France has decided to strike hard in the face of the political deadlock in Lebanon.

Paris has started to implement restrictive measures in terms of access to French territory against Lebanese personalities, announced Thursday, April 29, the head of French diplomacy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, during a visit to Malta.

While a reflection is already underway with the European Union on this subject, "on a national basis we have started to implement restrictive measures in terms of access to French territory against personalities involved in the political blockage. ongoing, or involved in corruption, "said the French Foreign Minister, according to a press release.

"Those responsible for the blockage must understand that we will not remain inactive," he warned during a press briefing alongside his Maltese counterpart, Evarist Bartolo, specifying that it was not excluded that the France is adopting "additional measures against all those who hinder the way out of the crisis (...) in coordination with (its) international partners".

More than a year and a half after the first demonstrations against the banking crisis and the corruption of the political class, more than eight months after the explosion in the port of Beirut which left more than 200 dead, thousands of injured, and Devastated entire districts of the capital last August, Lebanon remains mired in its most serious crisis since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war.

The political class still does not manage to erase its divisions to form a government.

The latest failure, at the end of March the Prime Minister designate of Lebanon, Saad Hariri, and the president, Michel Aoun, once again failed to agree on the formation of a new government. 

Under the distressed gaze of the international community, the political class, accused of corruption and of letting the country sink, still seem impervious to the emergency and disconnected from reality.

At the end of March, the head of French diplomacy asked the European Union for "levers" in order to "put pressure" on Lebanese officials. 

With AFP

The summary of the week

France 24 invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you!

Download the France 24 application

google-play-badge_FR