EU Lawmakers Call for Sanctions on Lebanese Politicians if New Government Fails

European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium May 5, 2021. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium May 5, 2021. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
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EU Lawmakers Call for Sanctions on Lebanese Politicians if New Government Fails

European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium May 5, 2021. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium May 5, 2021. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo

The European Union should still consider imposing sanctions on Lebanese politicians who block the progress of the new government, the EU's parliament said on Thursday, calling Lebanon's crisis a man-made disaster.

This week, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told the European Parliament that, while Lebanon's economic model was broken, the moment for sanctions had passed because politicians formed a government on Sept. 10.

Taking note of Lebanon's formation of a government after more than a year of political deadlock, the European Parliament in Strasbourg issued a resolution saying EU governments cannot yet release pressure on the country.

The parliament voted 575 in favor, 71 against and with 39 abstentions, Reuters reported.

The parliament "deeply urges Lebanese leaders to keep their promises and be a functional government", the parliament's resolution, which is non-binding, said of Lebanon's new cabinet that has vowed to tackle one of the world's worst economic meltdowns in history.

EU lawmakers warned: "the introduction of targeted sanctions for obstructing or undermining the democratic political process remains an option."

The EU agreed in June to prepare travel bans and asset freezes for Lebanese politicians accused of corruption and obstructing efforts to form a government, financial mismanagement and human rights abuses.

No names have been formally identified, but with financial collapse, hyperinflation, electricity blackouts and food shortages blighting the country, the parliament hopes its call will focus the minds of Lebanese politicians, many of whom have assets in the EU.



Arab Parliament Speaker Condemns Israeli Escalation in Gaza, Calls for Immediate Action

Arab Parliament Speaker Condemns Israeli Escalation in Gaza, Calls for Immediate Action
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Arab Parliament Speaker Condemns Israeli Escalation in Gaza, Calls for Immediate Action

Arab Parliament Speaker Condemns Israeli Escalation in Gaza, Calls for Immediate Action

Arab Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al Yamahi strongly condemned Israel’s dangerous and bloody escalation against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the Saudi Press Agency said on Sunday.

In a statement, Al Yamahi described the systematic starvation and deadly siege in Gaza, leaving vulnerable populations to face death, as a full-fledged crime occurring before a silent world. He voiced calls on the international community to shirk its moral, legal, and humanitarian responsibilities towards a people facing annihilation through mass starvation, a scenario deemed unbearable to human conscience.

Al Yamahi also condemned the Israeli occupation forces’ bombing of places of worship in Gaza, describing it as a war crime and holding the occupying forces fully responsible for the attack.

He urged the international community to take immediate and effective action to halt the aggression, open urgent and sustainable humanitarian aid corridors, and hold occupation leaders accountable as war criminals.