This is not his first visit to Lebanon, but this time it coincided with a volatile situation in the south, amidst the ongoing presidential vacancy and worsening living crises, along with the issue of Syrian displacement. All these matters formed a rich basis for discussions held by French MP in the European Parliament François-Xavier Bellamy during his two-day visit to Beirut, which he described as a field follow-up to the alarming phase Lebanon is experiencing, in conjunction with the economic and social crisis faced by its people, according to "Nidaa al-Watan".
After visiting the patriarchal headquarters in Bkerke and meeting Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi yesterday, coinciding with the celebrations of Easter among Christian communities following the Western calendar, Bellamy spoke to "Nidaa al-Watan" about the goals of his visit and the content of his discussions with several political leaders.
Regarding his meeting with Al-Rahi, the French MP said: “We talked about the alarming situation at Lebanon’s southern borders, and the importance of maintaining peace in Lebanon as well as in other countries around the world.” Bellamy conveyed Al-Rahi’s emphasis on the importance of avoiding a comprehensive war and preventing its escalation. According to Bellamy, the “Lebanese people has become a hostage to a conflict they do not wish for and a hostage to a ‘force’ trying to control its land, paying the price for the violation of its sovereignty, a reality the country has faced for a long time.”
“It is difficult to predict the outcome of the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel,” according to Bellamy, who asserts that “Lebanon will not enjoy peace until it regains its sovereignty, and I reaffirm my support for the call by Patriarch Al-Rahi that emphasizes the necessity for Lebanon to enjoy neutrality.” Bellamy reiterated his support for the necessity of “implementing UN Resolution 1701 and, obviously, applying Resolution 1559, which calls for the disarmament of militias.” He added, “But the problem is that today there is an armed militia on Lebanese soil, acting as a political party but in reality, it is a parallel military force, and I mean Hezbollah, which acts in the interests of Iran and threatens to drag Lebanon into a war that does not align with what the Lebanese want if they were able to determine their destiny.”
He continued: “So, the biggest challenge for us is to work on restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty, because if we want to achieve peace in the region, we must adhere to United Nations resolutions calling for the disarmament of militias in Lebanon.” Here Bellamy acknowledges that this is not an easy issue, and the international community must play its role in this regard.
Regarding the presidential vacancy in Lebanon, Bellamy stated: “Unfortunately, we did not sense any breakthrough in this crisis, despite the efforts of the five-member committee. I had the opportunity to discuss this issue with several Lebanese MPs and political groups during this visit to Beirut. I see that the issue is still frozen.” He continued: “Lebanon is a democratic country, it is a democratic miracle in this region, and it is essential to respect the constitutional texts. We cannot ask the democratic forces in Lebanon to give up the constitution or the election of a president. I do not see a need for consensus on a specific presidential candidate for the election. Simply put, he must be elected by the Parliament; this is the constitution, so we must allow the parliament to carry out the election process, and this is the role of the MPs, to meet and elect the president who has the majority of votes.”
According to Bellamy: “For external powers like France and for the five-member committee, it is not important to support a specific presidential candidate, but what is important is to support the principle of electing a president and respecting the constitution, in addition to preserving the right and duty of parliamentary members in electing a president for the republic.”
### "Delaying Local Elections is a Bad Sign"
Just like the presidential elections, local and municipal elections are also an important entitlement in the eyes of French MP in the European Parliament François-Xavier Bellamy, who considered the possibility of delaying them to be “a very bad sign.” He stated: “We recognize the importance of respecting the Lebanese constitution and democracy in the country and the choices of Lebanese voters. Currently, in light of this crisis the country is experiencing, there is a need to strengthen municipalities and maintain their effectiveness and role in supporting the Lebanese people. Therefore, I think it would be a very bad idea to deprive municipalities of this crucial moment for their democratic life.”
### "Syrian Displacement is a Threat to Demographics"
During his time in Lebanon, Bellamy discussed a series of files that concern him, including the educational sector, considering that schools “are the future of Lebanon and are currently experiencing a fragile phase, so I wanted to closely follow this file on the ground.” The crisis of Syrian displacement was also on his agenda, as was the crisis of depositors, which he has been monitoring closely for a long time.
In this context, Bellamy stated: “The European perspective on the displacement issue has not changed. I led an important battle in the European Parliament against leftist parties and the majority representing President Emmanuel Macron, who still believe that we should continue funding the presence of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Moreover, National Assembly member Thierry Mariani is a friend of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and I believe he is exploiting this crisis because he is not seeking to resolve it.”
He continued, “So we are the only political side that is actually trying to defend the desire of the Lebanese people to end this issue, which has become a huge demographic threat to Lebanon.”
Bellamy’s latest visit to Beirut precedes the European Parliament elections as he was chosen by the “Republicans Party” to lead its list of candidates in the upcoming race in June. He stated: “I wanted to visit Lebanon during Easter, a holiday of hope, to indicate how much French-Lebanese and European-Lebanese relations should be at the core of the electoral campaigns for the European Parliament. We talk a lot about the Ukrainian issue, and we are right to do so, and we certainly discuss the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip, which is natural, but geopolitics includes broad challenges, and here Europe bears special responsibility towards Lebanon.”
During his brief visit, Bellamy held meetings with several Lebanese MPs from different affiliations, explaining that he has long-standing relationships with some of them, having previously met them in Brussels over the past months to discuss a series of important files. He explained that the work he “will be doing together for the benefit of the Lebanese people will take some time; unfortunately, things do not move quickly, but this does not mean we should stop; rather, we must persistently and faithfully continue trying. This is also the perspective of the MPs I communicate with; they, despite belonging to different political groups, share the idea of defending Lebanon’s sovereignty.”
He also sent greetings to “some political officials in Lebanon, such as MP Sami Gemayel, as they risk their lives by daring to name the internal enemy currently depriving Lebanon of its sovereignty, and I mean Hezbollah here. We must support these MPs who are working for the Lebanese to reclaim their right to determine their destiny.”
In conclusion, Bellamy noted that “this period of crises is a time to exercise responsibility. Therefore, the Lebanese must assume responsibility to save Lebanon, as there are existential crises that threaten the country and the state itself, and today is the right time to do so,” according to "Nidaa al-Watan."
