The statements of French President Emmanuel Macron regarding Lebanon broke the political stagnation that had emerged since last week, coinciding with the holiday season. They indicated that Beirut would be present within an active diplomatic movement expected to commence at the beginning of next year. Several signals from the Gulf and France confirm that Lebanon is not forgotten and that efforts in the region will not exclude it.
Macron revealed that he would launch initiatives to resolve the political impasse, although he placed himself back in the category of erroneous generalization when speaking negatively about all political forces. He is well aware of which of these forces truly bears responsibility for obstructing milestones and reforms and who has made and continues to make every effort to attempt to extricate Lebanon from its crises, based on the premise that dialogue among the Lebanese should take precedence over any external movement, no matter how necessary.
At the forefront of the forces striving to untangle internal issues is the head of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt, who has not halted his efforts since the conclusion of the parliamentary elections. He has opened channels of dialogue in all directions in an attempt to seize any available opportunity to rescue Lebanon from the mire. Jumblatt’s movement was reactivated recently with MP Wael Abou Faour’s visit to Maarab, followed by Jumblatt's reception of MP Michel Mouawad in Clemenceau. This aligns perfectly with the Progressive Party's stance advocating for dialogue with everyone. In this context, leadership sources confirm that it is not surprising for communication to occur between Clemenceau and MP Gibran Bassil, as one who calls for dialogue cannot engage with one group while boycotting another, regardless of how far apart the viewpoints may be on the issues at hand. The essence and idea of dialogue should involve those with differing opinions and stances.
