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Major countries have warned that an “economically depleted” Lebanon will not be on the list of countries eligible for free grants due to the absence of reforms.
And Western powers seeking to save Lebanon’s economy, which is on the brink of collapse, warned the country’s leaders that it would not be granted until a credible government was formed to quickly reform the situation in the bankrupt state.
France, the United States and other donor countries are running out of patience, having already provided aid to Lebanon more than once since the civil war that broke out between 1975 and 1990.
The clumsiness of politicians
The anger is mainly on politicians, many of whom were familiar faces during the country’s slide into economic crisis.
Last year, massive protests broke out against the ruling elite, as people held them responsible for looking out for their vested interests at a time when public debt was rising.
The coronavirus pandemic increased pressure on the country’s resources, and during August a massive explosion in the Beirut port destroyed large swaths of the city.
With the depletion of dollars, a shortage of basic goods, including medicines, appeared and an increasing number of people fell into poverty in Lebanon.
And French President Emmanuel Macron, given that Lebanon is a former French colony, quickly visited the city after the explosion and tried to persuade politicians to implement at least partial reforms to address the emergency situation.
Power struggles
However, rival factions still vie for influence, and Lebanon has not formed a government since the government whose collapse in August and its aftermath caused its collapse.
As in previous crises, each side accused the other of being responsible for this situation.
Two sources who participated in the talks in Beirut last week said Patrick Daryl, Macron’s adviser for Middle East and North Africa affairs, made clear in the talks that, while Paris kept its promises, “we will not save them unless let there be reforms “.
A Western diplomat said France was still trying to organize a conference to discuss reconstruction in Beirut in late November, but doubts remain.
The diplomat added: “There is no news. Lebanese politicians have returned to their way of working, and the worrying thing is the total disregard for the people.”
No free help
US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea said in a conference call by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington on Friday that the United States “understands that Lebanon is important” and that “avoiding state failure … must be the top priority. ”
But he added: “We really can’t want it more than they want.” And he stressed that there are no rescue plans without reforms.
“We gain sophistication,” he added. He added that there would be a “step-by-step approach and nothing is free.”
Saad Hariri, the Sunni prime minister appointed under the country’s sectarian power-sharing agreement, is struggling to form a government.
Hardened situations
Various sources said that the current stagnation is a suicidal situation for the country which is rapidly depleting its foreign reserves. These reserves are estimated at just $ 17.9 billion.
A high-level political source familiar with the talks said: “The message from the French is now clear: there is no government, there is no reform, so goodbye. Thank you.”
“At the end of the day, they don’t know how to deal with the exceptional circumstances and challenges … We continue to deal with the formation of the government as if we were living normal days,” he said.
Ambassador Chia said donors must maintain their position, otherwise the political elite will not take them seriously.
He added: “If they don’t feel the importance of the element of time in forming a government, how can we keep pushing them?
