The Vice-President of the S&D group in the European Parliament on Foreign Affairs, Pedro Marques from Portugal, said on Tuesday 7 September that the EU could make a difference in Lebanon.
“We have responsibilities as Europeans. We can make a difference because we are important donors and partners”, he told EUROPE after a three-day trip to Lebanon with four other members of the group: Isabel Santos (Portugal), Tonino Picula (Croatia), Evin Incir (Sweden) and Nora Mebarek (France).
“We are going to press, from Parliament’s side, for concrete reforms”, the MEP warned, adding that European financial support and support from the international community would depend on this.
He recalled that the EU could use its financial support to put pressure on the politicians, as well as its sanctions regime, which could be applied if the situation did not improve.
“The use of sanctions is the last thing we want to do to bring about political change. We want sanctions to be unnecessary, which means that the country has to reform and change. If this happens, sanctions will not be necessary”, he explained. He went on to warn that: “If this does not happen, the people responsible for the situation must be penalised”.
The MEP described the Lebanese crisis as a “humanitarian disaster”, adding that people were “lacking just about everything”. 74% of the Lebanese population is said to be affected by poverty, according to the United Nations. Moreover, according to Mr Marques, “the population no longer believes these politicians. They have to change”.
Thus, beyond the establishment of a new government, what is needed, explained the MEP, is a “meaningful government that makes reforms” and “finds an agreement with the International Monetary Fund and engages with the international authorities”.
The MEP also called for fair, transparent and independent parliamentary, municipal and presidential elections in 2022. “We have been very clear on this point with the government, the Parliament. And we need assurances, because the Electoral Commission says it doesn’t have the means (to work) at the moment. These means must clearly be found, we have been very clear about this”, said Mr Marques.
He added that representatives of the European Parliament would certainly be present to monitor the elections. For this, Lebanon will have to invite an election observation mission.
The MEP added that his group will ask for an urgent debate on Lebanon in Parliament’s plenary session, during the session from 13 to 16 September. “We want Parliament to be clear, so that the High Representative of the Union knows that Parliament also thinks that the situation is completely unacceptable and that change is needed”, explained Mr Marques. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)