Jean-Yves Le Drian's 'exploratory' visit to Lebanon raises concerns amidst political indifference

The political deadlock in Lebanon has further hindered communication channels during the Eid al-Adha holiday, as the return of French Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian to Lebanon in mid-July is eagerly anticipated.  

This article was originally published in, translated from online newspaper Al Anbaa. 

Political sources closely following the crisis told Al Anbaa that "there is nothing reassuring in the absence of initiatives that should lead to softening stances, as the existing alignments have complicated matters, deepened the crisis, and led interested parties, including France, to suspend the search for solutions, as they have not witnessed any responsiveness from the political forces to push for ending the presidential vacuum." 

"It seems as if they are indifferent to this matter, as clearly demonstrated by Le Drian's exploratory visit," it added. 

The sources explained that "Le Drian does not carry a specific initiative to resolve the crisis but seeks to gather information about it."

Meanwhile, the political forces responsible for conducting the presidential elections have succumbed to external pressure, while the final decision ultimately lies within the American-Saudi-Iranian triangle.
 
France cannot register any positive breakthrough as long as the mentioned countries have not clarified their positions regarding ending the presidential vacuum and electing a president, the sources affirmed.
 
The role France is playing today is similar to the role President Emmanuel Macron played after the Beirut Port explosion, with his repeated visits to Lebanon. 

According to Al Anbaa, the sources believe that electing a president is linked to two factors: a reconciliation conference that the Quintet Committee should oversee to formulate an agreement similar to the Doha Agreement or American-Saudi pressure on Iran to withdraw Hezbollah's veto from this file and allow the election of a president.  

The obstruction of the presidential election could have significant ramifications for urgent matters, including appointing a successor to the Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, Riad Salameh, whose term expires on July 31.