A senior French presidential source has confirmed that the Lebanese file will be a topic of discussion between Pope Francis and President Emmanuel Macron during the Pope's visit to Marseille on September 22 and 23. The French presidential source, in response to a question from "Asharq Al-Awsat," stated that the Lebanese situation is a "source of concern" for both the Pope and Macron, who have previously addressed this issue. It will be among several topics discussed between the two, including the file of refugees flowing into Europe and the escalating crises in various parts of the world.
The presidential source mentioned that the Pope is determined to visit Lebanon; however, such a visit cannot occur amidst the institutional vacuum at the head of the Lebanese republic for less than a year. It is no secret that France and the Vatican are among the countries most concerned about the Lebanese situation. High-level sources consider Vatican diplomacy to be "very effective, although those responsible prefer to keep their actions discreet."
President Macron has previously received several Vatican messages regarding Lebanon, either through traditional diplomatic channels or through intermediaries. During his recent meeting with President Macron at the Élysée Palace on May 29, Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rahi conveyed a papal message to the French side concerning Paris's proposals to expedite the election of a president based on the equation of former minister and deputy Sleiman Frangieh reaching Baabda Palace, and appointing a reformist Prime Minister in the person of Judge Nawaf Salam. This is not acceptable to opposition circles, who consider it succumbing to the desires of "Hezbollah" and the resistance front along with the Shiite duo.
The Macron-Pope meeting will take place after former Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian returned on Friday from Beirut, following his third mission, which does not seem to have opened a window in the wall of the presidential crisis. The former foreign minister is expected to inform President Macron, as well as current Minister Catherine Colonna, about the results of his third visit and his extensive meetings with Lebanese politicians.
The Lebanese file will also be on the table of the five-member group, interested in helping the Lebanese fill the presidential void, which consists of France, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar, expected to meet in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Three of them, namely the foreign ministers of France, the United States, and Saudi Arabia, have previously discussed this file last year and issued an official statement outlining the tasks that the upcoming president must address, including preserving Lebanese sovereignty and implementing the necessary reforms required by Lebanon at the international level and from international financial institutions.
