Why is the French position still the same regarding the file of the Presidency of the Republic, even in light of the visit that the Maronite Patriarch, Mar Beshara Boutros Al-Rahi, paid to President Emmanuel Macron? And why does “Hezbollah” consider the Christian consensus on the former minister, Jihad Azour, to be a consensus on a challenging candidate, while its candidate, Suleiman Franjieh, only enjoys his support and not the support of the Christian parties? Has the Saudi-Iranian agreement not yet given effect in Lebanon?

French diplomatic sources confirm to “Sawt Beirut International” that the French initiative regarding the presidency still exists, which is the need to elect a new president for the republic as soon as possible, and that France does not adhere to a specific person, but to what the Lebanese agree on. However, the idea of a “package”, which was the focus of discussion between France and all Lebanese and foreign parties, is still on the table, in the absence of a serious candidate other than the candidate Suleiman Franjieh. Rather, France stands by any proposal that takes Lebanon out of its collapsed situation and puts it on the right track, including the call for the election of a president, whoever was elected by the Parliament, and does not adhere to a French name.

Consequently, the sources indicate that there is no fundamental change in the political scene in the absence of a new candidate for the presidency, and that the presence of an agreed-upon candidate will be supportive of the French position. The sources called for keeping pace with the patriarch’s move at the level of internal leadership. France does not see things from the angle that there is a candidate against a specific candidate. Any person who will be elected, France will cooperate with it in order to start implementing a new reform program, and get out of the stage of disintegration and dissolution of the state, to the stage of rescue, and if the parties agree on a specific candidate that France considers a positive and constructive competition between the political forces.

The sources pointed out that France is striving in Lebanon on the ground to help the security forces, who are making a tremendous effort to maintain stability with very little resources. The French agencies and the embassy are striving and putting their weight to support Lebanon, especially on the security front. However, this appears to be the last stage, as if the state is unable to provide security and stability, the situation will become more complicated. Therefore, all leaders must hasten to elect a new president immediately, in order to avoid further ruin of the country. It is better to elect a president, and Paris does not adhere to anyone, and it is able to work with everyone.

And Arab sources indicate that the position of “Hezbollah” sticking to Franjieh, which considers any other candidate to be a challenging candidate, is still in the category of obstruction. Attention is directed to the patriarch’s movement in the dialogue that he will lead with “Hezbollah” in particular, which is welcomed by France. As the state is eroding and disappearing with the possibility of the security situation being negatively affected, all of which are factors that frighten Arab and Western countries interested in Lebanon, and constitute a factor of pressure on the patriarchy, which does not hesitate to do everything necessary to preserve Lebanon, the state and the entity.