After the failure of electing a president, Macron sends his special envoy to discuss the end of the political crisis in Lebanon

A Western diplomatic source said, “The new special envoy of President Emmanuel Macron to Lebanon will head to Beirut next week, while France seeks a new initiative to end the political crisis that has left the country without a president for over half a year.”

The source, requesting anonymity, told the “Agence France-Presse” that former Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, whom Macron appointed earlier this month, will travel to Beirut on Wednesday.

Another source close to the matter said that Le Drian would depart on Wednesday, but it was not clear how long he would stay in Beirut or whom he would meet.

Failure of the Lebanese Parliament

According to the French news agency, the visit comes after Lebanese lawmakers failed for the twelfth time last week to elect a new president, a deadlock that has caused growing frustration in Paris as the country faces an economic and financial crisis.

France maintains some influence in Lebanon as a former colonial power, but it has to deal with a group of other forces, especially Saudi Arabia, which has influence in the Sunni community, and Iran, which can rely on the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.

The term of former President Michel Aoun ended in October last year without a successor. The bitter divisions between Hezbollah and its opponents now risk plunging Lebanon into an extended power vacuum at the worst possible time.

Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called for a “rapid end to the institutional political vacuum in Lebanon” following talks on Friday.

The French Presidency stated that the prolonged absence of the President of the Republic “remains the main obstacle to resolving the acute social and economic crisis in the country.”

Macron earned praise from observers for his visit to Beirut following the devastating explosion at the port in 2020, pushing Lebanese leaders towards fundamental reforms. However, he is now under pressure to follow through on these promises. Le Drian is a seasoned politician who served as Foreign Minister throughout Macron’s first term and previously held the position of Defense Minister.