France's Foreign Minister says Lebanon is 'running out of time before total collapse'

Amid the political crisis in Beirut, France’s foreign minister on March 11 said that Lebanon is running out of time before it could see a total collapse. According to AP, Jean-Yves Le Drian urged the country’s politicians to form a new government to save it from economic and financial disaster. He said that a collapse would spell disaster not only for the Lebanese people but also for the hundreds of thousands of Syrian and Palestinian refugees it hosts, as well as the entire region. 

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s government had resigned days after the massive explosion at Beirut port in August. After the blast, Lebanon has witnessed widespread protests against the economic woes that the country has been facing, which worsened after the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year. Protesters have been blocking roads and demonstrating in front of the parliament, demanding banks to release their deposits. The delay in the formation of the new government is not helping the people because it is pushing behind the much-needed reforms. 

Previously, French President Emmanuel Macron had proposed a road map to break Lebanon’s political statement over the formation of a new government. Macron has also been pressing the country’s politicians to form a Cabinet made up of non-partisans specialists that can work on urgent reforms to extract Lebanon from a financial crisis worsened by the August 4 explosion. Moreover, the French President has also travelled twice to Beirut since then and has made it a personal mission to try to repair the damaged country. 

‘It is not yet too late’ 

However, even with the worst economic crisis, Lebanon’s politicians have been bickering about the shape and size of a new cabinet. While speaking to reporters in Paris, Le Drian noted that despite promises last year, it has been seven months, and nothing has budged. He added that it is not yet too late, but the country is “running out of time before a total collapse”. Further, the French minister said that there is still time to act “but we have to do it fast because tomorrow it will be too late”. 

Meanwhile, earlier this month, Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab said he is willing to isolate himself and stop working to pressure politicians to form a new government. Diab said if isolation helps he is ready to turn to it, but warned that it will disrupt the state and harm Lebanese people. Diab is currently serving as caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed. Former Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri has been nominated by the members of parliament to form the new government but the leader is facing a roadblock because of Lebanon's sectarian form of politics. In Lebanon, parliamentary seats are equally divided between Christians and Muslims for fair representation, and choosing a cabinet without disrupting the status quo is a humongous task for any new prime minister.