The stability, which French Ambassador Anne Grillo described as "illusory" in her farewell message to the Lebanese people upon her imminent departure, may be further threatened as the positions of the Governor of the Central Bank remain vacant later this month and military leadership in January.
This article was originally published in and translated from the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Anbaa.
Additionally, the situation along the border with Israel continues to deteriorate, and the Syrian refugee crisis puts increasing pressure on Lebanon, with the European Union closing the door to their return.
In the political arena, all eyes are on the upcoming countries of the Quintet meeting in Doha on Monday and the potential solutions it may offer for the Lebanese crisis.
French diplomatic sources told Al-Anbaa that French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian is prepared to facilitate dialogue among Lebanese parties at the Pine Residence, the headquarters of the French Embassy in Lebanon.
Le Drian plans to present this proposal to other stakeholders during the Doha meeting, reassuring the opposition that refuses to engage in dialogue in the parliamentary setting, echoing Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri's view that "the Parliament is a place for electing a president, not for any other work," as emphasized by the opposition.
The French ambassador emphasized the necessity of dialogue and stressed the importance of creating conducive conditions. In her farewell message to the Lebanese people on the French National Day, she asked, "Without France, where would Lebanon be?"
Deputies, ministers, military leaders, and religious figures attended Ambassador Grillo's farewell ceremony. At the same time, Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamie, a representative of Hezbollah in the caretaker government, withdrew in protest against the embassy's security insistence that he must pass through the electronic gate!
Meanwhile, the Supreme Islamic Sharia Council confirmed that Lebanon's constitutional institutions are not suffering from temporary or transitional voids but deliberate and programmed depletion. After a meeting chaired by the Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian, a statement expressed deep concern about institutional depletion and its unprecedented paralysis.
From the Presidency to the government, whose constitutional role is limited to caretaking, to the leadership of the army, the Central Bank's governance, and the hindrance of judicial investigations (the Beirut Port explosion case being an example), the Lebanese state and all its institutions seem to be in a forced vacation. In contrast, Lebanese citizens struggle to make ends meet.
The statement read, in vain, the search for a solution to the Lebanese crisis is pursued in the halls of foreign countries, considering that 'the lost solution' is found in the dark halls of Lebanon, characterized by bias, shortsightedness, and self-interest.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem, during an educational celebration, said, "One of the so-called sovereigntists drew our attention to the situation in the Shebaa Farms, saying that it is the same as it was in 2000."
"What has changed? The Lebanese territories in Shebaa Farms have been occupied since 2000, and all the Israelis did was put up a fence. The occupation is still present. Therefore, those who believe that additional Israeli steps are insignificant do not believe in a homeland, a future, salvation, or being among those who can coexist with others."
Regarding the issue of refugees, the statement criticized the European Parliament's decision to keep Syrian refugees in Lebanon due to the dangers they would face if they returned, stating, "Who is this Parliament that wants to control our local Lebanese internal decisions? Who is this Parliament that prevents the refugees from returning to their countries and imposes on us to accept them with all the difficult and complex conditions for them and us?"
In the financial landscape, as the expected shake-up approaches with the end of Governor Riad Salameh's term at the Central Bank of Lebanon later this month, it appears that the four deputies have decided to submit their resignations to the government, which will then appoint them, upon the recommendation of Finance Minister Youssef Khalil, to handle the caretaker role until a new governor is appointed.
The 2023 budget project is also nearing completion and will be delivered to the General Secretariat within a week.