A prominent political source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the head of Lebanon's Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), former Minister Gebran Bassil, was still obstructing the formation of a new government and disregarding recent European warnings about imposing sanctions on Lebanese officials.
In an official communiqué last week, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has warned Lebanese officials of EU pressure if they continue to obstruct government-making after months of deadlock.
Le Drian warned of “identifying European Union leverage for stepping up pressure on those responsible for the deadlock”, in an allusion to potential sanctions. The statement came after the French minister spoke by phone with Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, the Lebanese political source said that Hezbollah, along with other mediators, communicated with Bassil in an attempt to persuade him to drop his conditions that are obstructing the formation of the government.
According to the source, Bassil insisted on his demands, despite some flexibility shown by Aoun with regards to the vetoing third - a flexibility that remains insufficient without the approval of the president’s son-in-law and political heir.
The source avoided answering a question about the role of Hezbollah and its willingness to pressure Bassil to soften his position. He noted however that Hariri, who conducted a short visit to the UAE earlier this week, was maintaining communication with Berri on the government issue.
In this regard, the political source stressed that Hariri expressed utmost flexibility to any move that would be proposed by Berri, but insisted on Aoun’s consent to drop his condition regarding obtaining the vetoing third in the government.
He added that the premier designate would only accept increasing the number of ministers from 18 to 24, as demanded by Aoun, if the latter relinquishes his insistence on the blocking third.
Hariri, according to the source, remains fully committed to the road map drawn up by French President Emmanuel Macron, which stipulates the formation of a government of specialists and independents, who will work on a reform program as the condition to obtain financial and economic aid.
