Paris (AFP)

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday called on Lebanese leaders, one year to the day after the explosion in the port of Beirut, to form a government and initiate reforms, accusing them of "decay" and once again raising the threat sanctions.

"The Lebanese leaders seem to be betting on rotting (..) I think it is a historical and moral fault," he said at the opening of the International Conference in support of the Lebanese population, which brought together representatives of around forty states and international organizations at a distance.

The Head of State spoke himself from Fort de Brégançon, the summer residence of French presidents, in the Var (south of France).

"The crisis that Lebanon is going through is not a stroke of fate, nor a fatality. It is the result of individual and collective bankruptcies and unjustifiable dysfunctions", he insisted, accusing the Lebanese political class of passing "its individual and partisan interests before the interests of the Lebanese people".

Lebanon has been without government since the resignation of Hassan Diab and his team in the aftermath of the explosion, which killed more than 200 people, disfigured part of the capital and traumatized the Lebanese on August 4, 2020.

The new prime minister-designate on July 26, Najib Mikati, promised to form a government without delay.

But for the moment nothing is moving.

Despite multiple pressures, especially from France, Lebanese officials have continued to obstruct the formation of a government and the implementation of structural reforms demanded by the international community in exchange for billions of dollars in aid. necessary to end the country's crisis.

In the meantime, he announced emergency aid of "nearly 100 million euros" from France over the next twelve months - after 85 million euros in 2020 - to meet the immediate needs of the Lebanese population in matters food, education or health.

France will also send 500,000 doses of anti-Covid vaccines.

Paris hopes to raise more than $ 350 million in total on the occasion of this international conference, co-chaired by Emmanuel Macron and UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.

- No time to waste" -

In the process, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas announced commitments to the tune of 40 million euros, including for Syrian refugees, after already 24 million last year.

And the EU of 5.5 million euros to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Aid of 280 million euros had already gathered during the first two international conferences organized by France, a former mandatory power, in 2020.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in Poland on July 1, 2021 Wojtek RADWANSKI AFP

"But there will be no blank check for the benefit of the Lebanese political system," warned the French president.

"There is no time to waste. International support depends on it," added Heiko Maas.

In this context, France, which has already restricted access to its territory to certain Lebanese officials, once again raised the threat of sanctions, including at the EU level.

"The Lebanese leaders must not doubt for a single second of our determination," stressed Emmanuel Macron.

Lebanon faces a triple political, economic crisis - one of the worst in the world since 1850, according to the World Bank, with shortages of fuel, medicines and blackouts of up to 22 hours a day - and health related to Covid-19.

US President Joe Biden was also scheduled to speak at the conference in a recorded message.

His Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, King of Jordan Abdullah II and Lebanese Head of State Michel Aoun were also expected, as were the Prime Ministers of Iraq, Canada, Greece, President of the European Council Charles Michel and representatives of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Emmanuel Macron also called for "truth" and "transparency" in the Lebanese investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy.

A year after the explosion and despite the scale of the tragedy, no one responsible has been brought to justice and the investigation is stalling, obstructed by political interventions.

burs-vl / jk / sr

© 2021 AFP