In the context of the French-American follow-up on the situation in Lebanon, and despite differences in the American and French approaches toward Lebanon, both countries are pushing for a solution to the presidential vacancy problem in Lebanon, according to Western and French diplomatic sources. France insists that French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian should continue his initiative, even though he decided to postpone his visit to Lebanon for now to allow local initiatives space to develop. His return to meet the same individuals and hear the same positions is not deemed useful for advancing his mission. Currently, there are movements from the quintet locally, as well as from the "Moderation Bloc" in the Lebanese internal scene. The French diplomatic sources believe it is better for all these efforts to mature before Le Drian's return, as he previously held a meeting with the Qatari Prime Minister at the Élysée Palace regarding his mission in Lebanon and the efforts to fill the presidential vacancy on the sidelines of the state visit made by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to France, where he discussed Lebanon with President Emmanuel Macron.
The French diplomatic sources point out that the Saudi ambassador to Lebanon, Walid Bukhari, is very active in advancing the efforts to resolve the presidential issue. Although American diplomacy gives the impression that it is acting alone to solve the problem in Lebanon, Paris sees it as important to push forward the effort to fill the presidential void and move towards a solution, which is very beneficial despite the apparent competition between the two diplomacies. Particularly since American envoy Amos Hochstein, when he visited Lebanon and then Israel, contacted French officials beforehand but ultimately guides his efforts without updating others on the outcome. Paris is aware of the American diplomatic approach and sees no harm in it; on the contrary, anything that pushes towards a solution to the presidential problem is welcomed.
The sources suggest that there is a possibility of moving towards a third name for the presidential candidate if a dynamic is established that the sources did not specify. Paris believes that all members of the quintet consider it necessary to advance on the presidential file at this time, and American diplomacy is also pushing for progress on this front. It considers that if a ceasefire is reached in Gaza, there may be an opportunity to find an agreement. As for France, the Le Drian initiative will continue. Regarding the French plan to prevent the war from expanding into Lebanon, it also relies on Lebanese decisions, as Israeli thinking regarding Lebanon still hinges on two options: either expanding the war or negotiating if northern Israeli residents can return to their homes, meaning if the bombardment stops. The sources point out that the prevailing impression that things are not moving in Lebanon is linked to the ongoing fighting in Gaza.
