Macron’s Beirut Return Was Much To-Do About Nothing
Promises of an international aid conference and exhortations for Lebanon's political class do better — the Lebanese have heard it all before.
The Lebanese people want more from Macron.
Photographer: Hasan Shaaban/BloombergWell, that was a nothingbaguette. For French President Emmanuel Macron, his second visit to Beirut since the devastating blasts of Aug. 4 yielded one memorable photo-op, some posturing before the international media, a few airy bromides about the need for political reform and an unspecified threat of sanctions against those who oppose it.
For the Lebanese, it produced a loose, caveat-laden promise: An international conference of donors in Paris in October will provide the financial assistance needed to rebuild their collapsing economy — and their collapsed capital — but (and this is a big “but”) only if (and this is a big “if”) their political elite agrees to demolish the system that has brought the country to the depths of dysfunction.