The spokesman for the European External Action Service (EEAS), Peter Stano, welcomed the evening of Tuesday 1 September the appointment of a new Prime Minister in Lebanon.
It is Mustapha Adib, 48 years old, former ambassador of the country in Germany.
“The appointment of the new Prime Minister, Mustapha Adib, is an important step towards forming a new government”, he told the media. In his view, the government must be competent, accountable and representative in order to reflect the needs and aspirations of the Lebanese people. “The government must be able to implement reforms that are indispensable for international assistance, but also indispensable simply so that Lebanon can recover, rebound and emerge from its difficult economic situation by meeting the aspirations and needs of its citizens”, Mr Stano said.
“We will do our best to help the country overcome the multiple challenges it faces, it is our duty”, promised the EEAS Deputy Director General for the MENA region, Carl Hallergard, during a hearing on Lebanon at the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs.
In terms of reforms, “we would like things to move quickly. In what way? It is up to the Lebanese to decide”, he said. Also before this Committee, the European Commission’s Deputy Director General in DG NEAR, Maciej Popowski, added that, if Lebanon asked for it, the EU was ready to help it in its reform process.
A country in multiple crises
Beyond the deadly and destructive explosion in the Lebanese capital on 4 August (see EUROPE 12543/2), the country is facing a major economic crisis, the Syrian crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, with 500 to 600 new cases reported every day.
The country urgently needs help from the IMF, a 10 billion dollar aid package that was under discussion before the explosion. “We need an agreement as soon as possible to get the country out of the economic crisis. (...) Confidence-building measures must be taken, the PM has understood this and we welcome it”, explained Mr Hallergard, as Mr Adib made such an agreement a priority. If an agreement is reached with the international organisation, the EU could then consider macro-financial assistance to the country.
And help would be more than welcome. Not to mention the economic crisis, according to Mr Popowski, the physical damage from the explosion represents between 4 and 5 billion dollars and an impact of 3 to 3.5 billion dollars on economic flows, as transport infrastructure has been affected. “It will take between 1.8 and 2.2 billion dollars to rebuild infrastructure for 2020 and 2021”, he added.
The Deputy Director added that the Commission was considering several projects in the fields of economy, education and health and wanted to make full use of the possibilities of the Syria Trust Fund, with the release of 259 million euros by the end of the year.
But money must be strictly controlled, said MEPs, concerned about corruption issues in Lebanon. Mr Popowski wanted to reassure on this subject. In his view, the EU is particularly strict and works with international organisations. “We are carrying out the necessary controls and audits and will continue to do so”, he added.
International financial support will also be subject to the progress of reforms. Visiting Beirut, French President Emmanuel Macron warned that he would not release the funds promised to Lebanon at the 2018 Paris conference if the reforms were not implemented. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)