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3. Le Drian's Mission: Swift Presidential Election or Negative Consequences

A French diplomatic source disclosed that the visit of French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, following the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, is aimed at pushing for the swift election of a president. Any delays in this process would reflect poorly on Lebanon in the eyes of the international community, which is closely monitoring the actions of the country’s political factions on two critical fronts: full adherence to UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the election of a president, followed by the formation of a government capable of implementing reforms across political, economic, and administrative sectors.

The French source revealed that Le Drian will stress that the election of a president is unrelated to the 60-day ceasefire agreement. Therefore, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri is expected to call for the session within days, rather than allowing further delays of weeks. This stance has been agreed upon by all members of the Quintet Committee, which includes France, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt.

Meanwhile, parliamentary sources close to Nabih Berri stated that the call for the election of a president is expected to happen soon, though no specific date has been set. They emphasized, however, that the election call should be preceded by a consultation process, the details of which remain unclear, aimed at reaching a consensus on a presidential candidate. The current political climate, they noted, does not allow for the election of a president who would face opposition from any particular faction. The sources also pointed out that several names could be considered as consensus candidates, with support from political parties across different sides.

Opposition sources, on the other hand, expect the presidential election issue to intensify starting early next week, with mounting pressure from members of the Quintet, particularly the United States, France and Saudi Arabia. Local efforts are also expected to increase in order to reach a consensus on the presidential dossier, paving the way for the convening of a productive session that will continue until a president is elected. In this context, sources highlighted the forthcoming meeting between Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Joumblatt. This meeting could lead to the identification of common ground not only on the presidential matter but also on all upcoming challenges, particularly in the political sphere, with a roadmap that would establish a government with sole authority over political, military and economic decisions.