Details have emerged in recent hours about the visit of the head of the "Mouvement Citoyen" party, Suleiman Franjieh, to Paris earlier this month. The data showed that the visit, which was arranged by the French and conveyed by Patrick Dorell, an advisor in the French presidency, included several meetings between Franjieh and senior French officials. However, both parties declined to confirm whether any of these meetings included the President of France, Emmanuel Macron.
According to sources, the French expanded the discussion on what political and reform steps could be achieved if Franjieh were to reach the presidency. The results of the first day's meetings were reviewed in a morning meeting between Dorell and Franjieh before the latter returned to Beirut, where he informed his allies in "Hezbollah" and "Amal Movement" about the outcomes of the visit.
The French were keen to make the meetings official before and during the visit, clearly stating that they were contemplating a settlement that would include the presidency and premiership, as part of a broader deal related to the upcoming phase and a new governance plan in Lebanon to address various challenges in politics, security, and foreign relations, while paying particular attention to the necessary reform steps that should be taken swiftly.
According to the information, the French informed their guest about the results of the first round of communications that Macron had with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, informing him that the French president would contact the Saudi prince again soon. It seemed that the French officials were well aware of the positions of all Lebanese parties and recognized that some complexities displayed by certain fundamental forces were largely related to the Saudi stance. They confirmed that Paris had not heard from any Saudi official of any "veto" against Franjieh's candidacy. However, they clarified that Riyadh and other parties had many concerns and questions that required explanations and clarifications from him, and that the matter was contingent on reaching an understanding on these issues before moving forward with the settlement.
As per the information, Franjieh was very frank with the French and spoke openly about his internal and external relations, stating that he is an ally of "Hezbollah," which he considers a central force in Lebanon that cannot be overlooked by anyone, and that France engages in dialogue with the party regarding all matters related to Lebanon. He indicated that his relationship with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is not new, and "I will work to activate this relationship for the benefit of Lebanon in many areas."
Additionally, the French posed a series of questions to the Lebanese visitor regarding the upcoming government, its operational mechanism, ensuring its unity, the process of approving reforms, the Central Bank of Lebanon issue, and the governorship position. Franjieh affirmed that Lebanon requires reforms without anyone needing to demand them from him. However, these issues that are being discussed among everyone now will be for the upcoming government to decide upon, as the final decision rests with the Council of Ministers.
It was reported that the French renewed their proposal for Ambassador Nawaf Salam to be the settlement candidate for the first government of the new term, to which Franjieh showed no objection. However, he noted that there is a mechanism in Lebanon for selecting the prime minister by the deputies before the president assigns him to form the government. He confirmed that his allies support all necessary steps that would halt the collapse in Lebanon and expressed optimism that no serious problems would arise regarding government formation.
