Paris reportedly still clinging to Franjieh-Salam proposal

The French policy toward Lebanon has not changed and Paris is still carrying on with its proposal for resolving the Lebanese crisis: the election of Suleiman Franjieh as president and the appointment of Nawaf Salam as premier, multiple sources said.

Despite the objections against the aforementioned proposal that have been relayed to the French leadership, Paris is insisting on its initiative, arguing that “Hezbollah has not accepted any alternative candidates” and that some nominees are “unknown” or “do not enjoy a presidential profile,” the sources told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper in remarks published Sunday.

“Hezbollah is the side capable of prolonging vacuum to any extent it wants, in light of what it did in 2016, and accordingly France believes that it would be impossible to elect any candidate not accepted by Hezbollah,” the sources added.

“Another reason behind the French intransigence is that Paris cannot suddenly reverse the policy it has adopted for several months now, because that would mean that it lacks seriousness,” the sources said.