Macron: No Funds for Lebanese Political System
French President Emmanuel Macron vows new aid to Lebanon and says that "Lebanese leaders seem to bet on a stalling strategy."
French President Emmanuel Macron revealed on Wednesday that some measures might be taken against Lebanese politicians playing a negative role in the country, saying, "There will be no blank cheque for the Lebanese political system."
La France continuera à soutenir et aider la population du Liban :
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 4, 2021
- 100 millions d’euros supplémentaires seront mobilisés dans les 12 mois qui viennent pour aider le pays ;
- 500 000 doses de vaccins seront envoyées dès les prochaines semaines. https://t.co/3dBOUzo87h
"Lebanese leaders seem to bet on a stalling strategy, which I regret and I think is a historic and moral failure," Macron said in his opening remarks as host of the Lebanon International Donors' Conference that aims to raise at least $350 million for the struggling country. He emphasized that “A Lebanese government must be formed to implement the year-old road map, with reforms to support Lebanon more."
The French President also stated that the funds will not be routed through the Lebanese political system, "Because it is they who, since the start of the crisis but also before that, are failing," adding that they "will provide aid in euros to support families, students, and the educational sector. We will double our food aid, we will send 500,000 vaccines against the coronavirus this August, and we will also contribute to the reconstruction of the Port of Beirut."
"We will continue to work so that our assistance is directed directly to the people in a transparent manner,” he said.
The French Foreign Ministry published a video on Twitter on the 1-year anniversary of the Beirut Port explosion, which rocked the capital on August 4th 2020, resulting in 200 martyrs and thousands of injured.
#لبنان #فرنسا 🇱🇧-🇫🇷
— الخارجية الفرنسية 🇫🇷 (@francediplo_AR) August 4, 2021
تحي فرنسا ذكرى الانفجار الذي وقع في 4 أغسطس 2020 بعد مرور عام عليه وذكرى ضحاياه.
واستنفرت 🇫🇷 طاقتها مع شركائها الدوليين منذ لحظات وقوع الانفجار الأولى.⬇️
وتقف فرنسا وستقف إلى جانب الشعب اللبناني مثلما عهدت دائمًا. pic.twitter.com/5udo8JrYgT
Macron's office said that the new aid will be unconditional, but around $11 billion raised in 2018 remain locked away and are conditional on a series of reforms.
France pledged 100 million euros during the conference while Germany pledged 40 million.