries and won the praise of arms manufacturers in France after he contributed to the signing of agreements in record numbers for the export of weapons ($14 billion in arms orders in 2016), including the first deal to sell Rafale aircraft produced by Dassault.  

After Macron won the presidency, he appointed Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs in the first government he formed on May 17, 2017, and he continued in his position until 2022, to be the only minister in Macron's government who was a member of the government that preceded him, to move away from the political arena since the last presidential elections in France in 2022.  

Thus, with the return of the veteran diplomat and expert who had previously brandished the sword of sanctions toward Lebanese officials in the aftermath of the Beirut port explosion, will the presidential election qualify for the final rounds after months of playing in the midfield and throwing the ball between local players without reaching the goal of the two teams?